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Emma austin
07-06-2011, 8:18 PM
Hi I have a brick company wanting to give all their engraving jobs for me. I tried one and it looked ok, they liked it. Engraved pretty deep through to the layer underneath.
Had a bit of white around the edges.
Their previous supplier ha black paint in theirs. Looked good
So I said I would do a sample with black in it.
How do you do this for bricks? As the surface is so rough etc, the excess paint wouldn't rub off would it?
Thoughts?
Many thanks!

Dee Gallo
07-06-2011, 9:13 PM
I would engrave through hi-tack tape and spray the black on. Brick is too rough to color fill the other way. Might be a good place to try the liquid mask, but also might be a bear to get the mask off depending on how rough the bricks are.

Emma austin
07-07-2011, 12:10 AM
Thanks dee. Must admit that was my initial thoughts. Although when I looked at the one they had which was black, it looked like it had been filled with paint, as it was quite thick, if that makes sense. But currently they are shipping them over to Australia to get done which is ridiculous with the weight of them. Thy just don't want to do them anymore but keep getting requests, so would be handy if I could. They are very keen to just let me present them how I can and tell any clients that this is your only option. So it doesn't have to look exactly like previous supplier.
The customer they have at moment wants 65 at about $20nz a brick, it is worthwhile figuring it out.
Will try the spray paint :)

Dan Hintz
07-07-2011, 6:25 AM
I would engrave through hi-tack tape and spray the black on.
20073120073120073120073120073120073120073120073120 0731200731

Emma austin
07-07-2011, 6:33 AM
looks like I need some hi-tack tape.
My low tack I buy in big rolls, but not keen to do that for this when only testing. Would something from a hardware store work? Am going to a big depot type store tomorrow anyway. Then I could just get a normal roll. But it would have to be pretty thin wouldn't it, as already at 100% and about 4% speed just to it to engrave the brick!

Dan Hintz
07-07-2011, 6:40 AM
It wouldn't have to be that thin, particularly because you're already going so slow... but a thicker piece will affect the burn you get to some degree. For such a slow speed, though, I'd bet the impact is minimal, at best. A pic of the brick surface would help us decide, but they have some high-tac painter's tape, and if you need something in a pinch, try Gorilla Duct Tape :)

Emma austin
07-07-2011, 7:37 AM
Thanks Dan, will see how I go tomorrow. Have both kiddies tomorrow (newborn and 22 months), so bit difficult to go shop to shop. I think we may have gorilla glue here so maybe the tape too.
Will get pics of the brick tomorrow. They are definitely not a nice smooth surface, cracks in the clay etc. Nice dark red though.

Mike Null
07-07-2011, 7:42 AM
Emma

There is a paint for painting such things that will last longer than others. The name escapes me but a search of the forum should turn it up. It is expensive but would be worth it as you develop this business.

Martin Boekers
07-07-2011, 9:13 AM
If it is mainly text consider using a vinyl and do a vector cut outline first then weed and do the raster.

Are you sure it's a paint fill they are doing? Some bricks (Clay Based) the engraving will Vitrolize (turn to glass)
This can be quite dark and heavy.

Scott Shepherd
07-07-2011, 9:39 AM
For that kind of money, I'd be buying a sand blast cabinet and doing them the right way. The laser is not a good place for engraving bricks. The debris if you are engraving will destroy your laser over time. It's like putting sand inside your laser to float around.

Sand carving will do the job right and will be MUCH faster in the long run. You can mask and put a batch of bricks into the cabinet and do them all in short time. You'll probably still be engraving the first brick when the 6th one comes out of the sand blasting cabinet.

Just because it will do it, doesn't mean you should do it.

Dan Hintz
07-07-2011, 10:12 AM
Mike,

I believe you're thinking of Lithichrome paint, the stuff used in the grave marker industry. Very durable. Not to be confused with Lithochrome, which is a concrete dye.

Emma austin
07-07-2011, 12:14 PM
For that kind of money, I'd be buying a sand blast cabinet and doing them the right way. The laser is not a good place for engraving bricks. The debris if you are engraving will destroy your laser over time. It's like putting sand inside your laser to float around.

Hi Scott, do you mean something like this? https://www.machineryhouse.co.nz/Products?stockCode=S288
That seems very cheap (incl GST would be about $210us).
What exactly is the sand blasting process? I am not familiar. (obviously have seen the end result on glasses etc).
So I would sand blast away the writing ( presume I have made a mask out of laser?). Then would I paint fill? Or would the end result of the blasting be presentable? What are the consumables for this? Just grit?
Obviously I will do some research but everyone here is knowledgable too.
Thanks for tips on paint too ppl :)

Scott Shepherd
07-07-2011, 12:48 PM
Yes, like that, but you would add something called a "pressure pot" to it, normally sold at the same places.

Yes, you create a mask, apply the mask, and then sandblast through it.

We don't have one, we've only looked at them as we've been asked about bricks a number of times.

There are people on here that know a lot more about it than I do, but the last thing I'd ever do with my laser is to raster 1000 bricks. You might as well order all new bearings and slideways, lens, mirrors, etc.

There are different methods of making masks.

Emma austin
07-07-2011, 1:14 PM
Thanks Scott. It is only 65 bricks at this stage, not 1000! I will Look in to blasting.
Thanks