Why play is needed
The laser beam removes a little material when cutting – the kerf. How wide it is depends on the machine, the material and even the state of the lens. On top of that, plywood is rarely exactly as thick as stated. A slot that exactly matches the material thickness is therefore sometimes too loose and sometimes too tight.
How to set it in FRAMEBUDDY
- Enter your material thickness (3, 4, 6 mm or exactly via the slider). Tab and slot adapt automatically.
- By default the slot is 0.2 mm larger than the material thickness. That suits most lasers.
- Under “Fine-tuning” you can change the play between 0 and 0.5 mm: if the stand is too tight, increase it slightly; if it wobbles, reduce it.
Find your own kerf
If you want to know exactly: cut a rectangle of known size, measure it with calipers, subtract the result from the design size and divide by two. That’s roughly your kerf. Guide values from maker tutorials are often around 0.1–0.35 mm for diode lasers and 0.2–0.4 mm for CO₂ lasers – depending on machine, material and air assist. On diode lasers it can even differ slightly between the X and Y directions.
Test first, then produce
Before your first batch, cut just the stand and the bottom edge of the design from a scrap piece and slot them together. If it fits, note the value – with the same material and laser it stays stable.
FAQ
Do I need to glue the stand?
Not necessarily. With the right play the joint holds by itself. For shipping, a drop of wood glue can make sense.
The stand is loose on one side and tight on the other – why?
On diode lasers the kerf can differ slightly between the X and Y directions. Rotate the part when lasering or set the play for the tighter direction.