Full Version: Lauan plywood? Halex?

From: Holly (GRIZGIRLS) [#1]
 4 Apr 2007
To: ALL

Has anyone used lauan ply for laser engraving? Saw it at Home Depot yesterday with a 'perfect for furniture grade projects' sign. Thought it looked like nice stuff.

The idol mind at work....wandering aimlessly in the Depot...can't be good! ;)

EDITED: 5 Apr 2007 by DGL

From: Mike (MIKEN) [#2]
 5 Apr 2007
To: Holly (GRIZGIRLS) [#1] 5 Apr 2007

:-&

nobody's ever figured out a good use for that stuff.

last time I saw it it was used as underlayment for vinyl floors.

EDITED: 5 Apr 2007 by MIKEN

From: ab_laserart [#3]
 5 Apr 2007
To: Holly (GRIZGIRLS) [#1] 5 Apr 2007

Hi Holly,

I keep some on hand all the time -- it's cheap, it engraves well and it cuts nicely (as long as you are patient). Most often I use it for drink tokens, but it is handy for other things too. For me I use about the same settings as I would for working with 1/4 acrylic.

HTH

Ron

ps -- there is a posting somewhere in the archives with a picture of one of my drink tokens so I will not post it again... can't think what the string was for but you may be able to find it if you search my user name.

From: Holly (GRIZGIRLS) [#4]
 5 Apr 2007
To: ALL

Hey Ron - I couldn't find your token. Would you email it to me? I'm curious but no need to rush to do it. Thanks!~

From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#5]
 5 Apr 2007
To: ab_laserart [#3] 5 Apr 2007

Ron,

Is the token you referred to?

http://engravingetc.org/forum/index.php?webtag=EE&msg=5943.8

From: ab_laserart [#6]
 5 Apr 2007
To: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#5] 5 Apr 2007

Of course it is Dave, I had a feeling you would come through for me!

Thanks,

Ron

From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#7]
 5 Apr 2007
To: ab_laserart [#6] 5 Apr 2007

Ron,

So, that's the Home Depot Lauan wood?

From: ab_laserart [#8]
 5 Apr 2007
To: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#7] 5 Apr 2007

David,

Yep, plain ol' Homey D lauan. I don't need the service, but they will cut them down to smaller sizes to fit your bed as well.

I consider it a staple around my shop. I don't have a picture yet, but I engraved a nice mermaid on it to inlay in a fish tank stand I'm making for my daughter -- it's going to be painted, so it didn't need to be made of anything special, I just wanted something cheap to use.

Ron

From: JW (LGL) [#9]
 5 Apr 2007
To: ALL

I have found that the 1/8 lauan ply has voids and if you are vector cutting small pieces sometimes it will fail. 1/8 baltic birch is more constant in quality however the price is also higher.

From: Holly (GRIZGIRLS) [#10]
 5 Apr 2007
To: ALL

I read something about the lauan...said don't get it wet. (Not that you'd want to get wood wet....) Turns out it's a tropical wood that is very common to have some type of bacteria in it. I read something in a woodworkers site that had this carpenter who built a commercial bar site with it. After the bar openned, they complained to him about a foul smell eminating from the bar. They checked it out and found the vomit-smelling odor was a result of the wood getting wet and essentially re-activating the bacteria.

How's THAT for useless information on a Thursday afternoon??

From: Mikey (MIKE2449) [#11]
 5 Apr 2007
To: Holly (GRIZGIRLS) [#10] 5 Apr 2007

Holly:
In the floor covering industry, no manufacturer of sheet goods (vinyl etc.) will warrant a floor that is underlayed with luan. Home Depot continues to sell and recommend and the failures continue to keep legitimate flooring people busy. That being said--they also sell a 1/4" underlay called Halex. The 7mm Halex board is 5 ply, the two finished sides are birch. One side has all kinds of green cross marks to tell people how many crown staples have to be put in to secure the sheet properly to a floor. I am new to the biz of engraving, but I have etched a photo on to this Halex, and it is very, very nice. I attach an image here, but it might show blobs, it's not fully dried out. I clean the image after I laser it with Goo Gone. Pat it on with terry cloth, not rub it in, and it cleans up rather nice. Luan is still much cheaper but if you have a quality image thing in wood, I think Halex is the way to go. Hope this helps.
Mike

From: UncleSteve [#12]
 5 Apr 2007
To: Holly (GRIZGIRLS) [#10] 5 Apr 2007

quote:
They checked it out and found the vomit-smelling odor was a result of the wood getting wet


Just between you and me, I begin to smell the same way when I've had too much alcohol poured on/in me at a bar! 8-O

From: Larry B (PALMETTO) [#13]
 6 Apr 2007
To: UncleSteve [#12] 6 Apr 2007

Me too Uncle Steve. Could be the real thing too!! :S

From: dun_it (OREGON) [#14]
 17 Apr 2007
To: ALL

I cut and engrave 1/8 luan 2-3 days a week. It cuts fast, I use a slightly higher and slower setting than I would with 1/16 plastic or about the same as filon (smooth sheet fiberglass). I have no problem with either voids or delamanination. We use about as cheap a grade as we can get away with. Engrave with about twice the power as you would plastic and you should like what you see. If you have a cabinet shop in the area 5/32 birch, cherry, and maple scraps also engrave nicely. For test pieces scraps and odds and ends sometimes end up specialty proto types, watch who you show though I got stuck doing 600 Conastoga wagon wheels one time cause I said that I could come up with a design for someone else.

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