re: Japanese Maze Box Puzzle.

I like it! I've only recently discovered the ebony Timbermate. Great for fine detail.  As in filling your engraving, or as I did on my Geisha box for the pine needles on the Mt. Fuji marquetry. On that I finished the marquetry with my usual polyurethane and then used an ultra-fine V gouge to cut into the poly which was then filled and sanded etc.  It's a similar technique to Japanese Chinkin, where they 'scratch' a lacquered (or in my case polyurethane), surface and wipe in gold dust. If you apply your 'finish' to timber first and then use the laser, would you get sharper edges on the cut? If you did that, have you found a 'finish' that doesn't 'burn'?  Len and I usually just put a coat of shellac on before lasering, to which I then add my filler and then apply my poly. Len usually just wipes ebonising fluid in, but the Timbermate is no looking better on a pre finished surface.......