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Dave Johnson29
02-14-2009, 7:12 PM
Hi All,

I did a search and got about 50 hits but the settings must be buried deep of they are in the results. ;)

I have been trying some pet tags and have tried everything from low pulse/high freq to high pulse/low freq and I think pretty much everything in between.

I am not getting a nice white result.

Would some of you like to share your settings please?

Thanks

Dee Gallo
02-14-2009, 7:41 PM
Dave, my manual says you should use

at 300 dpi, 40 sp/100 power on a 25w epilog.

at 400 dpi, it goes to 60 speed/100 power

at 600 dpi, it goes to 85 speed/100 power

My little note says: for photos, use Stucki, no photograv needed

The few times I've used it, these settings worked well for a white mark on either anodized alum. or coil stock.

HTH dee

Tim Bateson
02-14-2009, 9:54 PM
On my 35watt, I use - 100 Speed - 45 Power - 300 DPI - Stucki. This may vary a little depending on the photo and/graphic. Text only I can get away with power around 35.

Note: Often the red tags require much more power.

Frank Corker
02-14-2009, 9:55 PM
Dave. Some of the prime colours such as the reds quite often leave a pinkish tone to it.

I have a 45w laser and for anodised aluminium (English spelling)
100sp 90pwr at 300dpi
100sp 80pwr at 400dpi
100sp 70pwr at 600dpi

Generally if you give it a lot of power it is enough to leave a good mark, but beware that if you go too slow, like stainless steel you might get warping or distortion.

Tim Bateson
02-14-2009, 10:10 PM
Dee, Frank,
That's a lot of power. Are you sure you're going down to the white or down to the bare aluminum? I exclusively use Chewbacca tags and 45 power gives me a nice white on everything except as you said Frank the red.

James Rambo
02-14-2009, 10:23 PM
I used 95 speed 35 power and it comes out very good

Dee Gallo
02-14-2009, 10:49 PM
Dee, Frank,
That's a lot of power. Are you sure you're going down to the white or down to the bare aluminum? I exclusively use Chewbacca tags and 45 power gives me a nice white on everything except as you said Frank the red.

Tim-

I don't do much with anodized, I've just goofed around with it to see what happens. I'm sure your experience is MUCH more accurate and I'm adjusting my notes to show your settings. My one try was posted (and can't be re-posted here) on the thread: Something Different, Engraving Coil Stock

The only thing I can tell you is the epilog tech guy told me to use it to test my bed's focus point and those were the settings.

cheers, dee

Dan Hintz
02-14-2009, 11:20 PM
Dave,

I've been scraping the board the last month or so for various material settings. According to my notes, the last 25W user who posted settings listed 100S/45P. I use 30P with a true 70W of power, so that should be a good starting point.

Be aware that you can give it just enough power to bleach the dye and create a nice look (my last batch tended more towards a very light putty color rather than stark white), but you can also power through the dye down to fresh aluminum (which leaves a sandpaper finish, a useful finish in some cases).

Tim Bateson
02-14-2009, 11:52 PM
Dee, Don't change your setting based on just my experience. One thing I've learned here is every machine is different from one another. I am surprised that you and Frank are getting the same results with such high power settings. That could be the machine, the tags, or maybe even the climate.

With text only, it's nearly impossible to screw up anodized aluminum tags, even if you over power them.

Engraving photos on the other hand has cost me a pile of scrap tags. Getting a good photo on a tag is all about practice, practice, practice. The trick is in knowing when to adjust the power up or down a bit to compensate for a bright or dark image.

Frank Corker
02-15-2009, 7:11 AM
Tim those power settings I posted there are the power settings recommened by Epilog. Are you reading your manual right? I used the Chewbaka tags too, I've had no problems with them either, but as you know already there are more than one way to skin a cat.

I have never bother trying to do a picture on one of the tags, but if I did, most likely the power would be a lot less. These are just tags at the end of the day, if they are clear enough to read, then they are good enough. Had no complaints so far.

Albert Nix
02-15-2009, 7:52 AM
Havent tried tags yet. You guys say that there is a white dye under the anodizes part. Is this true on all anodized alum or just items made for laser engraving.
Al

Tim Bateson
02-15-2009, 7:57 AM
The red tags do always seem to come out pink, although I have got lucky with a batch of red luggage tags I recently got. Engraved a perfect white. Also the lighter colors are near worthless, as anything engraved on them is barely visible. Not enough contrast. I prefer the black and the dark blue tags.

I've done photos and logos on most of the colors, but I prefer black.

I've tried the powder coated tags too. At about 5 speed 100 power 600 DPI you can make a mark, but not much of one. With enough passes you can get through it, but there doesn't seem to be any white underneath, just bare aluminum.

I can't even scratch the gold & silver tags. Even tried CerMark with no luck.

Dan Hintz
02-15-2009, 8:41 AM
Havent tried tags yet. You guys say that there is a white dye under the anodizes part. Is this true on all anodized alum or just items made for laser engraving.
Al
Albert,

There is no white dye underneath, the laser bleaches the dye to a putty or white color.

Albert Nix
02-15-2009, 8:54 AM
Is the dye only on laser items or is a standard process used on all anodized alum.

Dan Hintz
02-15-2009, 9:41 AM
Is the dye only on laser items or is a standard process used on all anodized alum.
Anodizing is essentially taking the top layer of oxidized aluminum (or other metal) and maker it deeper/thicker. If dye is added to the pot, the color is soaked up by the oxidized layer. the laser then comes back and ither bleaches the dye or blasts the oxidized layer completely off and down to bare aluminum.

bryan henderson
02-15-2009, 10:22 AM
There is mention of anodized coil stock, where did you purchase this from and is anodzied black available and what thickness is the aluminum. Ideally I have been searching for .050" thick black anodzed coil. If someone can direct me to the supplier that woudl be greatly appreciated.

Bryan

Dave Johnson29
02-15-2009, 10:40 AM
Is the dye only on laser items or is a standard process used on all anodized alum.


To add to Dan's description, the Sulfuric Acid (H2SO4) anodizing process (Type II the most common - DC current through H2SO4 solution) creates a very thin coating of Aluminum oxide on the surface. This is like millions of little tubes sticking up vertically from the surface.

These tubes can lead air and water to reach the aluminum below and if not sealed will allow corrosion to begin. With coloring, the aluminum is dunked in hot water with a dye (Rit clothes dies work for home anodizing) and this soaks down into the tubes filling them via capillary action.

Once the dye cycle is complete, the aluminum is then soaked in boiling water for about 20 minutes. Rather than leach the dye out as you might think, it makes the tops of the tubes close over trapping the dye inside.

For clear (non-colored) anodized aluminum the dye step is skipped and the tubes are just sealed in boiling water.

The two main reasons for anodizing are color and surface hardness. The anodizing process make the surface very hard and relatively scratch proof. There is an even harder anodizing process (Type III) but it is not all that common as it is more difficult to apply.

To test a surface of aluminum to see if it is anodized use a multimeter on the Ohms scale. Touch the probes about an inch apart. If the meter reads very low resistance then it is not anodized. If it reads very high then it is. Not totally conclusive as the surface could be clear painted but it's a good start.

When you laser anodized aluminum, it boils the dye and water trapped in the little tubes and vaporizes the moisture and burst the tubes back open. What you are left with is bare aluminum which is then the "marking". The thing here is that the tubes can be re-filled and resealed if you like.

If after lasering you immediately use a water based felt marker then drop the thing into boiling water you can re-color.

I am not sure if this is done with masking or lasering, but it is possible to get this sort of effect by laser sections and recoloring.
http://www.abelreels.com/anodized/artistic/pages/artistic_08.htm

Dave Johnson29
02-15-2009, 10:41 AM
Thanks to everyone who offered settings. No guessing what am doing today. :)

Very much appreciated guys.

Dee Gallo
02-15-2009, 11:21 AM
There is mention of anodized coil stock, where did you purchase this from and is anodzied black available and what thickness is the aluminum. Ideally I have been searching for .050" thick black anodzed coil. If someone can direct me to the supplier that woudl be greatly appreciated.

Bryan

I got mine from some leftover roofing materials...free stuff! I found the brown to be quite nice when doing a person.

Read the thread Something Different, Engraving Coil Stock to find out more and see samples.

cheers, dee