Universal Engraver - How to avoid wood from burning while laser engraving
                     Universal Engraver - How to avoid wood from 
burning while laser engraving
It has been centuries that man has been using wood 
for production and construction. Timber is available 
in abundance in nature and has proved itself as 
extremely versatile due to its longevity, and 
innumerable applications. Wood has been 
designer’s favourite material since time immemorial 
for it can be easily carved, painted upon and 
chiselled for designs and patterns. While carving 
and painting has been around for centuries, laser 
engraving wood is a new entrant and is gaining 
prominence among designers. 
 This has given rise to new business opportunities and with the 
advent of DIYists and hobbyists, laser engraving wood has 
become a lucrative venture. Many CO2 laser machines are 
especially being made for the purpose of wood engraving. 
While engraving wood using a laser is easy, many times the 
laser leaves behind burn marks. These burn marks can 
completely spoil the otherwise beautiful design
. Universal engraver reviews that engraving wood using lasers 
is a craft and that engraving wood without burning is a skill 
that every woodworker must acquire.
 
Universal engraver explains that there are different ways to 
laser engrave wood, and each wood type absorbs laser energy 
differently. 
Causes for Burn Marks
Typically, there are two main reasons for burn marks while engraving the wood using laser -
Debris and heat: All methods of laser engraving wood require heat 
generation using laser energy. In the race to finish the job quickly, one 
might use excessive heat and this might be problematic. Moreover, 
this becomes more detrimental when there is debris on the wood 
surface. The presence of debris along with excessive heat can lead to 
burn marks. Therefore, it becomes absolutely necessary that these 
heat and debris is taken into consideration before commencing wood 
engraving.
 
Contact with laser bed: Sometimes the structure of the CO2 laser 
machine could affect the occurrence of burn marks. This is especially 
true for thin woods which are more prone to burn marks due to 
contact with the laser bed. Therefore, in principle, the laser bed 
should be able to dissipate heat generated. There are four types of 
laser beds - aluminium Lamella, aluminium engraving table, aluminium 
knife, and honeycomb cells. Ideally, as a rule, a designer must have a 
basic understanding of the nature of the wood and decide on a laser 
bed accordingly. 
How to ensure that the wood doesn’t burn
 
Like written earlier, engraving wood without burning it is 
a skill set and it must be acquired. Shared below are a 
few tips to avoid wood from burning.
 
Using Mask Tape: Using laser engraving mask tape on 
the wood prevents the formation of smut on the wood 
caused due to fumes. Additionally, one can smoothen the 
tape using a plastic piece to remove any air bubble in 
order to avoid burn marks.  Once the engraving is 
finished, the tape can be removed using a plastic razor 
blade and with the tape the stains are also peeled off 
leaving behind a clean wood surface, and zero burn 
marks.
Since, every wood is different and behaves differently, so does 
the laser engraving tape on them. Therefore one must keep 
different kinds of laser engraving tapes with different amounts 
of tackiness. 
 
Using the right settings on engraver: The CO2 engraver comes 
equipped with various settings and it is imperative that the 
right combination of the speed and power is used to avoid 
burn marks. The easiest and best way to avoid burn marks on 
woods while engraving it is to use the optimal power range 
with the fastest speed setting. This might vary for wood types. 
Another important thing to consider is the laser focal distance. 
Various focus settings must be tried before reaching an optimal 
focus setting for engraving.
 Leveraging compressive air assist: This is not a sure shot 
solution. Air assist may not remove the burn mark 
completely, but it does help. The technique involves 
application of compressed air while engraving at the 
engraving spot. The optimal usage of air while engraving 
helps get rid of burn marks. 
 
Understanding different types of wood: One of the most 
basic steps that can be taken to avoid burning wood while 
engraving is to understand the difference between 
different types of wood and their specific requirements. 
Some woods are more prone to burning than others, the 
key is to know these differentials and adopt them in your 
engraving methods.