What's the best wood for your laser machine?
If you own a Glowforge or xTool laser machine, choosing the right wood is a key part of creating clean and polished projects. For fine detail and layered art, as well as signage and personalized work, the material you choose affects both the appearance and functionality of your finished piece. So, what's the best wood for your laser project? Let's look at what Glowforge and xTool recommend, what we think is a standout choice, and how to find the right piece of wood for your next piece.
What wood do Glowforge and xTool recommend?
Two of the most popular names in desktop laser cutting, Glowforge and xTool, both offer wood materials designed for their machines. For larger projects, and for detailed artwork, plywood is an industry standard choice.
Glowforge's wood selection includes several plywood species, such as maple and basswood, while also highlighting Baltic birch as a popular option for larger projects on their blog.
xTool sells its own birch plywood sheets, specifically marketed for laser cutting and engraving. Its product description highlights birch plywood's strength, stability, and suitability for a variety of laser projects.
Both companies recognize plywood as a useful material for laser crafting. And while their own product offerings provide a convenient starting point, you're not limited to buying wood directly from the laser machine manufacturer. You can also purchase suitable plywood from specialty wood suppliers, giving you more options for thickness, dimensions, and availability.
Why Baltic birch plywood is a top choice for laser cutting
Not all plywood is the same. Baltic birch stands out because of how it's constructed and the appearance it brings to finished projects.
Baltic birch plywood is made from multiple layers of birch veneer bonded together. Its layered construction gives the sheet strength and stability, while its attractive, light-colored surface works well for both cutting and engraving. Highly graded Baltic birch plywood, such as B/BB, ensures you will get a surface free of patches and rough edges. Woodpeckers Crafts only offers B/BB Baltic birch plywood. This grading indicates a higher-quality face veneer on one side and a slightly less uniform veneer on the reverse. (The guaranteed high-quality face is what you want for projects where a beautiful, smooth surface is needed, and where the back or underside is less visible.)
The edges are another advantage. The individual veneer layers create a distinctive striped pattern that many makers intentionally leave exposed in their designs. For laser-cutting businesses and Etsy sellers, choosing consistent, attractive material is especially important. When you're producing products in bulk, the quality of the wood becomes part of the quality of the finished item.
What thickness of plywood should you use?
Another consideration for your wood choice is thickness. The right option depends on your machine's capabilities and what you're making.
1/8-inch plywood is a popular choice for lightweight projects and intricate designs. It's well suited to ornaments, earrings, small signs, lettering, decorative shapes, and layered artwork where several pieces are stacked on top of each other or fitted together. However, keep in mind, the thinner the wood, the more liable it is to warping.
1/4-inch plywood provides a thicker, sturdier material for projects that need more strength. Think small boxes, 3-dimensional signs, model components, and structural items.
Thicker plywood, including 1/2-inch and 3/4-inch options, may also be appropriate for certain laser projects, depending on the machine and its capabilities. Just check your machine’s specs to be sure the wood is compatible.
Find the right Baltic birch plywood at Woodpeckers Crafts
At Woodpeckers Crafts, we offer a large selection of B/BB-grade Baltic birch plywood in a variety of thicknesses and sheet sizes, so you can choose the material that fits your machine and your project.
Our standard plywood options include thicknesses of 1/8 inch, 1/4 inch, 1/2 inch, and 3/4 inch, with multiple dimensions available across our product selection.
We also offer larger sheets, including 24 × 48-inch plywood, giving you more material to work with than the smaller sheets commonly sold directly from laser machine manufacturers. Larger sheets can be particularly convenient for makers working on bigger designs or planning multiple pieces from a single sheet, provided the dimensions are compatible with their equipment.
Explore our full selection of Baltic birch plywood sheets to compare available sizes and thicknesses.
Need a specific size? Order custom-cut plywood.
If your design calls for an unusual dimension, or you'd rather order plywood that's already cut to the precise size you need, choose the custom plywood option and select your preferred thickness, length and width.
Custom sizing can be especially helpful for laser-cutting businesses that produce the same products repeatedly, for makers working with specific design dimensions, or anyone who needs exact sizing for their plywood project.
For Glowforge and xTool users, this means you can shop for the plywood thickness your project requires while choosing dimensions that work for your workflow and machine.
Choose your wood, then make it your own
The best wood for your Glowforge or xTool depends on the project you're creating, but Baltic birch plywood is an excellent all-around option for laser-cut crafts. Its smooth surface, attractive grain, and distinctive layered edges make it a great choice for everything from delicate designs to assembled products.
At Woodpeckers Crafts, we make it easy to find B/BB-grade Baltic birch plywood in a range of thicknesses and sizes, including larger sheets and custom-cut options. Whether you're crafting for fun or building a business around your laser machine, you can find plywood that fits your project.
