Much beyond that has been trial and error, hands on experimentation.
I agree. When I first started using a laser (somebody else’s
machine) they had a chart of parameters to use for different types of
stuff. I had the hardest time with it. Now that I have my own
machine(studio size) I drive it like a car in snow…start in low
gear and light throttle. You can see pretty quick what’s working.
When it starts PFFTing you gotta back off. If you weld a seam and
then add filler wire you usually have to step up the parameters.
My feeling is that ideal parameters are more related to material and
mass (AT the point of the weld, not the entire piece) than perhaps
the type of finding or whatever. Generally having the time a larger
number than the power is a good starting point.
DO watch out for reflections, they’ll either burn your finger or a
stone.