I've been working on some ideas, and running into "trouble".
I am working with "1/8" acrylic from Delvies, which measures 0.112" thick just the acrylic and total thickness for paper on both sides is 0.127" thick.
Trying to work out doing some inlay where I cut something out of say a white sheet, then cut out maybe red to fill the spaces cut out of the white.
I understood the 2" lens our ULS laser has approximately a 0.005" spot diameter. For good tight fit I have read to contour about 0.002" outward on filler pieces so they would be theoretically 0.004" bigger to allow for kerf that laser cut out in base material. Yet I kept having very sloppy fit. So I created a circle in Corel Draw 1.0" in diameter and cut it out. Focused material before cutting and measured the circle cut out and the hole left. The circle cut out measured 0.989" diameter more or less (it would vary slightly when rotated in caliper) which is 0.011" smaller than the 1.0" circle and the outer opening measured 1.008" for a total kerf of 0.019"
Can anybody offer insight into this? If the laser beam diameter is 0.005" how am I getting a 0.019" kerf? I have used air assist, but removed the nozzle and no air and had the same results. Getting same results anywhere on table. I have been using a 12x24" piece that I already cut some pieces out of, and using the areas around the cutouts. Some on right side and some on left side. So this puts cutting on left edge and center of my table. This just doesn't seem right based on everything I have read from others here and elsewhere.
Any thoughts?
Thanks