<p>I'm pretty confident that's laser cut plywood.  The dark edges give away the laser cutting and ply is strong enough and stiff enough even down to a few mm thick.  It's also cheap.</p>
<p>Laser cutting is a cheap process if you have access to a laser cutter, but the setup costs are high.  You may be able to find somewhere locally that does it commercially.  However you can make something similar with a bandsaw or jigsaw and hole saws or spade-type wood drill bits (with scrapwood behind) if your time isn't too valuable.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-27T16:06:14.587Z
+1 for laser cut plywood. Not cheap, though, price has tripled in the past year.
fred_dot_u
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-27T15:20:55.967Z
2022-05-27T15:20:55.967Z
Chris H
<p>That looks laser cut, the burnt edges are the giveaway.</p>
<p>It's clearly an engineered sheet material rather than natural wood. I suspect it's most likely plywood but it's also possible it's MDF (cheaper but weaker). You should be able to tell the difference with a close visual inspection, MDF will be uniform while plywood will have a discernible grain direction.</p>
<p>My understanding is that the plywood and mdf used for laser cutting are usually sold specifically for the purpose. The plywood is of a much more consistent quality than regular plywood. Also the glues used in constructing the material will be of types suitable for use with laser cutters. You can find the stuff by searching for terms like &quot;laser plywood&quot; or &quot;laserply&quot; or &quot;laser MDF&quot;.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-28T11:31:32.667Z
Definitely ply---you can see a knot and grain pattern in the inset enlarged photo.  It is indeed distinct from ordinary ply (so as to make a given burn time correspond to a given depth), although if the OP isn't laser cutting a thin birch-faced play will be fine.
2e0byo
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-28T00:35:04.537Z
2022-05-28T09:00:21.140Z
2022-05-28T09:00:21.140Z
Peter Green
<p>What would I need to search for online to get the type of wood that is used to make these budget displays stands?</p>
<p>Does it have a proper name or description?</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/GXdWA.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/GXdWA.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-27T14:25:07.263Z
Just a thought, but it looks like laser-cut balsa wood.
agarza
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-29T00:14:31.413Z
If the wood isn't available/affordable, you might substitute acrylic/perspex plastic in a laser cutter too.  Mind the fumes.
Criggie
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-06-06T13:48:58.867Z
@agarza -  balsa lacks the strength to make this.
rebusB
<material-identification>
What is the proper name for the material that these cheap displays stands are made from?
Aaargh Zombies
# What is the proper name for the material that these cheap displays stands are made from?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-05-27)

What would I need to search for online to get the type of wood that is used to make these budget displays stands?

Does it have a proper name or description?

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/GXdWA.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/GXdWA.png)

**Tags:** material-identification

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Just a thought, but it looks like laser-cut balsa wood.  
> **username_2**: If the wood isn't available/affordable, you might substitute acrylic/perspex plastic in a laser cutter too.  Mind the fumes.  
> **username_3**: @username_1 -  balsa lacks the strength to make this.  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2022-05-27. Score: 12

I'm pretty confident that's laser cut plywood. The dark edges give away the laser cutting and ply is strong enough and stiff enough even down to a few mm thick. It's also cheap.

Laser cutting is a cheap process if you have access to a laser cutter, but the setup costs are high. You may be able to find somewhere locally that does it commercially. However you can make something similar with a bandsaw or jigsaw and hole saws or spade-type wood drill bits (with scrapwood behind) if your time isn't too valuable.

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: +1 for laser cut plywood. Not cheap, though, price has tripled in the past year.  

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### Answer by username_6 on 2022-05-28. Score: 5

That looks laser cut, the burnt edges are the giveaway.

It's clearly an engineered sheet material rather than natural wood. I suspect it's most likely plywood but it's also possible it's MDF (cheaper but weaker). You should be able to tell the difference with a close visual inspection, MDF will be uniform while plywood will have a discernible grain direction.

My understanding is that the plywood and mdf used for laser cutting are usually sold specifically for the purpose. The plywood is of a much more consistent quality than regular plywood. Also the glues used in constructing the material will be of types suitable for use with laser cutters. You can find the stuff by searching for terms like "laser plywood" or "laserply" or "laser MDF".

> **Comments:**
> **username_7**: Definitely ply---you can see a knot and grain pattern in the inset enlarged photo.  It is indeed distinct from ordinary ply (so as to make a given burn time correspond to a given depth), although if the OP isn't laser cutting a thin birch-faced play will be fine.  

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