Scoring on corkboard

Beyond the Manual
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Any advice on score settings for corkboard?

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There are over two dozen existing discussion threads on working with cork.

https://community.glowforge.com/search?expanded=true&q=cork%20in%3Atitle%20%23beyond-the-manual

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The gist with cork is that it goes JET black almost immediately. You barely need to apply any power at all, like ten would be a lot even at high speeds.

Of course the only way to be sure is to test, like any material. Good luck, post pics, and have fun!

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Can’t wait to see what you make! I have a ton of cork waiting for me to get to it. lol

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Warning: Cork really stinks. I mean, even with good ventilation, the entire building will smell.

Also, cork burns really easily. (The only thing worse than the smell of cork is the smell of burnt cork.) Be absolutely sure to have someone standing over the GF on fire-watch.

Having said that:

Score: 300/50 (speed/power)

Engrave: 1000/10/225, dithered. (speed/power/lpi) Engrave works really well: just burns where the laser hits, no smoke stain. At 225 LPI, there is no visible rastering. (No masking tape needed.)

Cut: Don’t do it.
If you really must do it, then use 200/50 (speed/power) with 4 or 5 passes
Cork is really hard to cut.

  • Slower than 150 causes fire.
  • Faster than 250 doesn’t cut deep.
  • Too much initial power causes fire, charring, and smoke stains. Keep it at power 50 or less.
  • Even 200/50, 4-passes barely cuts all the way. (Still need to cut/pull apart.)
  • Cutting over an engraved area causes fire and smoke staining. Cut first, then engraved!

The problem: Cork is a great insulator. First pass burns the cork and caramelizes the top of what is left. 2nd pass takes more power to get past hard caramelized area. 3rd pass needs even more power.

Unless absolutely necessary, don’t cut cork with a laser.

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That’s odd. I’ve never noticed any offensive smell. Nothing different than some of the exotic hardwoods I’ve used. I only get any odor if I open the lid soon after a print completes.

I have not, however, ever cut it, only engraved.

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Probably depends on the cork. (glue, fillers, etc.) I’ve used the 0.2" cork from Hobby Lobby and Michaels.

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Could be. I’ve only used trivets I got from Ikea.

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We have some trivets from IKEA also, and I seem to recall a time when my husband was cooking and one got burned, I don’t recall it having any unusual smell.

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Cork is a lot of fun to work with because it engraves so dark and at a uniform shade.

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