A method of laser machining one or more walls of an opening of a component using a conically-shaped laser beam, the one or more walls defining a first wall portion and a second wall portion, the method being characterised by the following steps: orienting the component in a first position; lasering at least a portion of the first wall portion while the component is oriented in the first position; orienting the component in a second position; and lasering at least a portion of the second wall portion while the component is oriented in the second position, wherein the component defines a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction each perpendicular to one another, and wherein when the component is oriented in the first position, the component has a first pitch angle (θ 1) indicative of an upward pitch about at least one of the lateral and transverse directions (L, T) with respect to a reference plane defined by the lateral and transverse directions (L, T), and wherein when the component is oriented in the second position, the component has a second pitch angle (θ 2) indicative of a downward pitch about at least one of the lateral and transverse directions (L, T) with respect to the reference plane defined by the lateral and transverse directions (L, T), wherein the opening has a depth and wherein the opening defines a plurality of stages each defining a portion of the depth, the plurality of stages including a first stage, and wherein when the component is oriented in the first position, the first wall portion is lasered along the first stage of the opening, and wherein when the component is oriented in the second position, the second wall portion is lasered along the first stage of the opening; alternating between orienting and lasering the first wall portion while in the first position and orienting and lasering the second wall portion while in the second position until each stage is lasered along the depth of the opening; and wherein as the laser beam lasers progressively deeper stages of the opening, the upward pitch of the first pitch angle is increased and the downward pitch of the second pitch angle is increased. orienting the component in a first position; lasering at least a portion of the first wall portion while the component is oriented in the first position; orienting the component in a second position; and lasering at least a portion of the second wall portion while the component is oriented in the second position, wherein the component defines a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction each perpendicular to one another, and wherein when the component is oriented in the first position, the component has a first pitch angle (θ 1) indicative of an upward pitch about at least one of the lateral and transverse directions (L, T) with respect to a reference plane defined by the lateral and transverse directions (L, T), and wherein when the component is oriented in the second position, the component has a second pitch angle (θ 2) indicative of a downward pitch about at least one of the lateral and transverse directions (L, T) with respect to the reference plane defined by the lateral and transverse directions (L, T), wherein the opening has a depth and wherein the opening defines a plurality of stages each defining a portion of the depth, the plurality of stages including a first stage, and wherein when the component is oriented in the first position, the first wall portion is lasered along the first stage of the opening, and wherein when the component is oriented in the second position, the second wall portion is lasered along the first stage of the opening; alternating between orienting and lasering the first wall portion while in the first position and orienting and lasering the second wall portion while in the second position until each stage is lasered along the depth of the opening; and wherein as the laser beam lasers progressively deeper stages of the opening, the upward pitch of the first pitch angle is increased and the downward pitch of the second pitch angle is increased.