[Anniepoo]

I'm cutting shapes (lots of 1" hexagons) from sheets of corrugated cardboard.

Only problem is, the stock is warped. It's cardboard, obviously a bit of fixturing will make it flat.

Anybody have a suggestion for how to hold the stock so it's not warped? This is particularly crazy in my case since I'm cutting up the stock.

[g.weike laser]

Hi,
not quite familar about your meaning,but when we put small heavy part on both side of corrugated cardboard,then it can cut well,not wraped at all

[Anniepoo]

Hmm... maybe I can find some small weights, like disk magnets or something, and make a jig to place them automatically? I suppose if I use magnets, I can make an acrylic jig with magnets glued to it. If I line up the laser origin with the jig, a second magnet would make a holddown.

[AmyThunderlaser]

Hmm... maybe I can find some small weights, like disk magnets or something, and make a jig to place them automatically? I suppose if I use magnets, I can make an acrylic jig with magnets glued to it. If I line up the laser origin with the jig, a second magnet would make a holddown.

Magnets is a good solution to fixing the material,
we use it when working on some light materials, as well.

[Anniepoo]

I'm not totally happy with my solution, but from this thread it's the best solution I've come up with.
I've used some 1/2" neodymium magnets I had, placed them in a regular pattern on my honeycomb table. I lay the stock down, then put another small stack of these magnets atop the first ones. It's not idea because it means a projection above the stock, and because the stock tends to come loose as hexagons are cut away.

But it's what I've got.

I did a run, and it seems to do the hold down well enough to be happy. I did hit one of the magnets, just grazed it on the edge, and it reflected and made a couple tiny marks on the cardboard, but I think it's fine. I'll put some black acrylic paint on the magnets, though that'll get cut through the first time it hits it.