# Laser not cutting **URL:** \ **Category:** Snapmaker 2.0 (3-in-1)\ **Created:** [August 16, 2021, 6:48pm UTC](https://forum.snapmaker.com/t/laser-not-cutting/20454 "2021-08-16T18:48:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![steve.torres](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@steve.torres](https://forum.snapmaker.com/u/steve.torres)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2021, 6:48pm UTC](https://forum.snapmaker.com/t/laser-not-cutting/20454/1 "2021-08-16T18:48:41Z")
I purchased these wood pieces from Amazon ([https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QGSBT2N?psc=1&ref=ppx\_yo2\_dt\_b\_product\_details](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QGSBT2N?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details)) and my Snapmaker sometimes cuts through and sometimes doesnt, even after 6 passes at 0.4 with 100% laser power. Also I tried using blue tape and it barely engraves. Any suggestions? I dont use enclosure ---
**Author:** ![Georg2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Georg2](https://forum.snapmaker.com/u/Georg2)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2021, 7:59pm UTC](https://forum.snapmaker.com/t/laser-not-cutting/20454/2 "2021-08-16T19:59:52Z")
Hello in the forum, If your focus of the laser is ok, reduce the working speed and the passage depth to 0.2 per passage. ---
**Author:** ![eh9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7993a0/32.png) [@eh9](https://forum.snapmaker.com/u/eh9)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2021, 8:44pm UTC](https://forum.snapmaker.com/t/laser-not-cutting/20454/3 "2021-08-16T20:44:46Z")
> [@steve.torres](#): > > these wood pieces They’re listed both as “Material: birch plywood” and “100% solid wood”. I don’t know what you got, but at minimum the seller is sleazy. This is mutually contradictory. Either it’s 100% wood and 0% glue, in which case it’s not plywood, or it’s plywood, which has glue in it, and so it’s not 100% wood. I would return them and make the seller eat the return cost for false advertising, but that’s me. It’s far more likely it’s plywood., since you don’t readily get flat pieces of birch without lamination. It’s a known issue that the laser head is barely powerful enough to cut 1/8" plywood without tuning the machine and good process control. It’s been discussed here several times before. ---
**Author:** ![ElloryJaye](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/forum.snapmaker.com/elloryjaye/32/13979_2.png) [@ElloryJaye](https://forum.snapmaker.com/u/ElloryJaye)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2021, 12:45pm UTC](https://forum.snapmaker.com/t/laser-not-cutting/20454/4 "2021-08-17T12:45:35Z")
The photos in the Amazon listing have no visible surface grain on any of the pieces, which suggests to me that they aren’t birch at all (might even be MDF), and the all-caps seller name and weird grammar and vocabulary choices sprinkled through the description suggest a bargain-basement seller from mainland China. Beyond the fact that they’re probably at least wood-adjacent, I wouldn’t bet on anything about these. ---
**Author:** ![Tracy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/forum.snapmaker.com/tracy/32/4432_2.png) [@Tracy](https://forum.snapmaker.com/u/Tracy)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2021, 7:42am UTC](https://forum.snapmaker.com/t/laser-not-cutting/20454/5 "2021-08-20T07:42:55Z")
> [@eh9](#): > > y’re listed both as “Material: birch Hi friend, did you get a successful auto-focus before you cut the wood? Can you share a video of when the laser module cuts the wood? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![steve.torres](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@steve.torres](https://forum.snapmaker.com/u/steve.torres)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2021, 12:19pm UTC](https://forum.snapmaker.com/t/laser-not-cutting/20454/6 "2021-08-20T12:19:25Z")
Thanks for the answers. I ended up using basswood 1.5mm and cuts are indeed better, even the engraving is cleaner. About the auto focus…I have never, since I purchased the machine, gotten a successful auto focus. It always failed and I have manually chosen the best engraved line on the touchscreen. Does it have to be successful?