Laser Engraving Question...

[grub32]

Hi All,

I haven't spent much time on here in a while because a major life change. Three babies and a changing jobs make life a lot busier.

I made a pen using one of woodcraft's acrylic blanks and I am having a friend user their engraver to put a personal touch on it for a retiring colleague.

For those of you that do this, do you engrave with the same settings as wood on the engraver?

The guys that is doing it do me is a little worried about the intensity.

Anyone have any suggestions on what I can tell him before he ruins my pen?

: )

Thanks for any and all suggestions.

Grub

 

[Twissy]

Give him an off cut to test with. Yes, acrylic does differ from wood, but also colour makes a difference too.

 

[mbroberg]

For what it is worth: I took a pen that was ordered by a customer to a professional engraving company to have what I thought to be a very simple engraving job. All I needed was a 3 digit number in the center of a police badge. They ruined it.

Having an engraver engrave a pen is risky. Send it to someone who routinely engraves pens. I use Woodturningz, but I am sure there are others that can do the job. You may be sorry, as i was, if you don't. I had to re-make the pen and send it out to have it done right.

 

[grub32]

Yes, the people I am sending it to do pens all the time, they have just never done an acrylic. I guess I am going to just ship out a chunk of it to them.

Thanks for the info,

grub

 

[Real]

+1 on what Twissy said. Also I use transfer tape over the area and engrave through that. That way the customer can color fill (paint) over it if they want. Then just remove the tape.

Hope this helps.

Real Mercier

 

[low_48]

The engraving will probably be the same settings, but you can just barely see it. It will definitely need color fill. I use the thick latex fabric paint from Michaels. It comes in a squeeze bottle with a small tip. Overfill because it shrinks, then wet sand with micromesh if you want a flush fill. If you just want color, wipe it out, or use rub-n-buff.

 

[Sylvanite]

I generally use a lower power setting when engraving acrylic pens than I do with most woods. Acrylics typically engrave with very low contrast, so I often recommend a color-fill.

I hope that helps,
Eric

 

[ashaw]

Make sure the sample is roughly the same diameter. Save a lot of headaches.

Yes, the people I am sending it to do pens all the time, they have just never done an acrylic. I guess I am going to just ship out a chunk of it to them.

Thanks for the info,

grub

 

[Sub Vet 10]

I would give him a sample = safest bet. My FIL does custom work and every job is different. Measure twice, cut once kinda thing.

crayons make great fil