Laser Engraver added to the office

[Allen]

I just got the latest piece of equipment installed into my office over the last couple of days, and have been playing around with it. First up I needed some back reinforcement strips engraved for a couple of commissions I'm starting this week. The engraving on the strip takes 20 seconds.

[kiwigeo]

Would be handy for getting rid of unwanted Tats

[routout]

Heaps better than my attempt at a brass branding Iron lots of shots to get that rite ,you will be able to do Logos and the like nice.

[simso]

They are awesome are they not, do not know how I would stay in business without one

Steve

[blackalex1952]

Mike Thomas created this Selmeroid inlay using a laser cutter and artists mica based pigment/epoxy resin: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2746&p=33666&hilit=headstock#p33567
I tried this method. Firstly, I found that the mica based pigment was a hassle to get, then it cost me quite a lot for a jar and some resin. Having gone to all this trouble, I didn't get a really great result. The laser engraving was not a hassle, the local trophy guy did a good job for $30, with an excellent choice of fonts ( client wanted his name engraved on the headstock). I recently ran into a luthier who engraves his headstocks then guilds them rather spectacularly. His girlfriend came up with a great suggestion which works better and is cheaper......for $8, a jar of Revlon gold nail polish from a discount chemist!!!Works under nitrocellulose lacquer too!No mixing epoxy, no messing around! Three coats with a good drying time in between then sand each coat.

[routout]

Thank's I'v used some weird stuff but the polish is a great idea.

[blackalex1952]

It's the simplest and best I have found. Didn't tell the whole story of the other things I have tried, but it's the bees knees!

[Allen]

So, you are just painting in the nail polish into the engraving. Let it dry and then sand any that might get on the areas you don't want. And then apply lacquer.

[blackalex1952]

Yes. The process was on a headstock of Claro Walnut. I grain filled around the inlay as best I could without filling the engraving, which was quite deep, and applied nitro sanding sealer,cleaned the engraving up with a needle then applied the nail polish. It needs to fully harden, takes a day or two. Then sand or scrape level, blow the dust out, repeat the nail polish/sand back procedure, do it a third time if necessary.Allow to harden, then lacquer over the lot. The bright gold is the one I recommend, there is also a brassier looking one, but the bright has it in my opinion. If I had thought of it prior to putting a Pau/gold MOP inlay in the Claro, and had not already thicknessed the headstock veneer, I wouldn't have worried with the grain fill/sanding sealer, because the engraving was deep enough to sand level and thickness at the same time without loosing definition on the engraving.

[blackalex1952]

Thank's I'v used some weird stuff but the polish is a great idea.

-You must be a child of the late sixties, early seventies- we all used weird stuff back then!!!

[blackalex1952]

Just thinking back to what I did on that Claro headstock, scraping is better, the nail polish has something in it to stop it from being brittle, the scraper worked better, the down side is the drying time to get it to where the sanding or scraping works best. Sanding leave gold "dust" in any voids that happen to be there, scraping does not. But by far the best way I have found. For $8 or so, it's worth trying- all reports on this and new methods please!

[Kamusur]

Definitely not in the market for a machine like that but love the work it does.

Thank's I'v used some weird stuff but the polish is a great idea.

-You must be a child of the late sixties,early seventies- we all used weird stuff back then!!! [/quote

Can't say i remember the late sixties or early seventies Alex?

Steve

[blackalex1952]

Roscoe here...Alexander is my middle name...

[routout]

Yes I am 58 ,seen many things in instrument world and made many found things that work and not I am sometimes jaded but mostly open to what others are doing creative or over the top. Fender sell because they kept it simple screaming crowds don't hear the buzz on the 10th fret.

[blackalex1952]

Another thought I have regarding the use of the nail polish. I think a good look might be achieved by painting a large laser or dremel cut area with the nail polish, filling with casting resin , sanding flush then applying lacquer in the usual way over the lot.There would be a depth to the "inlay" if that's what one could call it.
Allen...I am wondering what is the maximum size piece of material that your machine could accommodate? Also, the ball park figure for the cost of that machine?

[Allen]

It's a 18" x 12" cutting area.

Refurbished machine with new 40watt laser tube. North of $10K. If you are looking at new for one made in the USA (Epilog or Universal) then north of $20K gets you a look. My mate that has a larger Universal Laser in his business was just shy of $30K.

[hooked]

I have a Emblaser engraver/cutter. http://www.darklylabs.com Makes great rosettes.

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