Longer Ray5 20W Wood Cutting and Engraving Settings: Plywood, Pine, MDF, Basswood, and Hardwoods
Proven settings for the Longer Ray5 20W across every common wood type.
Material Prep
Flat material is critical — focus distance changes over warped boards. Use a honeycomb bed with hold-down pins. For engraving, clean with a dry cloth (oil from hands creates uneven results).
Plywood
Use birch or Baltic birch ply. Avoid construction pine ply — too many internal voids.
| Thickness | Speed | Power | Passes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3mm birch | 500 mm/min | 100% | 2-3 |
| 4mm birch | 300 mm/min | 100% | 3-4 |
| 6mm birch | 200 mm/min | 100% | 5-6 |
| 3mm laser ply | 600 mm/min | 100% | 2 |
Score-and-flip for thick ply: Cut halfway from top, flip material, re-register on same origin, cut remaining from bottom. Eliminates char buildup that blocks the beam.
Pine / Softwood Boards
| Operation | Speed | Power | Passes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Line art engrave | 6000 mm/min | 30% | 1 |
| Photo/gradient engrave | 4000 mm/min | 25-40% | 1 |
| Cut 3mm | 400 mm/min | 100% | 3 |
| Cut 6mm | 200 mm/min | 100% | 6 |
| Cut 10mm | 100 mm/min | 100% | 10-12 |
Tip: Pre-mask with blue painter's tape before engraving. It catches smoke residue and peels off clean.
MDF
Cuts cleanly but produces toxic binders — use strong fume extraction.
| Thickness | Speed | Power | Passes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3mm | 400 mm/min | 100% | 2-3 |
| 6mm | 150 mm/min | 100% | 5-6 |
| Engrave | 4000 mm/min | 20-30% | 1 |
Basswood
Best wood for laser cutting: fine grain, no voids, light color, minimal smoke.
| Thickness | Speed | Power | Passes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5mm | 800 mm/min | 100% | 1 |
| 3mm | 600 mm/min | 100% | 2 |
| 6mm | 250 mm/min | 100% | 4 |
| Engrave | 6000 mm/min | 25% | 1 |
Hardwoods (Oak, Walnut, Cherry)
| Wood | Thickness | Speed | Power | Passes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oak | 3mm | 250 mm/min | 100% | 4-5 |
| Walnut | 3mm | 300 mm/min | 100% | 4 |
| Cherry | 3mm | 350 mm/min | 100% | 3-4 |
| Any hardwood engrave | — | 3000 mm/min | 40% | 1 |
Walnut engraves with exceptional contrast — highly recommended for finished pieces.
Photo Engraving on Wood
- Mode: Grayscale → Jarvis dithering
- Speed: 4000mm/min, Power: 20-35%, DPI: 254
- Prep the image: boost contrast 20-30%, convert to grayscale before importing
Air Assist
Always on for cutting (prevents flame-up, clears smoke from cut path). Optional for engraving — some operators prefer low or no air for fine detail work on smooth surfaces.
Getting Cleaner Edges
- Slow down rather than adding passes — each extra pass adds char
- Mask with tape — removes smoke stain cleanly
- Defocus slightly (raise 1-2mm) for a rustic burned edge look