I used my bandsaw to cut thin wood blanks for the laser cutter.

One disadvantage of thin cut hardwood is that it can be brittle. Plywood is constructed with layers of wood glued with the grain perpendicular to add strength, which is why most of the laser cut kits include plywood. As an example, I tried cutting the “Happy New Year” ornament from purple heart and I couldn’t even take it out of the machine without it breaking. (I did mention this in the post Wednesday, but did’t post the fail, so here it is!)

So the challenge here is to design for support and strength when working with these hardwoods. I do have some ideas.