adjusting engraved depth??

[Paul Williams from Nunavut]

Umm, a simple newbie question, I suppose, but how would I go about adjusting the engraved depth on a piece of work? I have a 30 watt Zing C02. I'm wanting to add colour to a piece of acrylic to make it stand out, and the suggestion is to make sure it is engraved to .035 inches. Would I be able to do it in one pass (at which settings?) or would I have to do a couple of passes?

Many thanks

Paul

[Gary Hair]

Paul,
It's not really possible to dictate the exact depth so I wouldn't worry too much about that. There are so many variables that it's going to take some experimenting on your part to determine what settings to use. If you are using acrylic paint for your fill then I would start at 100% power and around 50% to 70% speed, 600 dpi. If the paint stays in place and you don't wipe it out too easily then you have enough depth. If it does wipe out you may need to work on your technique as well as engrave deeper. More details on your exact process would help get you a better answer.

Gary

[Dan Hintz]

What Gary said... and I'll add that the early/late wood grain will add even more complications to your life on certain woods if you're trying to reach a specific depth.

[Paul Williams from Nunavut]

Thank you both. Appreciate the pointers....

onwards!!!

[Dee Gallo]

Paul,

I color fill acrylic every day - I have a 25w and a 35w and use the same 40 sp/100 p/ 600 dpi for both. So your 30w should be fine with those settings. I always use air assist too, to keep the engravings cleaner... the dust has to be brushed out before filling.

cheers, dee

[Paul Williams from Nunavut]

Thanks, Dee. I see what you mean about the dust. Sometimes its the simple things that get overlooked.

Sorry for the really long delay in offering thanks.

Best wishes

[David Rust]

Paul,

I color fill acrylic every day -

Hi Dee, What paint do you fill your acrylic pieces with?
I was reading that acrylic paint is best for porous/"airy" materials such as wood, paper etc... Do you seal your acrylic pieces after you apply the paint fill?
Another question, do you cut your acrylic pieces or order them pre-cut to the size you need?

Just curious... Right now I'm working on a sample gun stock engraving for a local shop... nothing to do with acrylic, however this post generates more questions... so much to learn, so little time!!

Happy Holidays!