Markets: Woodworking

Create a drawing with no outlines, only filled areas.  Engrave the filled areas almost as deep as the thickness of the veneer (usually about .003 inches (.1 mm) or less).  With some water and a nylon brush, remove all residues from the engraved area.  When cutting veneers make sure they are lying absolutely flat.  In the drawing, give the objects an outline of .001 inches (.1 mm) and remove the fill.  Adjust the power so that there is just enough power to cut completely through the veneer.  Overpowering the cut will cause too much material removal and the fit will not be snug.  Some software programs allow outline offsetting to compensate for the thickness of the beam called contouring.  Usually, a contour to the outside of the vector line of .006 inches provides a tight fit.  Remember if using more power to cut through the veneer, compensate for the thicker width of the laser cut by contouring a little further to the outside.

Another method is to first create your graphic and fill it with the color black.  Then give it a white outline of .012 inches (.3 mm).  If you look at the graphic when you add the outline, you will see that it appears to shrink.  Now raster engrave the graphic to a depth slightly shallower than the thickness of the veneer.  When the engraving is finished, place the veneer into the laser system.  Remove the black fill and change the outline to a different color.  Cut out the veneer with the laser system, add glue to the veneer, and apply the veneer into the engraved area of the other piece of wood and let dry.  After the glue has thoroughly dried, sand the veneer until it is flush with the base wood.  A good veneer to use is one with an adhesive backing.  Once cut, place the veneer into its proper place on the engraved wood block and with a clothes iron, and iron the veneer into the engraved wood.  This melts the glue and causes the veneer to stick to the engraved area. Finish the wood as you desire and the finished product will look fantastic. The veneer can now be sanded flush with the surface and a finish coat applied.