Asphalt Lacquer for Metal Marking

[Greg Bednar]

I just caught the tail end of a show on the Science Channel called "How It's Made." Dovo, the straight razor company, was showing how their metal blade is marked. The blade was coated with "asphalt lacquer" and then it was placed into the laser engraver. Yes, it showed the laser engraving the metal right there on the screen in high definition. I did a little checking and found that asphalt lacquer is made by thinning Syrian asphalt with benzole. Gasoline and benzene can also be used as thinner. The stuff looked like jet black tar, very thin.

Has anyone else heard or had any experience with this process/marking material?

[Dan Hintz]

I know that Syrian asphalt has been used in the past for making light sensitive photo plates... never tried it as a marking fluid. Turpentine is a good thinner (and certainly a lot less dangerous than gas).

[Frank Corker]

Light sensitive, well as I understood that is also what Cermark is, a light sensitve paint. Get your chemistry boffin kit on Greg and get cracking, there is no time to waste!

[Rodne Gold]

Frank , I think the Cermark is a glaze and the intense heat fuses or "fires" it to the substrate.

[Dan Hintz]

Frank,

Cermark is essentially shredded glass (frit) mixed with a mineral (pigment) and clay (to absorb the heat). When the laser hits it, you're melting the frit by absorbing a bunch of heat from the clay and permanently attaching the pigment/glass mixture to the substrate.

Syrian asphalt goes through a chemical change and turns from black to white.

[Lee DeRaud]

Anybody got a source for this stuff? Only thing I was able to find was this: http://www.amazon.com/BITUMEN-OF-JUDEA-75-ml/dp/B001DKMLWG. (Apparently it goes by several names besides "Syrian asphalt", including "bitumen of Judea" and "Jew's Pitch".)

[Dan Hintz]

You'll have better luck looking for asphaltum.

Dick Blick sells it:
http://www.dickblick.com/products/asphaltum-liquid/

Though, having never used theirs, I cannot say anything as to its quality or purity, and it would most likely need some post-processing if you want to make it light-sensitive.

[Lee DeRaud]

You'll have better luck looking for asphaltum.

Dick Blick sells it:
http://www.dickblick.com/products/asphaltum-liquid/

Though, having never used theirs, I cannot say anything as to its quality or purity, and it would most likely need some post-processing if you want to make it light-sensitive.Well, at least it's cheap...that looks like a lifetime supply.:p

[Frank Corker]

Dang! Can't believe I was wrong again.... mind you I bet that glaze is probably light sensitive (clutching at straws)......yeah, probably

[Bill Cunningham]

I went to their website (http://www.commentcestfait.com/en/emissions.php) to see if I could find the program, but there are just too many.. Any idea what the episode number was?.. It's a Canadian show, out of Quebec

[Randy Digby]

Here you go:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ACJrAI3SxM

[Robert Walters]

I went to their website (http://www.commentcestfait.com/en/emissions.php) to see if I could find the program, but there are just too many.. Any idea what the episode number was?.. It's a Canadian show, out of Quebec

How It's Made, Season 09, Episode 02

[Robert Walters]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Black

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontypool_japan

http://www.cranialstorage.com/wood/elmorain_japan.html

http://www.cranialstorage.com/wood/japanning.html#Japan-Modern

[Gary Hair]

Here you go:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ACJrAI3SxM


That's what I thought - the asphaltum is a resist for their coating process, it's not used to mark the blade. I had a guy bring in some copper plates that he was going to acid etch and they were coated with asphaltum. I lasered through it and then he etched them. It's pretty tough stuff and took a couple of passes to get completely clean.

Definately not a substitute for Cermark, they are doing two different jobs.

Gary

[Robert Walters]

That's what I thought - the asphaltum is a resist for their coating process, it's not used to mark the blade. I had a guy bring in some copper plates that he was going to acid etch and they were coated with asphaltum. I lasered through it and then he etched them. It's pretty tough stuff and took a couple of passes to get completely clean.

Definately not a substitute for Cermark, they are doing two different jobs.

Gary

It looks to me it's brushed on both sides, lasered, then brushed on again as a mask for the gold plating.

[Andrea Weissenseel]

I also think that it is only used as a mask and not for marking the blade. Also they are using a chemical bath to take it off.

I record "Extreme Makeover Home Edition" every day, and the "How it's made is broadcasted right before that, so I always have the last 5 Minutes of the show on my harddrive. Since we are 4 years behind in Germany, with Extreme Makeover, I wonder if it takes 4 more years to see this episode of "How it's made" live :D

Andrea

[Robert Walters]

...Since we are 4 years behind in Germany, with Extreme Makeover...

Andrea,

The bus is now a hovercraft, and the house is built in just 24 hours :p


I still think it may be Japaning by laser.

[Andrea Weissenseel]

:eek: LOL :D

[Greg Bednar]

Thanks to everyone - This has answered a lot of questions I had.

[Robert Walters]

Thanks to everyone - This has answered a lot of questions I had.

Greg,

You going to give it a shot?
At $8, don't think you can lose.

[Greg Bednar]

Greg,

You going to give it a shot?
At $8, don't think you can lose.

I'm not going to give it a shot quite yet, Robert.