GBP 
Keeping Laser Cut Materials Flat
Tue, 27 Sep 2016The maximum sheet size I can fit in the laser cutter is 300 x 500mm. With sheets smaller than this there can be tendency for them to warp a little lifting slightly at the edges away from the cutting base. Up until now I have taped down the plywood with masking tape but this can be awkward as the base board in the laser cutter is slatted.
I’ve tried holding wood down with a variety of spanners and hammers with some success so I thought I’d expand on this technique with some bespoke materials. I paid a visit to our steel supplier and for a couple of pounds sterling he cut me a selection of lengths of 4mm thick steel bar.
Perfect. Just thin enough to fit under the laser head but heavy enough to hold down any warping wood.
Ta daa! They work a treat and no tedious un-picking tape once the cutting job is complete.
This is a great idea Rob and 4mm thick steel is weighty enough for 3mm ply I gather.
Something funny I noticed in the top photo… the location of the can with the “flammable material logo” right amongst the sparks! I gather it was a recycled old can but it made me chuckle a little.
haha – knowing most steel shops – it was probably full of petrol?!! 🙂
Simple solution. We have had the same problem with bendy plywood, and use nylon bolts,nuts and washers to hold the material firmly to the bed. Luckily, our laser has a removable honeycomb bed so it was just a matter of buying plastic bolts to fit Now we can cut misbehaving sheets up to 420 x 560mm. Next step is fit a vacuum bed…