Engraving on plated kit hardware - YAG laser, mechanical?

[yaroslaw]

I have customers that want to have engraving on chrome-plated hardware (cap of Zen kit).

I'm trying to talk them out of the idea. But really, has anyone succeded that way?

I'm not talking about marking with paste and CO2 laser - it has serious drawbacks. Engravers said that main drawback is consistency of which this paste is applied. So they tell that they would not do it. But they have YAG laser, that will cut through any metal (TN coating for example is not a problem, as they say).

For me ideally would be to get light grey (satin) engraving on bright mirror chrome surface to not cut through plating.

But, if cutting through platings - what drawbacks are from your REAL experience? Someone tried it, with YAG or mechanical engraver?

Thanks.

 

[commercialbuilder]

i would think that cutting thru the plating would only give it lots of places to start coming off. I would do it only if he agrees that there is no guarantee on the pen plating now or ever.

 

[wolftat]

I do a lot of marking with a CO2 lasr and have no problem, my marking solution is sprayed on with an airbrush. A yag is going to remove the plating and allow it to start peeling.

 

[yaroslaw]

"I would think" either that. But I need actuall experience. I could not rely on his agreement, as my name stands behind quality (and those pens would be presented for a lot of people). I could not afford myself to make 120 pens to know that they are crap. So I need to know actual usage experience of that kind of engraving.

 

[yaroslaw]

I do a lot of marking with a CO2 lasr and have no problem, my marking solution is sprayed on with an airbrush. A yag is going to remove the plating and allow it to start peeling.

Guys that make that locally commercially, said that they abandoned "co2" markings on metal due to inconsistency. They have CO2 for wood or YAG for metal. Other guys have CNC mechanical engraver with high precision.

What actual marking chemical do you use? What color is result? I'd prefer light-grey, if there are options. How good it withstand wear?

 

[Ed McDonnell]

I tried engraving chrome twice (mechanical, no laser). These were flat pieces and I have no idea how they would compare to pen parts in terms of plating characteristics.

The first time was using a cnc with a carbide engraving bit. It made a mess out of the chrome. Lots of chip / flake out. Feeling defeated, I left the piece sitting on my workbench for a couple of weeks. (Hot humid climate close to the ocean (salt air)). The base metal (probably brass) started to corrode both in the engraved area and under the remaining plating. The coolant I used while engraving may have contributed to the corrosion. It was a total loss.

The second time I used a high speed turbine carver and carved by hand. 400,000 rpm with a diamond burr. It cut pretty cleanly (but slooooowwwww). It is not something I would ever do again. I filled the engraving to seal the base metal, hopefully preventing corrosion. I don't know if this worked because the person I did the engraving for lost the piece a couple days after I gave it to him.

You might consider having the current plating stripped, having the engraving done and then having them replated. Probably not a very economical solution.

Good luck.

Ed

 

[Brooks803]

I tried engraving chrome twice (mechanical, no laser). These were flat pieces and I have no idea how they would compare to pen parts in terms of plating characteristics.

The first time was using a cnc with a carbide engraving bit. It made a mess out of the chrome. Lots of chip / flake out. Feeling defeated, I left the piece sitting on my workbench for a couple of weeks. (Hot humid climate close to the ocean (salt air)). The base metal (probably brass) started to corrode both in the engraved area and under the remaining plating. The coolant I used while engraving may have contributed to the corrosion. It was a total loss.

The second time I used a high speed turbine carver and carved by hand. 400,000 rpm with a diamond burr. It cut pretty cleanly (but slooooowwwww). It is not something I would ever do again. I filled the engraving to seal the base metal, hopefully preventing corrosion. I don't know if this worked because the person I did the engraving for lost the piece a couple days after I gave it to him.

You might consider having the current plating stripped, having the engraving done and then having them replated. Probably not a very economical solution.

Good luck.

Ed

That's exactly what I was going to suggest. I am no expert by any means, but it would seem that would have the least likelihood of failures.

 

[wolftat]

I do a lot of marking with a CO2 lasr and have no problem, my marking solution is sprayed on with an airbrush. A yag is going to remove the plating and allow it to start peeling.

Guys that make that locally commercially, said that they abandoned "co2" markings on metal due to inconsistency. They have CO2 for wood or YAG for metal. Other guys have CNC mechanical engraver with high precision.

What actual marking chemical do you use? What color is result? I'd prefer light-grey, if there are options. How good it withstand wear?

I can't speak for the local guys. I use Cermark for a chemical and usually come out with a dark black mark. The only way I have been able to remove the mark is to grind the metal down and start over so it is pretty permanat. The cermark does leave a differeent mark on some metals but not all metals are the same and I would expect there to be some changes in the finished product. A Yag is a great machine for what it is made for, others on here have yags and can hopefully chime in on it.

 

[NewLondon88]

Cermark and chrome don't get along very well. The marker is
a glass frit that bonds well with steel or iron, but can't get a good
grip on a chrome finish. It can go on temporarily and look good.
but it can eventually come off, leaving a ghost image behind.

Anything you do that breaks through the plating will cause it
to delaminate.. if not today, then tomorrow or next year..
Plus the platings on these kits are soooo micro-thin, I
wouldn't want to touch it. You can take off the 'gold' plating
with Windex. Chrome is better, but but us still a thin plating.

Best advice is above.. engrave it and THEN plate it.
That's the only way I'd sell one.. because I know if I
engraved the plating, I'd be buying back a pen.