instructables classes

LASER CUTTING CLASS

4 Lessons Beginner Level

The Laser Cutter is every maker's dream tool. Whether you want to etch detailed graphics, cut
intricate patterns, or fabricate complex 3D objects, this tool will make your life much easier. In this
class, you'll get started with a box-making web app, then learn the basics of custom cutting and
pattern etching with 2D graphics . You'll also learn how to make CAD designs into 3D objects in
Fusion 360– an awesome (and free) 3D modeling program. Whether you've got access to a laser
cutter or not, this class will teach you everything you need to know to make your own high-tech
creations.
Ent e r a n I ns t ruct a ble s C ont e s t !
If you've used the skills you learned in this class to design something awesome, try writing an
instructable about it and entering one of our contests, like the Furniture Contest for a chance to win
some awesome prizes!

Class Author:
JON-A-TRON
Jonathan Odom is a professional designer with more than 10 years of experience in CNC design and fabrication. He has used
the laser cutterfor complex architectural models, industrial design prototypes, and dozens of other projects on Instructables. His
work has been exhibited locally and internationally, published online and in print, and is enjoyed by friends, family, collectors, and
clients.

Laser Cutting Class: Page 1

 Lessons

Lesson 1: Welcome to Laser Cutting

A complete list of tools, materials, and services that will
help you follow along with the class.

Lesson 2: Tissue Box Cover From Web App

We'll get our feet wet with a free and easy web app. We'll
design and create a tissue box cover and create a 2D
layout that's ready for cutting.

Lesson 3: Prepping and Laser Cutting

To make the tissue box cover from the previous lesson,
we'll learn how to prep the material, how to set up the
machine, and how to get the best results for the finished
product.

Lesson 4: 2D Puzzle
Now that we know how to laser cut, we'll learn how to
make our own cut and etched design from scratch in
Adobe Illustrator with this 2D puzzle project.

Laser Cutting Class: Page 2

 Lesson 1: Welcome to Laser Cutting

Laser cutting is nothing short of a magical tool for makers. Laser cutters are
precise and versatile, allowing you to make a project as simple as personalized
drink coasters or as advanced as quadcopter drones. It's also a great way to
learn to design things that are made up of 2D panels, and with that skill, you
can make just about anything.
If y o u do n' t ha v e a cce s s t o a la s e r cut t e r, it ' s no pro ble m . Ponoko
is an online service bureau that will cut out your projects for you in a wide
variety of materials. They're reasonably priced and they do excellent work.
In this class, we'll learn laser cutting by making 2 projects...
P r o je c t 1 : T i s s ue B o x C o v e r

Using Makercase, a web app that generates a laser cut box panel layout by
entering dimensions, we'll make a tissue box cover.

P r o je c t 2 : 2 D P uz z l e

Next, we'll learn the basics of 2D design in Adobe Illustrator and Autodesk
Graphic by making a 2D puzzle. We'll draw the puzzle piece shapes and
overlay a raster image for etching.

Laser Cutting Class: Page 3

What Is Laser Cutting?

“Laser” is an acronym for "light ampli cation by stimulated emission of

radiation”. Originally theorized by Albert Einstein in 1917, It’s basically just
highly focused, highly ampli ed light. A stream of photons from a ashlight
has a phase and amplitude that vary randomly with time and position,
meaning coherence only happens over very short distances. A laser, on the
other hand, has a high degree of coherence, meaning the light has limited
di raction, is polarized, and has a single, consistent frequency over a long
distance.

Think of it this way: a magnifying glass can burn a leaf by focusing sunlight on
a single spot, but if you move it out of focus by a tiny bit, it stops burning. The
spot you’re burning is about 1/4” across, and you can burn at a depth of less
than a millimeter.
With a laser, you can focus the light to a tiny spot about .004” across, and you
can burn through 3/4” thick plywood without the beam spreading out.
Laser cutting is basically just a laser on a CNC gantry. The machine takes a set
of vectors, points, or raster images in the form of G-code and moves the laser
around to cut and / or etch into the material.
Laser cutting was rst developed by the Western Electric Engineering Research
Center in New York in 1965 as a way to drill holes through diamond dies. Since
then, it’s been used for a number of industrial manufacturing applications. In
1988, Epilog founded with the concept of making laser cutting available to
small businesses and home craftsmen. With the release of their Zing model in
2008 for less than $10,000, laser cutting quickly became accessible for makers
everywhere.
W HAT ' S I T G O O D FO R ?

With a typical laser cutter, you can cut a variety of materials such as paper,
wood, fabric, leather, and plastics. You can also etch these materials, glass,
metals, and even food like chocolate or tortillas.
The use of a laser cutter to a maker comes down to three things: precision,
repeatability, and speed. Once you've got your design worked out and your
settings dialed in, you can produce lots of exact copies of the same piece to
your heart's content.

Tools and Materials for Laser Cutting

Laser Cutting Class: Page 4
 Here is a complete list of tools, materials, and services that will help you follow
along with the class.

Software

A ut o d e s k Fus i o n 3 6 0 (f r e e )

This is a powerful 3D modeling platform that's easy to learn but has endless
potential. With it, you can design complex 3D objects for practically any kind of
fabrication, digital or otherwise.

Click here to sign up for f re e as a Hobbyist / Enthusiast / Startup or as a

Student or Educator.

1. Follow one of the links above to download the app (don't use the App Store on
Mac).
2. Enter your email and download the free trial.
3. Install and setup a free Autodesk ID account.
4 . When you open Fusion, select the Tr i a l C o u n te r in the upper toolbar (it tells
you how many days are left on your trial).
5. In the next dialog box, select "R e g i s t e r f o r Fr e e Us e ".
6. S i g n up a s a S t a r t - Up o r En t hus i a s t (Free). You can also Sign up as a
S t ud e n t o r Ed uc a t o r (Free) if you're a student or educator at a registered
institution.
7. Select the "I accept Terms and Conditions" checkbox and click S ub mi t .

A bro w s e r- o nly version is in the works, but hasn't been released yet. It's in
beta right now, but check this link after November 15 for an announcement
about a release date: Project Leopard

Laser Cutter (Optional)

Laser Cutting Class: Page 5
 The Epilog Legend 36EXT is the laser cutter model we have in the Pier 9 Workshop .
This is a 120 Watt laser that requires 220V power and it costs about $30K, so it's
hardly prosumer grade, let alone hobbyist grade. That being said, I nd that
this machine is commonly owned by maker spaces. Its operation and material
choices are representative of most laser cutters within this price range from
other companies.
There is a pretty wide array of options for laser cutters, from $200 DIY
machines to the $250K Mmtabeam. Unless you want to get into laser cutting
simply for engraving, I wouldn't bother with the low cost / low power
machines.

Service Bureaus

If you don't have access to a professional grade laser cutter at a makerspace, I

would recommend getting your parts cut by Po no ko . They're a ordable, fast,
and do high quality work. They have a wide range of materials including wood,
plastic, paper, leather, and bamboo to name a few. Please note that they're
located in the US and international shipping can be expensive. Their interface
is easy, and you can even sell your projects through their site.

Po lo lu is another Service Bureau option. They're international, have high

quality results, and are a ordable. This is a great option if you're outside the
US.

Other Things

In this class, we'll cover the Epilog laser cutter to demonstrate the operations,
but any one of the lessons can be done through Ponoko. Ponoko has another
added bene t: you don't have to clean up your parts and you're pretty much
guaranteed to get perfect results every time.
Here are the other tools and materials we'll be using for this class:

Laser Cutting Class: Page 6

1/8" (3mm) plywood($7): We'll use this for the Tissue Box and the Puzzle. The
link is for a 24" X 30" (610mm X 762mm) piece, which should be enough to do
both of the projects. Remember that the laser bed is 24" X 36" (610mm X
915mm), so it's probably worth it to nd a local source and get some pieces
that are full-size.

1/4" (6mm) plywood ($8): We'll use this material for the Smart Phone Stand
and the Lamp. The link is for a 24" X 30" (610mm X 762mm) piece. Remember
to always order extras in case you mess up!

6" Painter's Tape ($50): This will save you loads of time and frustration down
the road. It's the quickest way to mask your material and prevent it from
getting soot stains, which will make your life much easier. Trust me, it's worth
the money!

Digital Calipers ($9): Every maker needs a pair of these. They make it easy to
measure complex objects. We'll be using them for the Smart Phone Stand
project.

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 Lesson 2: Tissue Box Cover From Web App

In this lesson, we'll learn how to make a plywood tissue box cover using the
Makercase web app. We'll learn how to use measurements and material
thicknesses to generate a 3D object the easy way!
Laser cutters can engrave as well as cut, but for most makers, the ability to cut
panels and assemble them into 3D objects is the most attractive feature of this
machine. The Makercase web app will serve as a quick intro to this concept.

Makercase Web App

ht t ps://player.vimeo.com/video/176810825?t it le=0&byline=0&port rait =0

First, open a browser and go to Makercase.com. Open a new tab and search for
"tissue box dimensions". This quickly takes you to a page that's got all the info
you need to get measurements for the box. I decided on a box that's 4 3/4" X 9
1/2" X 4 1/4". Of course, you could always buy a tissue box and measure it by
hand.

Laser Cutting Class: Page 8

Makercase web app

Web search for tissue box dimensions

Now that you know the dimensions, all you have to do is enter them into the
width, height, and depth elds in the Makercase web app. Remember that
most apps don't recognize fractions, so they need to be entered in decimal
format: 4.75 deep X 9.5 wide X 4.25 high.

Set box dimensions

Choose 1/8" (.118")' for the M a t e ria l T hickne s s . Note that the thickness isn't
.125 because the actual dimensions of common o -the-shelf plywood are a bit
smaller than 1/8". Regardless, you should measure your plywood to make sure
the dimensions are correct. There's a "Custom" option in this drop-down menu.
Since these are the overall dimensions of a tissue box, you need to click the
Ins ide button to make them the inside dimensions of the plywood box.

Set material thickness

Choose " nger" for the Edg e Jo int type– this will make it much easier to
assemble the box after it's cut. The box has a lot of tabs by default, so turn up
the Ta b W idt h using the slider.

Create nger joints

Next, click on the top of the box and click Ro und Ho le s in the menu that
comes up. The default Ho le Po s it io n is in the vertical and horizontal center
of the top of the box, which is what you want since the opening for the tissues
is centered on the tissue box top. I change the Ho le D ia m e t e r to 2.75" and
click Add . When you click Do ne , you've got a hole in the top of the box that
will let you pull tissues out of the box.

Create hole in top of box

You can click and drag on the box to have a nal look at it in 3D.

Click and drag to view box

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 When you click G e ne ra t e L a s e r Cut t e r Ca s e Pla ns , the app gives you a
2D layout of the parts that minimizes wasted space. The options here are
M a rg ins , Ve ct o r Cut t ing , Te xt Eng ra v ing , and L a s e r cut t ing Ke r f.
The kerf is de ned as the width of the cutting tool. With a table saw, for
example, the kerf (blade width) is about 1/8" (3mm). With the Epilog laser
cutter I'll be using, the kerf is .002" according to the company. Change the
L a s e r Cut t ing Ke r f to .002", or whatever kerf the manufacturer has listed in
their product info and the app factors in this o set before nalizing the
layout. If you're using Ponoko, you don't need to factor in the kerf.

Set laser kerf

Finally, click Do w nlo a d Pla ns and Makercase lets you download the layout
in SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) format, which is readable by Illustrator.

Download plans

"Printing" From Adobe Illustrator

The box layout from MakerCase downloads in SVG format. This is a fairly
universal le format that will open in Corel Draw, Autocad, and in our case,
Adobe Illustrator.
I use Illustrator for projects like this because it's fast, easy to use, and it's so
widely popular that you can get the answer to any question in no time with a
Google or Youtube search. Programs like Corel Draw and Autocad will work
with an Epilog laser cutter as well, but I nd that the simplest and most
ubiquitous go-between is Illustrator.
It's $20 / month, so it's not cheap, but I think it's worth the money. You can also
cancel any time and sign up again when you need it.
Here are the steps for cutting the box from the MakerCase SVG le:
C HA NG E S T R O K E W EI G HT

The laser cutter is just like a printer as far as the computer's concerned. It takes
lines and graphics from the Illustrator le and translates them to cutting lines
or etched graphics. In order for the driver to recognize the lines as "cut" lines,
we have to change the s t ro ke w e ig ht .

Laser Cutting Class: Page 10

 1. Select all lines on the layout.
2. Go to W i n d o w > S t r o k e to open the Stroke window.
3. With all lines selected, change the S t r o k e W e i g ht t o . 0 0 1 . Depending on your
default settings, the units for stroke weight can be PT (type point), IN (inches), or
MM (mm). A stroke weight of .001 should be recognized as cut lines with any of
these units.

Layout in Adobe Illustrator

P R I NT

Now that our lines have the proper stroke weight, we go to the Print dialog
by going to File > Print in the menu (or CTRL+P / CMD+P).
1. Set P r i n t e r to the address of the laser cutter. Your makerspace should have this
set up already. In my case it's called "EARTH Laser".
2. Set Me d i a S i z e to ARCH D 24 " X 36". This may vary depending on your computer /
laser cutter settings.
3. The size of my document is smaller than 24 X36, so I need to place the layout on the
media. Set P l a c e me n t to the desired position. I always place my parts in the
up p e r l e f t c o r n e r of the bed, which from this view looks like the lower left-
this is because the media is shown in portrait orientation.
4 . Click S e t up. . . in the print dialog window. This will open the Epilog printing
preferences where we will enter our cut settings.

Print Dialog

S ET T I NG S

Speci c settings have to be entered for di erent materials. The Epilog Laser
Settings PDF included in this lesson has a detailed list of recommended
settings for di erent materials.
There is a list of "approved" and "forbidden" materials on page one. The
"forbidden" materials are described as such because they either don't behave
as desired when cutting / etching or they produce dangerous fumes. Don't
give yourself cancer- use the "approved" materials!
The manufacturer has recommended settings for cutting and etching the
materials listed in the PDF, but every laser behaves a little di erently as a result
of a variety of di erent factors. The Us e r Te s t e d S e t t ing s are the current
settings that work on the Epilog in our shop, but I recommend starting with
the manufacturer's settings.
Alw a y s decide on your material be f o re you design anything, and make sure
the material you want will work on the laser cutter. This will save you from
using incorrect dimensions or planning for a material that will poison you
while it's being cut.

Laser Cutting Class: Page 11

P R I NT I NG P R EFER ENC ES

When you click S e t up. . . in the print dialog, the Epilog Print ing
Pre f e re nce s window should come up.
1. With this project, we're only cutting, not etching. To cut, I set J o b T yp e to
Ve c t o r.
2. P i e c e S i z e should be the size of my bed, which on this model is 3 6 "
Ho r i z o n t a l X 2 4 " Ve r t i c a l .
3. Ve c t o r S e t t i n g will be unique for every material and thickness. I've tested 1/8"
(3mm) plywood at S p e e d : 2 0 % , P o w e r : 9 0 % , Fr e q ue n c y: 5 0 0 .

Speed and power must always be balanced to create a full-depth cut without
starting small res. High-power / low-speed will tend to make the material
ame up because the beam is lingering on the material for too long. Low-
power / high-speed will prevent res, but will not cut through the material
completely. The settings used here seem to be the sweet spot for this material.
Frequency depends completely on the material used. Wood cuts at around
500Hz, acrylic cuts around 5,000Hz, and every other material will have a
speci c frequency that must be used for best results.

Epilog Laser Setup

Click O K in the Print ing Pre f e re nce s window, then click Print in the Print
D ia lo g , and illustrator sends the cut le to the Epilog.
Download
https://www.instructables.com/ORIG/FNB/FQ4U/IR40B2XV/FNBFQ4UIR40B2XV.pdf
…

Laser Cutting Class: Page 12

 Lesson 3: Prepping and Laser Cutting

In this lesson, we'll learn how to prep material and setup the machine to get
the best results. We'll learn how to prevent soot stains, calibrate for precise
cutting, and clean up nished parts.
For this class, we're using plywood, which is a great material for laser cutting. It
cuts evenly, the edges stay square (which can be a problem with other
materials like acrylic), it's easy to stain, sand, paint, and nish in lots of
di erent ways.
The 120 Watt Epilog laser we're using can cut plywood as thick as 3/8", but at
that thickness, it takes a lot of power and slow speeds, so there's more risk of
small res. Although usually not a serious safety hazard, these little blazes will
ruin your parts.
1/4" (6mm) plywood is pretty much the thickest I use on these machines. 1/8"
(3mm) plywood also works well and cuts faster since it's half as thick.

Masking: Soot Stain Prevention

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 The laser cutter cuts by burning- it's oxidizing ammable material with a very
focused beam. This oxidation produces soot which (especially with plywood)
will stick to the material's surface. It can be very di cult to remove, so I
recommend masking the material whenever possible.

The underside of the material being cut tends to get the worst of the soot
because it's where the soot blows out. The metal honeycomb of the bed also
gets imprinted into the underside of the material as a result, so it's really
important to mask the underside. Some soot will always blow around on top
of the material as well, so I always mask the top as well.
Generic painter's masking tape will work just ne, but I use the 6" wide
painter's tape because it gets the job done much faster.
Apply it with a card from your wallet as a spatula to make sure it's completely
stuck to the surface without any bubbles or creases.

Focusing

Focusing is crucial for getting a precise cut. If the laser nozzle is too far or too
close to the material, the beam will be wider than it needs to be. This causes
the kerf to be wider than .002" (.05mm) and will cause interlocking parts to be
too loose for a proper t.
Focus also a ects the power of the beam. Think of a magnifying glass in the
sun– if you move it too close to the surface, it's not hot enough to burn. If you
move it too far, you get the same problem.

There are t w o w a y s to focus on the Epilog Legend 36 EXT laser cutter:

A U T O FO C U S

This model has an autofocus feature that works with a spring-loaded plunger.
1. Press the FO C U S button on the keypad- this will move the laser head to the upper
right corner of the bed.
2. Press G O and the bed to automatically move up until the plunger is depressed.

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 At our shop, w e do n' t us e t his m e t ho d . When you have a lot of users
sharing machines they tend to get beat up. These plungers are delicate and
likely to get damaged. The bed will raise until the plunger is depressed, so if
the plunger is damaged the bed will just keep going- t his ca n da m a g e t he
la s e r he a d ! For this reason, it's best to use method 2...

M A NU A L FO C U S

With this method, you manually move the bed up and down until it's at the
proper height in relation to the laser head. Here's how it's done:
1. Press FO C U S to automatically move the laser head to the upper left corner of the
bed O R press X / Y O FF to disengage the motors, then manually move the laser
head to the desired position over the material. This can be useful if your material
isn't rectangular and doesn't cover the upper left corner of the bed.
2. Place the Fo c us G a ug e on the laser head. It's magnetic and has holes for posts
on the laser head, so it snaps into place.
3. Press the U P and D O W N arrows to move the bed up and down. When the gauge
is touching the material, the laser is focused.
4 . Remove the focus gauge and press R ES ET and you're ready to start cutting.

ht t ps://player.vimeo.com/video/176350524 ?t it le=0&byline=0&port rait =0

Cutting

In the previous lesson, we learned how to input cut / etch settings and send
the job to the laser cutter. If everything was done properly, the job will appear
in the job list on the display on the laser cutter's keypad. To run the job, use
the a rro w s to cycle through and select it (if more than one has been sent)
and press GO to run the job.
Remember to check and make sure the v e nt ila t io n is o n! This can be easy
to miss when you're in the zone. In our shop it's a big button on the wall with a
green light.

With the proper settings, 1/8" (3mm) plywood cuts with no problem. 20% is
pretty fast, so the box should be complete in about 3-4 minutes. The glass
door must remain closed for safety, and if you open it while the le is running
the laser will turn o while the head continues to move.

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 Remember, s a f e t y rs t ! If the laser is running with too much power and not
enough speed, materials tend to catch re. Quick are-ups aren't usually a
safety hazard, but sometimes they turn into full-blown res. If you see one,
stop the job, open the door, and put the re out. Usually, this can be done with
a spray bottle full of tap water, but you should always have a re extinguisher
handy and know how to use it.

Cleaning Parts

With properly masked panels, the soot stains the masking tape instead of the
face of the material. The tape can be peeled o easily and will save lots of time
cleaning and sanding.

Cutting without masking leaves soot stains.

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Masking tape protects material faces from soot

Laser Cutting Class: Page 17

With plywood, the edges will always have a bit of soot on them. A good trick
for cleaning them up is to use some shop-grade hand scrub like Fast Orange
and an electric toothbrush. The pumice in the soap helps get the soot o of
the edges, and the toothbrush helps you reach the tight crevices in a piece like
this.
Leave the tape on the faces of the parts to minimize the amount of water that
gets on the plywood. A quick rinse in the sink and about 30 minutes of drying
out, and the parts are ready for assembly.

Laser Cutting Class: Page 18

 Lesson 4: 2D Puzzle

In this lesson, we'll learn how to make custom laser cut objects using Adobe
Illustrator. We'll make a 2D puzzle and learn how to draw, cut, and etch a laser
cut design.

Set Up Illustrator File

ht t ps://player.vimeo.com/video/176810829?t it le=0&byline=0&port rait =0

Let's start by opening Adobe Illustrator and making a new le. As long as the
canvas size is less than or equal to 36" X 24" (the size of the laser cutter bed),
our design will work just ne. Click on Do cum e nt S e t up , then Edit
Art bo a rds and change the canvas size to 10" W X 10" H.

Document Setup > Edit Artboards

Laser Cutting Class: Page 19

 W: 10 X H: 10

Bring in Artwork

To make a puzzle, we need to start with a picture. I've downloaded a jpeg of

some artwork by Clare Sz ydlowski that I think will make a great puzzle. Browse
for your le, then click and drag it onto the Illustrator le you've already got
open.

Click and drag jpg onto Illustrator document

The jpeg comes into the le at actual size, so you'll need to scale it to t the
size of my puzzle. With the image selected (using the default S e le ct io n tool),
click the Alig n icon on the Co nt ro l B a r at the top of the screen and select
Alig n t o Art bo a rd. Then click the Ho riz o nt a l Alig n Ce nt e r and
Ve rt ica l Alig n Ce nt e r icons to center the artwork.

Align image to Artboard

With the artwork selected, you can drag the edges of the bounding box to
resize the artwork. Note that by default, the proportions don't stay consistent-
you can distort the artwork (make it skinnier or fatter) depending on how you
drag the corners. You probably want the artwork to keep its original
proportions, so hold shift while you click and drag. With shift+drag, you can
resize the art while keeping the proportions the same.

Size image proportionally

Draw Cut Lines

Now that your artwork lls the artboard, it's time to start drawing the cut lines.
Go to the L a y e rs panel and click the Cre a t e Ne w L a y e r icon, then click
the Lo ck icon for the layer with the artwork on it. This will prevent
accidentally moving the artwork.

Laser Cutting Class: Page 20

 Create New Layer

Select the new layer, then click the Line To o l icon and start drawing your cut
lines. Illustrator has a lot of sophisticated drawing options that allow you to
make any shape you can imagine, but for this class, we're sticking to the basics.
I'd encourage you to play around with the drawing tools on your own and
learn how to make new kinds of shapes.

Draw lines on new layer

With my cut lines nished, select them all and change the St ro ke W e ig ht to
.001 pt. This is the line weight that the laser cutter recognizes as "cut".

Change stroke weight to .001pt

Laser Cutter Settings

To cut and etch the puzzle, go back to the Print D ia lo g and place the le in
the upper left corner of the media again. This layout shows the bed in
landscape orientation, but the result will be the same as it was with the
portrait orientation we saw for the tissue box project.

Print Dialog

This project will use both cutting and etching, so the Jo b Ty pe must be set to
Co m bine d. The Ve ct o r S e t t ing remains the same as it was for the tissue
box since we're cutting 1/8" plywood again. The Ra s t e r S e t t ing is set to
Spe e d: 10 0 % and Po w e r: 70 % as recommended in the Epilog Settings
PDF provided in the previous lesson.

Epilog Printing Preferences

Etch and Cut

Laser Cutting Class: Page 21

 The Co m bine d cut / etch setting runs each operation in turn. It starts with
etching automatically, which is great because there's less chance of distortion
since there is only one uniform surface to etch on.
Etching is time-consuming because the head burns the surface of the material
one-line-at-a-time, just like an inkjet printer. The Va lue of the image
corresponds to the depth of the etching: darker parts of the image etch
deeper, and lighter parts are shallower. Black will etch the maximum depth
according to the speed / power of the settings, and white will not etch at all.
Sometimes it's helpful to use grayscale images for etching because it's easier
to see what it will look like once it's etched.

Etch

With the etching done, the machine runs the cutting operation as seen in the
GIF below. I'm not using masking tape on the top of the material because that
would probably ruin the etching, so there will be a small amount of soot on
the top surface.

Cut

Troubleshooting

NO T C U T T I NG AT A L L

Did you send your job to the laser cutter, press GO, and immediately hear a
beep telling you the job is done without any cuts? Chances are, you forget to
set the lines to .001 stroke weight. Check the stroke weight of all the lines,
then send the job again.

NO T C U T T I NG T HR O U G H

Sometimes with les that have longer run times, the laser doesn't cut through
completely in some places. This can be due to denser pockets in the plywood
or a number of other mysterious factors. As a result, it may be necessary to run
the le a second time to cut through completely. Remember, it's crucia l that
you don't move the sheet at all if you're running the job again.

FI R E!

Laser Cutting Class: Page 22

 Remember, the laser is burning the material. This means it's very easy to set
material on re, and it can get out of control very quickly depending on what
you're cutting. Usually a sustained re or mass of burning embers is small and
contained, so in this case a spray bottle with water will usually solve the
problem. That being said, you should always have a re extinguisher at the
ready and know how to properly use it.

What Now?

Pat yourself on the back, you've completed the Laser Cutting Class! With your
new skills, you'll be ready to start tackling more advanced projects like the
chairchairchairs by dhagiwara pictured above. In this lesson we'll go over some
common obstacles in this process that we haven't discussed before.
I hope you've found this class fun and instructive. If you've got any questions,
don't hesitate to ask– I'm here to help. Be sure to post an instructable of your
rst laser cut project!

Laser Cutting Class: Page 23