Opt Lasers XT8 Deep Etching on Different Wood Species

In this video I compare deep laser etching on several species of wood with my new Opt Laser XT8, as well as try a couple of methods to shorten the execution time of the engraving.
More information on the Opt XT8 laser can be found here: optlasers.com/

[@nicolasmathon1249]

I'm really impressed by the quality of those engraving. This laser looks awesome. Thanks for all those feedbacks and tips

[@JNWoodworks]

Sure thing.

[@RyanBredemeyer]

Thanks Jim for this info! Clever to run it out of focus intentionally to save time on this powerful laser. And I like/had same thought as matthewsmith's idea to run the perimeter at z 0 enough to then be able to blow thru the rest of the internal cross hatch at higher z and higher speed, without burning the edges. Thanks for what you're doing to make great results so much more available to us who don't have the Jim Neeb brain & experience!!

[@matthewsmith8573]

How would it work to do the outlines of the letters at the optimal focus (either just the actual outline, or perhaps a couple of beam-width stepovers to keep the out-of-focus passes farther away from the edges of the letters), and then fill them in at Z+.5 with higher power and wider stepover? Can the software handle splitting it up like that? Perhaps 2 sets of files: one for the outlines and one for the fill?

[@JNWoodworks]

I don't know, but that is a good idea to try. You can definitely do two toolpaths like that, one for an outline and one for the fill. The biggest problem there is the Vectric Laser module doesn't allow Z height control. However, I'm optimizing a laser toolpath that just uses the endmil toolpaths, and besides not having to buy the laser module, that does give you Z height control in the software. I hope to have a video out on that in the next couple of weeks if time permits.