Thread: 3mm solid wood sheet help me find a supplier in australia please

Hi, what sizes of sheets are you after?
I cant help personally but you might find another member on here who could resaw some timber for you.

Originally Posted by hanban

Hello I am new to the forum and I hope I am asking this question in the right place...

Can anyone tell me where I can buy solid wood sheet in Australia in 3mm thickness. I want to use this for laser cutting and engraving. I have found lots of laser services that stock it however I'm yet to find anywhere I can buy it without the use of a laser service. I'm looking for timbers including but not limited to birch wood, walnut preferably laser grade. Please help me! Thanks 

Solid wood doesn't really come in sheets. solid wood comes in planks and the planks can be cut to the desired dimensions. For laser cutting we use veneered mdf because it is stable in all directions and the veneer on the surface is the bit you are looking at and it only need to be .1mm thick and hence much cheaper than solid wood. Solid wood also isn't very strong across the grain especially down at 3mm thickness.

Hi Hanban,
Is 3mm. MDF any good to you, as I think I could get you a couple of sheets for free.
We are in Geelong, if that is not a problem.
I wood have to ask 1st. but I think it maybe OK.

I'm learning how to use my small laser cutter more to make a few things for myself and as gifts I have seen heaps of items available online made from wood which have both been cut and engraved by laser this might sound stupid but if it's that thin wouldn't the engraving burn straight through the veneer and expose the mdf? That's the reason I was avoiding mdf with veneer. However maybe this is why I can't find these solid wood sheets of 3mm timber I thought existed? Does everyone use mdf and veneer for their laser wood pieces?

Our State High School uses both MDF and plywood on a 60 Watt Epilog Laser, for projects.
They both raster and vector okay on the latter machine.
The plywood we use is Hoop Pine and as I remember it come in a minimum of 4mm thickness and we buy an A/C grade. MDF comes in a minimum of 3mm thickness.

Originally Posted by hanban

Hello I am new to the forum and I hope I am asking this question in the right place...

Can anyone tell me where I can buy solid wood sheet in Australia in 3mm thickness. I want to use this for laser cutting and engraving. I have found lots of laser services that stock it however I'm yet to find anywhere I can buy it without the use of a laser service. I'm looking for timbers including but not limited to birch wood, walnut preferably laser grade. Please help me! Thanks 

I think what you are looking for is high quality plywood -- two A faces and no internal voids.

http://www.misterplywood.com.au/Prod...ftPlywood.aspx

Plywood is not any better than veneered mdf for laser cutting.