Three Practical Tips for Eliminating Laser Burn Marks

Are you having problems with laser engraving of wood? Here are three practical tips to help you avoid the problem of blackening, covering parameter adjustment, material pre-treatment, and post-creation cleaning methods. These will help you avoid blackening, and improve the quality of your work.

Why is the wood blackened?

When many people first start using the laser cutter, they often burn the surface of the wood black, which looks really terrible.In fact, this is usually because the power of the laser is too high, the speed too slow, or there is impurity in the material.Don't worry, the following three steps will help you get it done!

Adjust power and speed.

Let's try a small one first.

Don't start out by using all your power! First, try using some leftover material to test things out.For example, use 10 % power at a medium to high speed (the exact number depends on the model of machine) to etch a line and see what the effect is.If the color is too light, then slowly increase the power until you find the "sweet spot"--the point at which you can etch right through the glass without it turning black.

Layered carving is safer.

When working with a thick piece of wood, it's easy to overheat the knife when cutting all the way through in one pass.Try splitting the work into two or three sessions, and reducing the power each time.This is the same as steaming buns, which need to be cooked on a low flame so the dough doesn't burn and the edges are clean.

Preparing for carving.

Wipe away the invisible oily film.

The surface of newly purchased wood may be coated with wax or fingerprint grease, and these can turn black when heated. Wipe it down with a cotton ball soaked in alcohol, wait until it is completely dry, then begin carving. The results will be much better.

Apply masking tape.

If you can't get rid of a stain, just put a piece of masking tape over it.The laser first penetrates the tape, then the wood, which reduces burn marks and produces a clean edge when the tape is removed.

Post-carving techniques.

Then lightly brush the surface with a small brush.

If there is a slight scorch mark, don't scrub it with a wet cloth. Use a soft-bristled brush or an oil painting brush and gently sweep the dust away along the grain of the wood.If there are still stubborn stains, dab a bit of white vinegar on them and gently rub. The vinegar will neutralize the alkaline and lighten the stain.

A sandpaper repair kit is the answer.

Don't give up on deep scorch marks. First, use 400-grit sandpaper to smooth the area. Then switch to 800-grit paper to polish it.If you are afraid of damaging the pattern, you can use masking tape to cover the patterned area and grind only the surrounding area.

Finally, a word of advice: Turn on the ventilation fan or open a window when you're carving, to reduce the damage that smoke does to the machine, and to avoid choking yourself.Try several times to find the combination of parameters that works best for your machine, and you will discover that eliminating the burned flavor is really not that difficult.