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Material

There are a number of different materials to choose from for Laser Cutting and engraving. This is not a complete list, but a list of the common questions and types of materials that we use at Prawn Designs.

Baltic Birch Plywood

Baltic Birch Plywood available in many thicknesses, I work mainly in 1/8" (3mm) and 1/4" (6mm) thick. The thickness is approximate, it is a natural material so there is some variation from piece to piece. Baltic birch plywood cuts and engraves well. I normally ship as raw wood. For my larger game boards I offer an oil finish with Watco Danish Oil in a couple of colors. I normally stock some 1/16", 1/32", and 1/64" thick for special projects. See the FAQ page for more details on Baltic Birch Plywood.

For bits, bases, coins and tokens, I offer color staining of Birch Plywood with Minwax Water Based Wood Stain. I currently have Red, Blue, Green, Yellow and White. Adding the stain make the surface a little course and not as smooth as the raw wood.

• Red
• Blue
• Green
• Yellow
• White
• Raw Wood

Colors not shown

• Black
• Orange

Do you want or need a different color? I can do other colors on request.

Oak Plywood

Oak Plywood is available in both 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick. The thickness is approximate, it is a natural material so there is some variation from piece to piece. Oak Plywood cuts well. It does not engrave as well as the Birch Plywood, but it does work well. Oak Plywood is a little more expensive than the Birch Plywood.

Mat Board

Mat board is white on one side and colored on the other side. The back often has writing on it. Mat board engraves well. Mat Board is available in a wide variety of colors. It is generally a colored surface over a white interior. When engraved the white turns a very soft tan color. Not all brands of Mat Board engrave as well as others. With some brands the engraved area has a "texture" to it and shops a pattern of small squares.

Acrylic

Acrylic is available in a number of different thicknesses. The most popular thicknesses are 1/16, 3/32, 0.100, 1/8, 3/16, 1/4 and 3/8 inch thick. I have access to acrylic clear and over 25 different colors. Not all thicknesses are available in all colors. I normally ship acrylic pieces with the protective paper or plastic still on the parts.

I normally stock a small amount of the following colors in 1/8" acrylic, and a couple of colors in other sizes.

• Sign Black
• Sign White 20%
• Sign Lighting White 40%
• Sign Lighting White 60%
• Sign Opaque White

• Sign Ivory
• Sign Red
• Sign Light Yellow
• Sign Green
• Sign Turquoise
• Sign Dark Blue
• Sign Violet
• Sign Gray
• Pearl
• Sign Orange

• Transparent Fluorescent Red
• Transparent Fluorescent Green
• Transparent Amber
• Transparent Light Blue
• Transparent Solar Bronze
• Transparent Dark Blue
• Transparent Dark Green
• Transparent Dark Yellow
• Transparent Dark Red
• Transparent Solar Grey

I have access to a few more colors from a different vendor but do not have a picture of them.

• Red, not transparent, but not as solid as the Opaque Sign Red)
• Blue, not transparent, but not as solid as the Opaque Sign Blue)
• Pink
• Transparent Solar Grey (more than one shade)
• Transparent Solar Bronze (more than one shade)
• Color Hues Translucent (frost), these are softer colors not the bright colors above.
• Storm Grey (opaque)
• Glacier (translucent)
• Wisteria (translucent)
• Wedgewood (translucent)
• Poppy (translucent)
• Cherry Blossom (translucent)
• Passion Fruit (translucent)
• Citrus  (translucent)
• Daffodil (translucent)
• Caribbean (translucent)

Acrylic is manufactured in two different ways, extruded and cast. Both cut very well. When engraved the results are very different. When engraved cast acrylic has a very nice smooth white or frosted look to it. When extruded acrylic is engraved the engraved area has a clear or melted look to it and is uneven.

Newsboard

Newsboard is heavy paper. It is gray in color. Newsboard engraves well. It comes in three different thicknesses, approximately 0.032, 0.075 and 0.1 inch. The thickness is approximate and varies slightly from piece to piece.

Card Stock / Paper

Thick paper, basically index card paper. It comes in 8 1/2 X 11 inch sheets. It cuts very well and can even be engraved, the engraved area is very thin and somewhat shear.

Solid Wood

Solid wood is often used for plaques and awards. Solid wood is typically 3/4" thick and can not be cut, but it can be engraved. I have only tested a couple different woods.

• Birch - Birch engraves very well. The density of the grain is very even and this results in very nice engraving.
• Oak - Oak does not engrave well. There is a large variation in the density of the grain. This results in valleys and hills in the engraved area.

Glass

Glass cannot be cut on a typical laser. It can be engraved and it works and looks very good.

PCV

PCV cannot be cut or engraved on a laser. The resulting off gas is destructive to the laser cutter.

Styrene

Styrene does not cut or engrave well. It as a lower melting point and melts more than cuts. The result is an uneven rough edge.

Metal

 I cannot cut metals, but it can engrave them with limitations. It does not really engrave the metals, but it can "mark" the surface if the metal is prepared correctly. It can also be used to selectively remove powder coating and paint.

Leather

I have had varied success with leather. Some leather cuts and some does not. Some leather engraves well and other does not. Basically the laser is burning away the top surface of the leather, this leaves a dark color behind. On light colored leather look nice, but on a dark leather is hard to see. Then cutting soft leather does not cut as well as hard leather.