Photo engrave on myrtle wood

Beyond the Manual
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Hi guys,
I’ve got a client who wants to do a photo engrave on myrtlewood. any suggestions on where to start with the settings?

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First find out if myrtlewood is ok to laser - some woods are toxic when burned
Then find out where it lies on the Janka scale
Then find the :proofgrade: material that’s closest to it on the Janka scale
Then run tests going up and down from the :proofgrade: setting until you find the one you like :slight_smile:

It works for all materials :slight_smile:

In this case:
Seems to be yes
1270
Red Oak at 1220
(though Birch at 1260 is closer and there are lots of settings on here for that)
and test from there :slight_smile:

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Awesome. Thanks!

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I’ve been extremely lucky. Is there a list of toxic woods to look for? (or rather lookout for)
Many thanks for the heads up.

Edit: the ones on google aren’t sold at my local hardwood store, probably for this reason.
Dumb luck is better than no luck, but knowledge is priceless,

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Lacewood is one that came up in conversation here early - it’s gorgeous but even cutting it, let alone burning, can release irritants for many. Some should be obvious (don’t use poison ivy/oak/sumac leaves in anything), others are more subtle.

This is a crazy complete list - but not everything that is an irritant will irritate you, but generally stay away from the 5 :star: woods!

You’ll note Myrtle is on this list, but way down at 2 :star:s, so with good ventilation…

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