I am playing with a laser cutting/engraving machine. There is a small wedge with the machine, with 3 widths, each width having a text on it :
- cutting 7mm wood (close to the surface)
- cutting 5mm wood
- engraving and cutting 3mm wood (far from the surface)
It allows you to set the height of the laser. I try to understand what would be the best setting to engrave rock. I understand that to etch on wood, you want a large laser to burn it instead of vaporizing it. There are even toturials on defocussing the laser to get better blacks (larger laser, more burning, less vaporizing). Random example : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xcg1y2cQl-o
Now, I want to engrave rock. I don't want a larger laser. I want the hotter tinniest spot on the surface of the rock. I start to get great results on black rock (1000mm/s, 10W, 3 passes).
To get the more focused spot, should I go with the setting close to the surface "cutting 7mm wood" or with the seeing far from the surface "engraving and cutting 3mm wood" ?
Has any of you tried to engrave rock ? Do you have tips ?
First, it's important to know what material you're cutting because you don't want to release any harmful gases or dust.
You usually want the focus to reflect an accurate distance for the height of the material you're cutting. You can test minor adjustments if you have sample material to get the best results at the same heigh before cutting the final material.