finishing mesquite & antler before laser engraving?

[The Penguin]

I've got 2 sierras I'm working on for my company to give as corporate gifts.

one is mesquite burl, the other axis deer antler.

the mesquite is a bit punky, so I had to soak it with thin CA as it got down to final diameter. It was wanting to chip a bit.

anyway, I need to send these off for laser engraving the pens and boxes with our company logo. I want to color fill the engraving on the pens with gold.

questions...

1. should I do a CA finish on both pens before the engraving...or after? If before...what is finished surface of the colorfill like? will it be set into the surface a bit?

2. There's someone that many have recommended for lasering. Kallenshaan told me they're getting out of engraving pens...and that was not the website I was thinking of anyway. There's a guy in my local turning club that has a laser and does colorfill, but due to time constraints and distance to his shop, it's almost just as fast for me to mail them off.

3. I guess this depends on the engraver...do I send just the barrels...or completed pens? barrels makes more sense to me.


advice appreciated.

 

[hunter-27]

Best to ask the engraver, I have found some prefer it one way some the other. I would contact Constant at http://www.lazerlinez.com/ or Stan at http://www.happyturners.com/

 

[The Penguin]

Stan is the one I was thinking of...thanks!

 

[its_virgil]

The local engraver I use loves to engrave on my pens finished with CA. The color fill or Rub-N-Buff he uses(when needed) does not bleed into the surface of the wood and it wipes right off the CA surface. I send the completed pens.

It was good to meet and visit with you at SWAT.

Do a good turn daily!
Don

 

[alamocdc]

Shawn, I use Stan exclusively any more. He prefers them finished and assembled, but knowing him, he could do them any way he got them. He does color fill when you want it. It does not affect the finish and sits a little concave in the laser cuts, but still sits below the surface. I usually just do my own color fill with acrylic paint if I think it needs it when I get the pen back. But sometimes I leave it to Stan's opinion. Some woods will burn in dark and not need it. Others need help with the contrast.

 

[plano_harry]

What Billy said :good:

Shawn, I use Stan exclusively any more. He prefers them finished and assembled, but knowing him, he could do them any way he got them. He does color fill when you want it. It does not affect the finish and sits a little concave in the laser cuts, but still sits below the surface. I usually just do my own color fill with acrylic paint if I think it needs it when I get the pen back. But sometimes I leave it to Stan's opinion. Some woods will burn in dark and not need it. Others need help with the contrast.

 

[Dustygoose]

I use Woodturningz. They told me that all they had do was slow the laser down. Just be sure you let the engraver know that you have a CA finish