Should I be sealing?

[James Terry]

From laser wood panels I am making jewelry, ornaments, keychains, dogtags, crosses... Some of the wood strips for sale out there are precoated and some are not. Of course, after burning, the etched part is no longer sealed. Should I be (re)sealing my finished products? And if so, with what and how? What is a good way to easily seal items in small quantities at a home based business. Is it best to spray with an electric airless, or perhaps a compressor spraygun? Should I look for a small negative pressure spray cabinet? What is the best sealant for these small items? Should the strips be sealed before lasering for better quality? What questions have I not asked? :)

[Joe Pelonio]

Depends on the sizes and quantities, for larger projects I use a small HVLP touchup gun and a clear poly. For smaller projects, Krylon clear works great and is simple to use. Indoor decorative items I just leave as is, such as the 200 patch refrigerator magnets I just did to be sold at a Boy Scout camp store.

[Michael Hunter]

I normally use pre-treated wood planks and use a spray-on wax furniture polish ("Pledge", "Mr Sheen" etc.) to finish.
It cleans away any smoke residue from the surface and excess resin from the cut edges - and also stops the "bonfire smell".

[James Jaragosky]

I usually do not seal refrigerator magnets, If I do, I use water based poly for floors, and do the whole sheet before putting it in the laser.

For color, I use a alcohol based dye. You can get the dyes at woodcraft or Rockler, they are the same price at either store. I just bye primary colors and mix my own colors to suite my needs. you can also purchase water based colors at both stores; the water based dyes are richer and deeper in color, however they also pop to much grain and tend to twist and warp the 3mil BB I use. The water based stuff takes a while to dry where the alcohol based stuff is ready in minutes.
I have used paint as well, paint is cheap and if you buy a gloss color you may not need to apply a sealer to get the desired results. When I use paint I do a whole sheet before cutting in the laser. I always use disposable foam brushes if possible. Also painted wood smells funky when cut in the laser.

I purchase my Baltic Birch for $11.09 a 5x5 sheet, this quality is perfect for ornaments and such. For photos I purchase a better grade at $18 a sheet.

Good luck Remember there are many ways to achieve a desirable result. keep looking for the ones that work for you.
Jim J.

[James Jaragosky]

Depends on the sizes and quantities, for larger projects I use a small HVLP touchup gun and a clear poly. For smaller projects, Krylon clear works great and is simple to use. Indoor decorative items I just leave as is, such as the 200 patch refrigerator magnets I just did to be sold at a Boy Scout camp store.

Joe, Do you mind sharing where you purchase your magnets?