CA Glue Over Laser Engraving

[RSidetrack]

Hey Everyone,
I am trying to make some pens for a golfing trip I have coming up soon and had a buddy of mine laser engrave the trips name on the ends of the pens. What I would like to do is finish over top of the laser engraving, so the entire pen is smooth even where the letters were engraved.

However, I am having a heck of a time trying to get the letters to fill in so I can then get a nice smooth finish. I have put on probably 20 coats of CA at this point should turn into a very nice glass finish, but the letters are still "soaking" up the glue is my guess and they are still beveling in. Any ideas or methods that would help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[ed4copies]

What material is the pen?

 

[bensoelberg]

Are you using thin, medium or thick CA?

 

[RSidetrack]

I am using Medium. I have tried Thick as well. I do not have thin.

This is on redwood (not redwood burl).

 

[Andrew_K99]

If you are putting CA over the entire blank including the engraving you are building up the layers equally and the depressions will still show. Try applying CA just to the engraving to build it up and/or sand 10 of those 20 coats off which should reduce the depression (as sanding should only sand off the high spots).

AK

 

[bensoelberg]

I had a similar issue on a pen about 4 months ago. Instead of making an even coat all around the pen like I normally do, I stopped the lathe and just added drops of thick CA all along the engraved portion in a line so that it dried as a row of bumps all along the blank. Then I took a piece of corian and used it as a sanding block until the bumps had been sanded flush with the rest of the blank. I wiped the blank down with accelerator and then applied a couple of additional coats the traditional way.

 

[soligen]

Put it on heavy (sounds like you have) then sand it down with 320 grit until you either sand through, or everything is smooth. If you sand through, re sand up to 600 grit then repeat the whole process, and keep repeating until you get it smooth without any sand through. Once you get it smooth you may want to go ahead and add your normal number of coats - just to be sure you dont sand through in your normal sand & polish process.

When I sand, then add more CA, I like to start with 1 or 2 coats of thin to be sure all the scratches get filled in well.

If you did 20 coats already, you might already have enough CA built up (depends on technique) that all you really need to do is sand until smooth.

 

[RSidetrack]

Thanks Everyone!!! I am going to give it a go and see what happens

 

[TomW]

I dont want to Hijack, but would this apply to Alumilite engraved and filled with laser bits color fill?

Thanks
Tom

 

[RSidetrack]

Great news - it worked!

I sanded down with 320 grit until it was almost smooth and flush (thanks soligen) - still had a good amount of coating on. Then I sanded up to 600, added 2 more coats of medium, and finished it off. Its perfectly smooth and looks great! Thanks everyone!

 

[pinelumber]

laser

use pro color fill from laserbits.com This is what I use on all of my laser engraved pens it fills, and colors the lettering comes in 12 colors. Please use their primer. It works great.


Dennis,

Pineliumber:RockOn::bananen_smilies104:

 

[okiebugg]

filling laser engraving

Thanks Everyone!!! I am going to give it a go and see what happens

The above mentioned methods are quite helpful. I always use a very small artist's brush and 'paint' the lettering or logo. Light woods, dark or black enamel. Darker woods, I use a lighter paint such as white. You can also 'color match' a logo using this method. I usually flood the engraving and build the paint up almost to the turned blank level and then fill with med CA. A dremel tool helps (using a very light touch) to take off any excess, and then a fine sanding. Of course I leave the finished blank slightly oversize. Before I put the pen together I take the blank for engraving. and finish after the engraving.

 

[NewLondon88]

Glad to see it worked out .. but I have to ask. :biggrin:

If you wanted the text or log on the pen, but wanted the finish to be
perfectly smooth, why not use a label or a decal? Why engrave?

 

[PenMan1]

Next time, Why not finish the pen with CA as usual before sending the barrels to the engraver. Then ask the engraver to cut through masking tape?

That way, you can fill and finish just the engraved area. This works well. And you get to put the engraving at the exact spot on the barrel that you choose.