Problems realigning acrylic post colorfill

[Amanda Davis]

Hi all! I'm hoping someone has a solution for my current problem, which is making me blue in the face, not to mention wasting quite a bit of time and acrylic.
After engraving a few of these small gear logo's, and removing the acrylic to spray/colorfill, i can't get the material lined up back in the exact same spot in order to vector cut. I'm using a standard sheet of 12x24 acrylic and, to the best of my ability, try to get the sheet back as perfectly in the upper left corner as I can.

Some are harder to notice (gear on left) while others are incredibly obvious (gear on right)

Is there any way to set a home position, or something of that sort with the X/Y axis on the laser to match where the gear shapes are in Corel?
(I have not moved any of the shapes on my Corel file from the same place they were engraved)

Any help would be MUCH appreciated. Thanks

[Running this job on an Epilog Mini 40]

243587

[Mark Sipes]

All I can suggest is a pin registration. or double side tape the sheet down and paint/mask the items on the table and do not move the sheet. (otherwise your machine is just off when it starts a job)

[Bill Overturf]

I have had this problem before here is what I ended up doing adds a little time in cutting but saves the headache and wasted material. Tape your full sheet down make a box slightly bigger than your gear cut it out when you engrave then pull it out paint and drop it back in its hole for the final vector cut

[Ernie Martinez]

I had a similar issue. Pick a small spot in the middle, and mark it some how (tiny piece of tape or similar) then rather than use an XY position, use center-center or whatever is easiest to align, then just place your red dot pointer on the same mark after painting.

I'm not sure of you color filling from behind, if not then this may not work, unless you can maybe engrave a registration mark that no one will notice.

[Keith Outten]

If you have already cut out the gear and want to engrave the logo in a separate step:
Take a piece of plywood or matte board that is flat and place it on your engraving table.
Engrave the gear outline on the board.
Place the acrylic gear on the board using the outline to line it up.
Engrave away.
.

[Kees Soeters]

Just a little step further than Keiths:
I cut the outline in a piece of thick paper (card?) which is fixed to the grid with a few pins. then i remove the form and put a few strips of metal under the card so the edges of the remaining hole rise about 1-2 mm. This is a perfect fitting template to lay in your precut models..
I did dozens of keyfobs that way within very close tolerance..


Kees

[Dee Gallo]

I have done similar jobs using the cutout leftover piece as a template for replacing the pieces, which also works for flipping them over (assuming it is symmetrical) for perfect placement. The kerf provides a tiny amount of space for getting pieces out and in. I have used masking tape to lift the little pieces out without moving the bigger piece.

cheers, dee

[walter hofmann]

my experience I use masking tape and do all in one run first engraving then cut out , then take the tape of from the area what I wana paint and after the paint is try take the tape of from there.
this way I dont have to fiddlle around
greetings
walt

[Amanda Davis]

Thanks so much for the advice, everyone! Unfortunately, since I'm using spray paint, I need to fill the artwork before cutting the gear so I don't have paint all over the sides of the piece. (These are going to be brooches for a local restaurant)

Hopefully Bill's suggestion of cutting a small box around the shapes will solve my dilemma.

Thanks again

[Joe Pelonio]

Thanks so much for the advice, everyone! Unfortunately, since I'm using spray paint, I need to fill the artwork before cutting the gear so I don't have paint all over the sides of the piece. (These are going to be brooches for a local restaurant)

Hopefully Bill's suggestion of cutting a small box around the shapes will solve my dilemma.

Thanks again

You can color fill inside the laser if you use an airbrush, the paint is easily controlled without overspray.
If you do remove it before cutting, you can verify the positioning this way:

Before engraving cut a small circle in an out-of-the-way place, but only partially thru (faster speed, low power).

After engraving and color fill, place back in machine and re-run the circle to make sure it lines up, and adjust until perfect.

For many jobs just running with the top open and red-dot pointer on works, but if critical alignment needed I find this method to work.