Laser Engraving Process - The Steps

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CaseyK

CaseyK

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Joined
Feb 6, 2026
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Location
Angels Camp, CA, USA
What is your process, the steps, for laser engraving a pen if you are then going to fill the engraving with colored CA?

Let's say I've got a blank turned. It is not sanded, just turned to the proper size/shape and now I want to engrave the thing with a name, such as a company or something. A single line of short text on the cap. Let's also add in that I want to add colored (brown, black, gold/whatever) CA into the engraving to make the text pop/be visible.

My initial thoughts, having never done a single bit of lasering anything would be:
A) Turn the blanks
B) Sand the blanks to almost the final grit(s)
C) Engrave the cap blank using the laser
D) Fill the engraving with whatever color CA. Since I am not as careful as I should be I will have CA that spills over outside of the engraved area. Makes it easier to fill the engraving with CA if I just slop the stuff on assuming my sandpaper will remove what doesn't need to be there.
E) Return the blanks to the lathe and sand away the excess colored CA
F) Final sand both blanks to the end grit
G) Finish the blanks with CA/whatever floats my little tiny boat
H) Trim and assemble

Is this a viable process when filling the engraving with some kind of colored CA? Or is there a more betterer way of doing this?

Sorry for asking hypotheticals here but, to quote that famous sailor Popeye - I yam what I yam - and I try to figure things out way before I'm actually ready to do them. Any help/guidance here would be greatly appreciated.
 
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So I engraved a small Texas symbol a few years back into a pen. For one thing, the laser is burning the wood, not engraving. I had to laser the pen a couple times, take a toothbrush and brush out the charcoaled ashes until I was happy with the depth of the cut.
As for coloring, the only way I could color was to use mica powder. I put some of it in the lasered spot and then put thin CA over it and then sanded smooth.
So when using a laser, if done at the right speed and power, will leave a nice black laser burn. Coloring is a whole different chore.

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I add a CA finish to the turned blank and then engrave. It's easier to clean off the surface with whatever I use to fill the engraving, rub n buff or acrylic paint. Then after it dries I apply a few layers of CA over it and finish and assemble.
 
Here's my process. Turn and sand the blank as I normally would. I put a coat of thin flex CA and let dry naturally. Another member here said it allowed it to soak in the wood as much as possible. I use a coarse Scoth Bright to knock down the high spots and add another coat. I use flex CA because that's what I finish the blank with. Flex CA and regular CA don't play well together. Then I laser the blank and wipe off the over burn. I spray a very light coat of lacquer to seal the bottom of the engraving. When dry I use a waterbase acrylic paint to color the engraving. I use that because it comes in a huge variety of colors and I use it to paint the tubes as well. When dry I fill with CA then sand smooth with the surface. Then I'll add another coat of thin CA and a few coats of medium. Then I start finishing like any other sanding method. Just in case you're interested. I make a lot of pen stands. I use the same laser and fill process only I use regular CA to fill. The flex CA tends to move and causes ripples as the regular stays put for a smoother finish. Good luck as you'll find the laser will open up a big window in you hobby.
 
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