So I’m about to start some projects cutting Proofgrade wood panels, and trying to decide between purchasing hardwood or plywood. I’m hoping to learn from others experience in working with those materials:
From the pictures I’ve seen, it looks like the cut edge on Proofgrade plywood has a perma-char that you just have to embrace - is that true? Does the charred edge act like chalk, depositing soot on anything it touches?
As for charring and hardwood, is it correct to think that the cut edge of a hardwood panel can be cleaned up? Can someone share what a cut edge on hardwood looks like?
Are the hardwood panels prone to warpage? Has anyone made drink coasters using hardwood and later regretted it?
It’s too light to look charred to me. Looks more like a stain since you can still see the wood grain. I actually like the contrast it adds. But I can understand wanting a more natural looking finish.
Settings make a big difference too. Without getting into “beyond the manual” I found that trying to cut oak in a single pass left black charred nasty edges, but two passes made a much nicer edge. (Maybe three will be even nicer!) Oak is one of the harder ones to cut, though, I’m told.
kittski, I need to take back my notion that cutting plywood leaves a permanent char - they both look very clean. That looks better than many of the samples pictured in the design Catalog. Were they cut with standard Proofgrade settings?
Completely unaltered, came off the machine like this. Non-pg 1/8" birch ply.
If only there were a centralized settings database… because this is totally dependent on settings. Cook it harder and you get lots of residue and char.
Don’t let the lighting fool you, it’s all honey brown caramel color, I angled half of it to show that it’s slightly shiny too. It’s a bit sticky, but in my experience (limited, to be fair), that hardens up and isn’t sticky after about a day.
I find that if I run an alcohol prep pad or a paper towel with a little bit of isopropyl alcohol around the edges that it removes the resin and the wood stops being sticky.
Also, if I handle a bunch of freshly laser-cut wood without cleaning and with no gloves, my fingertips get stained a sort of yellowish color for several days.
Proofgrade Medium Red Oak Hardwood on a Pro:
are 181 zooms, full pews as of 30 Nov.
Mine, at 1/4, would be the “thick” variety - maybe that’s why I was thinking it wasn’t there.