Laser Cutting Epoxy Glazed Wood Veneer

[nate burnell]

So here's the story. I would like to use a laser to cut some 1/8" veneer for a project that I am working on and I would like to finish the surface of the veneer first so that all I have to do is cut it and glue it into place. (Edges will be covered) I have picked up some Famowood glaze coat from the hardware store which is essentially a two part thermoset epoxy. There is probably a .01" thick epoxy coating over the veneer. Will I be able to cut the veneer out without damaging the finish on the front of the veneer? Is there a better finish that will yield better results on the laser?

[Mike Null]

Nate
Welcome to SMC. Your best bet is to test your idea first. My guess is that you will burn the epoxy during the cutting process. Can you apply the epoxy after cutting?

[nate burnell]

Thanks Mike,

The way the epoxy glaze coat works will result in the edges being kind of be rounded over because of the surface tension when it is in a liquid state, so to use this method the epoxy has to go on first and then the edges will be cut off. I will certainly try a test cut first, just curious if anyone has tried this combo first. Ill try to take some process shots and let you know how it goes.

-Nate

[Michael Hunter]

There's always some stray heat around the beam (some call it the "Heat Affected Area") which may degrade the finish alongside the cut (though epoxy is pretty tough stuff and fairly heat resistant).

If the degradation occurs, a layer of transfer or masking tape along the cut lines should help a lot, if not eliminate the problem completely.

I often cut wood finished with polyurethane varnishes and don't have much of a problem : I would expect epoxy finishes to perform rather better.
As Mike Null says - try it out first before committing to the full job.

[Bert Kemp]

As Mike said, I to always cut finished wood, Poly, Shellac, what ever and all I ever have to do is wipe off the residue with a damp cloth. I would think a hard epoxy would clean up easy. Just make sure its thoroughly cured before cutting. If you cut bare wood the residue kinda gets absorbed in to the grain of the wood and makes it real difficult to clean up afterwards.