I’m working on a wedding box time capsule for my daughter - a box that locks, containing a bottle of wine and notes from the wedding guests. It is to be opened on their 10th anniversary, when they will enjoy the wine and read the notes.
I want inlayed names and the wedding date on the lid. And perhaps some flourishes in the corners. I couldn’t achieve the fine detail I wanted using spinny bits (too much chip-out on the very narrow inlays). Epoxy pour is a fallback, but I really want to use wood. I thought I’d try my 7 Watt JTech Laser on my Shapeoko 3XL. The precision of this combination is extraordinary - I couldn’t be happier with the results.
FINISHED TEST PIECE - MAPLE in WALNUT:
INLAY, CUT FROM .03" MAPLE VENEER - Name is about 8" wide x 2" high
POCKET IN WALNUT. HARD TO SEE HERE, BUT IT HAS A UNIFORM DEPTH OF ABOUT .03"
INLAY FITS PRECISELY. GLUED IN AND SANDED:
For the pocket, the trick is to dial in the speed and power to get the desired depth. Early attempts proved that I needed air-assist to clear the smoke and prevent charring (much like air-blast for clearing chips when cutting aluminum).
For the inlay, the trick is to offset the cut to the outside by the width of your laser kerf (in my case .006"). It’s akin to using an endmill with a .006" diameter.
I’ll add to this thread as this project takes shape.