I am in need of a better masking idea

[Michael Hardy]

Hi Creekers,
I am in need of a better idea for masking before color filling.
I have a project to engrave and color fill dozens of rubber lacrosse balls.
The balls are made of from a natural rubber.

One of the issues I run into is that the balls seem to have a powder residue that makes the smaller parts of the letters peel too easy before we color fill.

I'm have tried masking with the blue painters tape and the small pieces left in the letters seem to be labor intensive to weed and remove after I color fill.

Is there something different from the painters tape that is easy to apply and not expensive that will provide a better masking and color fill process?

Or, is there a liquid that I can apply that then dries and is easy to wash off after I color fill? Any help is really appreciated.


Mike

[Dan Hintz]

Sounds like a job for pad printing.

If you insist on masking and lasering, use the high-tac version of transfer tape (the medium-tac version is similar to painter's tape), then give the balls a light brushing after lasering to remove the dust. Liquid masks exist, though I have none to recommend.

[George D Gabert]

That sounds more like a screen print type of project.

GDG

[Brian Jacobs]

Wobbly lacrosse balls!!! How much fun would that be!!! :D:D:D

I agree with everyone else. Might harden the rubber under the lasered portion? Do you have to laser them?

[Joe Pelonio]

Transfer tape, high tac or not is stiff, not flexible enough for use on a ball. Have you tried wiping them with alcohol before applying the mask? Look for a cheap regular masking tape. Not the good 3m type. You may have to experiment but I had some that was cheap but low tack and pretty flexible, thinner than most but peeled easily. I wish I could remember the brand but it was almost white in color.

[Michael Hardy]

The LAX Balls will be given out as awards and sold to parents as keeps sakes. We made a couple for the coaches and they were really impressed.

If I were making quite a few of the same engraving, I thought pad printing would be the best way to go as well, but these are customized. They will have team stats or player stats.

They look good without any color fill, but really pop when filled with the team colors.

And my boys get to use the balls I have used for testing, so nothing goes to waste.