Cermark on Brick?

[Dee Gallo]

I read this on the Cermark site:

CerMark Tape for Brick Applications
Did you know the CerMark Tape you use to create black en-
graving on metal using a Co2 laser is also great for marking
clay bricks? The heat energy of the laser will fuse, or therm-
ally bond the CerMark resulting in a very permanent, black
engraving bonded to the clay brick.

Has anyone tried this? And is it true you can only use the tape with high power lasers? I only have a 35w Epilog Mini - I wonder if it's worth buying the tape.

~ dee

[Martin Boekers]

The tape is very expensive. I wonder if it has something to make it absorb the layer more than spraying it on?

[Steve Clarkson]

I tried the blue cermark on a red clay brick......the parts that I lasered permaently stuck, but looked black (not blue) and the unlasered parts could not be cleaned off........which is probably why you can only use the tape.

[Martin Boekers]

Steve was that the metal Cermark or a different version? I wonder if you could spray it on a "transfer sheet"
the tape that to the brick....Has any one tried firing Cermark in a kiln?

[john banks]

I've put bricks and stones in our laser and they mark anyway. If you use enough power the surface bubbles to produce an interesting glass like effect with some stones, depending on the inclusions can be quite interesting, but just messing around with stuff off the beach. Not got around to getting any Cermark yet.

[Gary Hair]

I've put bricks and stones in our laser and they mark anyway. If you use enough power the surface bubbles to produce an interesting glass like effect with some stones, depending on the inclusions can be quite interesting, but just messing around with stuff off the beach. Not got around to getting any Cermark yet.

John,
What kind of speeds can you get lasering brick? I know it can be done with enough wattage, but I haven't seen anyone talk about speed.

[john banks]

Vector marking at 50mm/s gave a good mark on most things from the beach, including fragments of red clay colored brick. Attached are two pictures, 1 is rastered, I think about 200mm/s, 2 is vectored quite slowly which made it poorly defined but produced a green glass type appearance. Just messing about really. 1 looks quite good in the flesh, excuse the quick iPhone photos and messing around with our logo.
232849232850

[Steven Cox]

I've engraved clay bricks with my 60 watt laser but it's a very slow process at 10mm a second & 100% power results however are very good. With gemstones I've found that Jasper engraves beautifully at 200mm/Sec + 60% power, results are an almost carved effect. I've even managed to cut holes for chains or split rings for necklaces with the Jasper by doing several passes & adjusting the focus each time. Interesting about the Cermark, I might try that with the spray over the weekend, it sort of makes sense though because I believe the Cermark is a ceramic based formular.

[Al Bray]

No experience with brick, but I occassionally fire the LCM6044 on glass in a kiln. The color and detail holds up very well to full fusing temperatures approx. 1500 F +/-25 degres for the glass I work with.

- Al

[Martin Boekers]

I've engraved clay bricks with my 60 watt laser but it's a very slow process at 10mm a second & 100% power results however are very good. With gemstones I've found that Jasper engraves beautifully at 200mm/Sec + 60% power, results are an almost carved effect. I've even managed to cut holes for chains or split rings for necklaces with the Jasper by doing several passes & adjusting the focus each time. Interesting about the Cermark, I might try that with the spray over the weekend, it sort of makes sense though because I believe the Cermark is a ceramic based formular.


Steve, if you are just doing text some have had success with having multiple contour hairlines and vectoring
to cut down on the time.