We’ve learned a lot about plywood over the past years. I’m not the domain expert, but some of the considerations:
- The glue makes a big difference. Some laser better, some much worse. Some glues are not laser-compatible and can produce harmful fumes.
- Knots in the inner plys are a disaster. The laser setting that will cut non-knotty wood won’t penetrate, and it’ll ruin your sheet.
- Fewer plys are better. Glue is the enemy of the laser, and more plys means more glue.
- Wood species for the interior plys makes a big difference.
- Plywood vendors change formulation rapidly, so one week’s baltic birch may not be the next week’s.
This is just off the top of my head, and most of this is different than what makes for “great plywood” for other purposes. I tried “aircraft grade” 1/8", for example, and could barely cut through. (Although when you do get through, it’s tough as nails - that’s what the rubberband drone was made from). For normal applications you want lots of plies, internal knots are no problem, etc.
The plywood we sell will be custom made, because there isn’t anything even close on the market to meeting all these specs that we’ve found.