Trying to make coasters using 1/4" JPPlus cork, won't cut through

[kory]

I’ve been trying to make some custom coaster designs using JPPlus 1/4" Cork in my Glowforge. The design itself is coming out fine and the settings I’m using for engraving and scoring look alright, though they aren’t deep cuts (engraving: speed 1000, precision power 9, lines per inch 225, # of passes 1; scoring: speed 500, precision power 10, # of passes 1). But I’m having a problem with the cut. I’ve tried multiple settings and it always cuts about halfway through. The material thickness is on uncertified and set to .25"
Here’s a photo of the settings I started out with:

(In case the image doesn’t show up: speed 265, precision power 100, # of passes 1)

and here’s the current settings:

(In case the image doesn’t show up: speed 275, precision power 100, # of passes 2 + manually setting it to .25 for 1/4" in here as well)

I’ve tried full power and only one pass, as well as a slower speed. That still didn’t cut through and also burned a lot more of the top of the cork. Any ideas of what I should do here?

[beerfaced]

Yep, that’s cork for you. Very hard to cut cleanly especially at that thickness.

[dklgood]

Cork absorbs heat, so cutting it with a laser is a problem. I have had good results cutting thinner material, but 1/4" is going to be hard. Sometimes the laser is not the right tool.

[bwente]

I had a plan to do exactly the same. (Still have the JPP cork). I ended up ordering cork coasters from Amazon and engraving them.

They looked fantastic.

[eflyguy]

Any 1/4" material is pushing the limit of the GF, and cork is difficult at the best of times, as stated above. You would be better off buying coasters to your liking, then engraving them.

[deirdrebeth]

Ditto, I ended up using scissors on the last 1/8".