@vinny We have had a few people laser rubberwood here at the library and it seems to laser really well and produce nice color contrast with little smoke or smells. We have mostly Co2 Hobby Lasers here in our innovation labs and maker locations.
Here is a sample. Not the best design, but we only had 10 mins to laser it, and no spare material to test on. The bride loved it either way- but it is an example of how forgiving rubberwood can be in my opinion. This one is used decoratively so I am not sure about durability after being lasered.
You can find them at stores like TJ Maxx, Ross, and Burlingon for like $5-7 and sometimes less if they are on sale. I just make sure and try to find wood with the tags so I can have info to check against the MSDS.
