I've also adopted a diode laser (Ortur LM3). 10 Watts of optical power but I haven't yet really pushed the need for power as I generally run at less that 50%.
Purchased for the spousal unit to help with her fused glass engraving on dichroic and irridescent works; Does a fantastic job on that stuff, but I find it great for cutting hardboard router templates with curves and such. Normally I'd use a bandsaw, then shape the templates by hand but I hate filing/sanding with a passion.
Latest works have been cutting veneers for parquetry. Another thing I could do by hand but I get bored after a few pieces, This allows me to spend my enthusiasm on the creation and less on the drudgery (which there is still plenty)
All these blindingly small bits get placed onto adhesive shelf paper with tweezers. With this panel, I tried to keep the zebra wood sequential so it would better resemble a basket weave.
I like the 3D effect people do with cutting boards and have applied the style to another panel (upcoming project post).
It's a fun tool, really saves time on items that can be done other ways, but this makes it worth my efforts to try. The software (LightBurn) is super versatile and makes the design/layout stupid simple. Most of the effort is getting the heat and speed set for the best cut, but once perfected I just add it to the "material library" and call up those settings when I have a project.
My first attempt at veneer parquetry was another panel waiting for incorporation into "something" TBD.
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