This page describes a laser engraving setting published for Contreplaqué bouleau at 3 mm, tested on a Epilog Laser Fusion Maker 12 fitted with a CO2 30W source (10,600 nm CO2, 30 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 engraving setting that works on Contreplaqué bouleau at 3 mm does not transfer to another thickness, nor to another source. A 10,600 nm CO2 rated 30 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 bouleau, 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.
Epilog Laser is a US builder of enclosed CO2 and fibre machines, known for mechanical precision and result stability from batch to batch. Repeatability is such that a validated setting stays usable months later, provided the optics stay the same.
Birch plywood is the king of laser cutting: dense, regular and free of through-knots, it gives clean edges and high-contrast engraving. It is also the best starting point when learning to dial in a machine.
When cutting, power is almost always set to maximum and speed does the work: too fast and the pass will not go through, too slow and the edge chars for millimetres. On a 10 W diode expect two or three passes for 3 mm; a 40 W CO2 goes through in one.
When engraving it is the opposite: keep the speed high and modulate power between 15 and 40 % depending on the contrast you want. 254 to 300 DPI is plenty — beyond that the wood starts burning between lines and the artwork closes up.
Air assist makes a real difference here: it blows smoke away from the focal point and roughly halves edge charring. If your machine has it, keep it on while cutting.
Plywood is glued: urea-formaldehyde glue gives off irritant fumes, and cheaper panels contain glue pockets that abruptly stall the cut and cause flare-ups. Extraction is essential, and a long cut is never started unattended.
Beware of panels sold as "plywood" but faced with melamine or varnish: the film may be chlorinated. If you do not know what the coating is made of, sand it off or change panel.