trust · transparency · method
How We Source and Normalize Diode Laser Settings
Every number on this site comes from a real, attributable source — manufacturer documentation, or a named community result. When we derive a setting by calculation using the Laser Tinkerer Energy Index, we label it explicitly. This page explains the full pipeline.
Most settings resources online are one of two things: manufacturer-provided tables (accurate for that specific machine, thin on coverage) or forum posts (potentially accurate, but with no machine spec, no repeatability context, and no way to know if the poster even succeeded). Both are useful; neither is structured.
We do not own a fleet of laser machines. We cannot run first-party tests. The honest alternative is transparent aggregation: you know exactly where every number came from, you can go verify it yourself, and you know what confidence to place in it.
Source Tiers
Every row in every settings table carries a source_type tag from one of four tiers, listed here from highest to lowest confidence.
Tier A — Manufacturer Official Confidence: high
Settings published directly by xTool, Sculpfun, Ortur, Atomstack, or the laser manufacturer on their own website or in product documentation. These are the most reliable anchor points.
Coverage is thin. Manufacturers typically publish settings for a handful of materials at one or two wattages. We fetch these directly from their HTML pages when available. We do not claim to read proprietary binary formats like LightBurn's .clb files — a source tagged Tier A comes from a real, crawlable URL.
Tier B — LightBurn Community Library CONF: HIGH / MED
LightBurn maintains a community materials library. Where individual entries are accessible via a crawlable URL or published export, we use them as Tier B sources. The LightBurn app is largely binary and not web-crawlable; we do not claim to have read .clb files. Only entries with a real, verifiable web reference qualify.
Tier C — Derived-Scaled Confidence: medium
When we have a verified Tier A or B setting for one machine wattage, we calculate an equivalent starting point for a different wattage using the Laser Tinkerer Energy Index (EI) formula. Tier C rows are always labelled "calculated starting point — unverified" in the visible table cell and are never the majority of any published page.
laser tinkerer energy index — tier C formula
EI = (power_pct × W_optical × 0.6) / speed_mm_min
new_speed = old_speed × (new_watts / old_watts) — keep power% the same
new_power_pct ≈ old_power_pct × (old_watts / new_watts) — keep speed the same; clamp 1–100%
Tier D — Community-Verified Confidence: low
Named, linked results from community members — a specific Reddit post, a forum thread with a photo and machine spec, a YouTube video where someone shows the result with settings visible. We quote and link; we never silently average forum threads.
A Tier D entry requires a specific named source we can link to. "People on Reddit generally seem to use around 500 mm/min" is not a Tier D entry — it is anonymous hearsay and does not belong on this site. "u/SomePerson on r/diylasers reported 450 mm/min, 70% power, one pass, confirmed clean cut in photo" is a Tier D entry.
Confidence Labels
| Label | What it means | How much to trust it |
|---|---|---|
| High | Manufacturer official or verified library entry | Close starting point; still run a test |
| Medium | Derived from a high-confidence anchor, or Tier D with corroboration | Good starting point; expect to tune ±20% |
| Low | Single uncorroborated community report | Use as rough order of magnitude; run a test grid first |
Why Ranges, Not Point Values
Most settings tables online give a single number: "Speed: 500 mm/min, Power: 80%." That implies false precision. The actual workable range for most material-operation combinations spans ±15–30% — because material batches vary, moisture content varies, lens condition varies, and "80% power" on one machine controller may not equal 80% optical output on another.
We publish result ranges wherever the sourcing permits it. A range of 400–600 mm/min is more honest than 500 mm/min and more useful — you know the centre of gravity, you know how much latitude you have, and you don't have to wonder whether 520 mm/min is safe to try.
Speed Units
Speeds are stored internally in mm/min and displayed in both mm/min and mm/s on every page. LightBurn defaults to mm/min; LaserGRBL uses mm/min. The conversion: mm/s = mm/min ÷ 60.
If you're entering settings into software that uses a different unit, always check which unit the field expects. Entering "500" in an mm/s field when you mean mm/min is a 30× speed difference.
The Laser Tinkerer Energy Index (LTEI)
The most original contribution this site makes is cross-machine normalization via the Laser Tinkerer Energy Index (LTEI). For a given material and operation, we build a wattage curve: how does the optimal power/speed combination shift as you move from a 5W machine to a 10W, 20W, 33W, or 40W machine?
The LTEI formula: EI = (power_pct × W_optical × 0.6) / speed_mm_min
This formula is approximate. It assumes the two modules have similar beam quality and focus spot size, which is roughly true for machines in the same class. The normalization report showing the full cross-machine comparison with all inputs attributed is published at /normalization/.
Freshness and Verification Dates
Every settings page shows a "Last verified" date. This date reflects when we last checked source URLs and confirmed the referenced settings are still current. Re-verification happens only when triggered — a source changes, GSC shows the page in striking distance, or a SOV probe finds our number stated wrong. There is no clock-driven freshness sweep — a niche settings site does not receive new source data every few hours. We never bump a date without a real fact change.
How to Use This in Practice
- Find the row for your machine's optical wattage (not nominal wattage — the number of real watts at the lens).
- Check the confidence label. High = start there. Low = treat as rough guidance and run a test grid.
- Note the source reference and when it was last verified.
- For cutting operations, run a test grid (use the generator) before cutting final material.
- Start at the middle of the published range, adjust based on your first test results.
What We Do Not Publish
- Unattributed numbers. If a setting can't be linked to a real source, it doesn't appear.
- Fabricated results. There is no "tested by our team" tier — we don't have a testing team with machines.
- Pages entirely derived from one anchor. One real data point produces one table row, not a full standalone page.
- Silent forum averages. Community data appears only when we can link to a specific named result.
AI-Assisted Production Disclosure
This site is produced with AI assistance. Page generation, data sourcing pipelines, and structural formatting are partially automated. This does not change the sourcing requirements — every number still requires a real, attributed source. AI executes the pipeline; the Laser Tinkerer Energy Index methodology is ours.