What kinds of wood are suitable for laser cutting?

Question

I want to know what kind of wood material should be used for a 60W laser cutter? I would want to cut and engrave woods for my project. Looking for effects like these

Answer 1

Wood can be one of the most challenging materials to laser engrave. This is mainly due to the inconsistencies in wood. As you can see in the above video and images the engraving results can vary even with similar color wood types. Here are a list of qualities to look for in selecting wood for laser photo engraving. Ideally the wood will have a high resin content, be light in color, and will not have a coarse or heavy grain.

Laser Engraving Wood Comparison Video

Laser engravers work by burning into the wood; as the link notes, you'll want a wood with a high resin content so that the laser has something to "color". A soft wood such as Cedar, Pine or Spruce would be a good choice also as their "softer" and can be burned easily.