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Cutting boards from natural wood are a sought-after product. Let us find out how to make a cutting board for food and beverage serving using a CO2 laser machine and a CNC router.
Why it is important to select high quality equipment
The first task is to select suitable equipment. It is important that the machine provides a high quality cut otherwise the final product will not look presentable.
Stages of creating a cutting board
Wattsan experts recommend to start with the cutting out the framework for engraving using a CNC router, for example, the Wattsan M1 1325. In order to prevent the workpiece from shifting, you could use “tabbing”, i.e. to leave small uncut sections when cutting a contour of the future cutting board.
To cut a beechwood board, a 6 mm double-helical cutter can be used. The rotation speed is 5000-21000 rpm. You can first deepen by one millimeter, and then raise it to two millimeters.
Engraving is the next step. In order to combine the image with the blank, you should prepare two files. The first one will contain the cutting board contour, and the second – the image.
Then, put a sheet of paper on the working area of the Wattsan 0503 CO2 engraving machine and secure it with metal overlaps. Cut the board contour out of the paper. Make sure the paper blank does not shift.
Once you have placed the wooden blank on the paper layout, you can start engraving. The Wattsan 0503 is designed to perform such tasks on wood. With a short focal length lens, a very thin and clean spot is created. And an expanding nozzle ensures steady blowing of the area to be processed. It is very important when engraving wood because concentrated airflow produces soot and carbon deposits. While the combination of the short focal length lens and expanding nozzle guarantees an excellent result.
Interesting! When engraving along the wood grain, its structure is more detailed in the image. When engraving is performed across the grain, an even fine grid is created. The image is brighter in the second case.
Finishing machining
When engraving is done, you need to smooth the edge and grind the cutting board. First, you should carefully cut off the tabbing with a boxcutter. Then, smooth the edge with a portable end-milling machine.
Sand the board in three passes. The first time with a 120 grit disc, the second time with a 320 grit disc, and the final one with a 600 grit disc.
For the board to last longer and absorb moisture, it should be coated with a special mineral oil. Because beechwood is very absorbent, three coats will be necessary. When applying each coat, you have to wait until the oil is fully absorbed. After that, you can apply the next coat.
A beautiful beechwood cutting board with unique engravings will serve longer, if you oil it once a month. If you are going to use it for beverage serving only, its life will be even longer.
Top laser machines for plywood and wood
Wattsan 0203 micro
| Work area | 200 x 300 mm |
| Tube power | 40 W |
| Max engraving speed | 700 mm |
| Dimensions | 810x500x265 mm |
The Wattsan 0203 micro is a laser machine for cutting and engraving on wood. Its compact-sized working area (20×30 cm) allows processing of small blanks. You can use this machine to engrave cutting boards for yourself, for gifts, or even to establish small-scale production of items for sale. It is equipped with a 40W laser tube. A sturdy gantry eliminates vibrations and ensures high precision of engraving. You can place this machine on a desktop. Its weight is 28 kg, and dimensions – 810x500x260 mm. Another advantage is that the gantry can be repaired.
Wattsan 0503
| Work area | 500 x 300 mm |
| Tube power | 60 W |
| Max engraving speed | 700 mm |
| Dimensions | 1040x650x575 mm |
The Wattsan 0503 is a machine for wood that can also be used to process acrylic, plywood, rubber, and plastic. A frame structure combined with a thick (2.9 mm) metal body eliminates vibrations during operation. All frame elements of the machines are fired providing longer service life and durability. 3-phase stepper motors with ¼ belt gearboxes ensure high precision of engraving. For clean cutting, the machine is equipped with a truncated nozzle. The Fotek end sensors prevent collision of gantry elements when engraving. The front panel of the machine can be opened, which allows you to process materials of any length.
Wattsan 6040
| Work area | 600 x 400 mm |
| Tube power | 80-90 W |
| Max engraving speed | 500 mm |
| Dimensions | 1165x765x600 mm |
The Wattsan 6040 is a machine with a 60×40 cm working area, which allows processing medium-sized blanks. An 80 W laser tube combined with 3-phase steppers and ¼ belt gearboxes is quite enough to start small- and medium-scale production of wooden items. The machine has the following advantages: the Fotek end sensors, a truncated nozzle, and a through-cutting function. Due to the universal fastenings of a laser tube, you can adjust the machine fast and easily.
Wattsan 6090 LT
| Work area | 900 x 600 mm |
| Tube power | 80-90 W |
| Max engraving speed | 700 mm |
| Dimensions | 1490x1030x670 mm + 315 mm (if on its wheels) |
The Wattsan 6090 LT is a medium-format laser machine with a 60×90 cm working area. Similar to other Wattsan CO2 laser machines, this model is equipped with polyurethane hoses. They are resistant to high pressure and can work at up to 6 atmospheres, and at a burst strength of up to 8. Hoses are attached to the nozzle with a screw-in thread that is also called an air connector. This model comes with the Fotek inductive sensors that have an actuation distance of 5 mm. A through-cutting option is also available. You can perform very precise engraving on this machine due to the 3-phase steppers and ¼ belt gearboxes. A frame structure and thick metal body also contribute to the high precision of the engraving.
Wattsan 1290 LT
| Work area | 1200 x 900 mm |
| Tube power | 100-120 W |
| Max engraving speed | 700 mm |
| Dimensions | 1790x1410x670 mm + 315 mm (if on its wheels) |
The Wattsan 1290 LT is a machine with a powerful laser tube (100-120W) and a 120×90 cm working area. It can be used for mass production and processing large-sized workpieces. A powerful laser tube ensures fast machining. The front panel can be opened, which allows you to process material of any length. The engraving accuracy is achieved due to the frame structure and reinforced thick (2.9 mm) metal body. The machine is equipped with asynchronous motors that can withstand loads up to 80 kg and 3-phase steppers with ¼ belt gearboxes. The reduced nozzle makes it possible to perform the smallest details of the image.
