This page describes a laser cutting setting published for Contreplaqué peuplier at 3 mm, tested on a Full Spectrum Laser P-Series 48x36 fitted with a CO2 100W source (10,600 nm CO2, 100 W). It states the exact machine, source, material, thickness and operation of the test; power, speed and number of passes are shown with a Premium pass.
Why those four facts matter: a cutting setting that works on Contreplaqué peuplier at 3 mm does not transfer to another thickness, nor to another source. A 10,600 nm CO2 rated 100 W does not deposit the same energy as a stronger module, and the speed has to be adjusted accordingly. Copying a number without checking those four points is the first cause of a ruined part.
Published by LaserSettings (estimation). No other workshop has confirmed it yet: treat it as a starting point, and confirm it from your account if you reproduce it.
No photo comes with this setting yet. If you reproduce it, publish yours from your account: a picture of the result is worth more than a line of numbers.
Recommended routine before running the part: clean the lens, redo the focus, engrave a small test grid on an offcut of the same Contreplaqué peuplier, then adjust the speed rather than the power. Work with fume extraction and air assist, wear glasses rated for 10,600 nm CO2, and never leave the machine unattended.
Full Spectrum Laser offers water-cooled desktop and workshop CO2 machines plus fibre markers. Active cooling allows long passes without power loss: a cutting setting holds across a whole board, which is not the case with a diode that heats up.
Poplar plywood is the lightest and cheapest plywood: perfect for models, prototypes and large cuts. In exchange it is far less consistent than birch.
Poplar is soft: it cuts faster and with less power than birch at the same thickness. Reuse a birch setting as-is and the edge will be over-burnt.
The flip side of its lightness is glue pockets and internal voids. A pass that goes right through on one board can leave two centimetres attached on the next: always keep a power margin, or add a very fast extra pass.
When engraving, contrast is lighter and softer than on birch, with visible grain. Attractive on a model, less crisp for fine text.
Soft and light, it ignites more easily than birch, especially on a slow cut or a second pass along the same line. Keep extraction on and watch it constantly.
Poplar soaks up finish: two coats of primer are needed before painting. For a piece left raw, a light 180-grit sanding then wax evens out the look.