What you'll make
Exact offset values for pocket and inlay layers so your press-fit wood inlays snap together cleanly without gaps or binding.
Step 1 — Measure your laser kerf
Cut a 50 × 50 mm square in your material and measure the actual dimension. The difference from 50 mm, divided by 2, is your kerf. Typical values: 0.1–0.2 mm for wood.
Step 2 — Enter kerf value
Type your measured kerf in mm. The tool uses this to calculate how much material the laser removes on each side of the cut path.
Step 3 — Choose fit type
Select Loose Fit (0.05–0.1 mm gap, glue required), Press Fit (0.0–0.02 mm, taps in with mallet), or Interference Fit (slight negative, force-in). For inlays, Press Fit is usually ideal.
Step 4 — Set material thickness
Enter the thickness of the inlay material. Used for depth calculations if you're doing partial-depth pocket inlays.
Step 5 — Read the offset values
The tool outputs: Pocket offset (expand the cavity shape by X mm) and Inlay offset (shrink the inlay shape by Y mm). Apply these in your vector editor or LightBurn.
Step 6 — Test cut before production
Always run a test cut on scrap first. If the fit is too tight, increase the pocket offset by 0.02 mm increments. If too loose, decrease.
Pro tips
Tip 1: Kerf varies with material, speed, power, and focus — always measure on the same settings you'll use for production.
Tip 2: For contrast inlays, use dark walnut into light maple — the kerf gap disappears visually at the joint line.