Do it Yourself Laser Engraver for Wood
What Can I Engrave On?
Most types of wood can be engraved with a laser engraver. From maple, cherry, ash and oak to softer pine and birch. You can engrave on mahogany or even exotic woods. The finished product will look different on each wood type. Maple tends to be slightly lighter because the wood's color is brighter. Cherry will give your drawing or engraving a darker finish because the wood has more pigment and is already much darker. If you can't decide, try several types of wood by engraving small pieces of each type of wood with different techniques to compare the results.
Types of Laser Engravers
One of the most accurate and effective laser engravers for wood are Epilog Laser Engravers. They are made in several sizes, which begin with the small Zing starter series. These are made for smaller projects like 4 x 6 pictures, frames and more. Most laser engravers are made to accommodate a total engraving area. With the Zing 16 series, that area is 16 x 20 inches, and with the Zing 24 it is 12 x 24 inches. Other laser engravers for do-it-yourself projects include the Laser Pro Spirit GX system. It has an auto-focus and air-assist feature. They also offer low prices on their equipment.
Things to Know
Laser engraving is used for all sorts of projects, from printing photos on wood to personalizing wood wedding albums, journals and homemade wood crafts. Almost all wood laser engravers are designed to engrave on a flat surface. The machines are fairly large but can be used inside a home and operated by someone with a little bit of mechanical knowledge. Pay attention to the features of the laser engraver you intend to buy, and make sure it will create the type of projects you want to complete. Higher-quality engravers feature up to 240 shades of gray, rasterizing, multiple dots per inch settings and profile settings that can be downloaded and saved to a hard drive.
