Alternatively, a machine with a proper enclosure and interlock makes the laser g...
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Alternatively, a machine with a proper enclosure and interlock makes the laser goggles unnecessary. Something else I might add is don't try to cut plywood with phenolic resin. I'm not entirely sure how hazardous the fumes and residue are (probably the main risk is formaldehyde), but phenolic resin also just doesn't cut very well at all. At least, not with a CO2 laser. I'm not sure if diode lasers do better. What seems to work well for me is to check the edge of the plywood -- if it looks like there's a thin black line between the plys, that means it's probably phenolic and it'll make a sooty mess if I try to cut it.
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That's a good thing to know, I had not yet come across this information anywhere.
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I haven't heard it talked about much either, it seems to be folk knowledge. Awhile back I bought a batch of the wrong kind of plywood and was having a terrible time cutting and thought it was something wrong with the machine. Eventually I stumbled on an online discussion thread about phenolic resin glues, and the plywood I bought had those thin black lines between the plys. I found an old scrap of the plywood I had been using before and without those thin black lines and it cut fine. So, that's what I've been using ever since.
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This is precisely the sort of thing that I'm aiming for with this article, a collection of all those little bits of lore in one spot. It's so incredibly diffused that you spend days just reading to get started. I want to reduce that friction to a minimum to get people up and running safely.
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I've found that plywood that comes in 4'x8' sheets usually uses phenolic glue, whereas the stuff that comes in 5'x5' squares usually doesn't. "Exterior grade" or "marine grade" anything is also a strong predictor that it uses phenolic.
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