# Beginner Laser Carving - Iphone Back Plate



## pagoda (Mar 7, 2013)

Hello Everyone,

I'm a beginner here in the forum, so I hope I'm not making any mistake with this topic.

I'm graduate in graphic design and since a couple years a go, I have being getting in love with laser carving on wood. Specially when it's mixed with tech, like iphone back plates made of wood, computer cases made of wood. To carve the art with laser just add so much refinement that make things way more pretty.

I have being thinking a lot about buying my own machine and getting wood and start adding my art or others art. Starting a small business out of it. The thing is I have more doubt that when I started my research.

I'm looking for a machine that can add the art with a lot of quality, is there a brand I should be looking for?

What type of wood should I look for buying? I know they must have 0,8mm but I don't know if they are laminated wood, plywood.

I'm uploading some pics as examples and in the last one you can see that the wood have been "painted" black, and that the laser carved the paint, showing just the natural color of the wood. I'm right about this process? Is there a special paint for this?

Sorry about all the questions, but as I said I'm kind of lost.

Thanks for the help guys.


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## EPJartisan (Nov 4, 2009)

Geez I wish I could help you be un-lost. Though I appreciate computer aided work.. I am a hand carver myself. The one thing I can add is that laser cutting usually burns the wood… the second one in your examples looks a lot like hand burning the art, but it could have been machine cut, stained then the surface sanded as well. But the rest look CNC made, though that could be my ignorance of that market.

As for what wood.. now there is a whole large topic totally dependent on your working process and limitations. You can buy veneers in varying thickness or re-saw stock to the thickness you desire, but I recommend since you are coming from the design to the craft world, you stay that course, determine your product and market, then your methodology, and then choose your materials. Good luck.


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