I'm in love....laser love.

[sarah beck]

I have been playing around with my new laser over the last week. It is so exciting! It has been about three years since I discovered that "normal people" owned lasers. (Ok, perhaps "normal" is stretching the truth at times, but I mean members of the general public, not just top-secret laboratories. ) :) I actually purchased a ULS 25e a couple of years ago, but it turned out to be a very, very heavy table to pile junk on in a corner of my studio as I could never get it working. (Is there a market for any of the parts?) Anyway, now that I have finally got a working laser I am happily engraving and cutting everything within reach.

My main reason for purchasing the laser is to make jewelry. I make my living as a potter and I have a studio/shop where I sell my work to visitors that come to our island (Cape Breton,Nova Scotia) so I already have a retail space and the customer base. I also have a little used bookstore in the shop and I make stuff out of hard cover books that are damaged or unwanted. Up until now I have found a use for everything except the covers. Now I am cutting through the covers and they are surprisingly sturdy! With one coat of polyurethane for protection they look great. I will make them into pendants, earrings brooches, etc. I'm still trying to figure out the ultimate settings to cut through them with the least mess. The edges are very sooty, but that wipes off fairly cleanly. I find I need high power and very low speed to cut through. Right now I am mostly cutting silhouettes, but I also am playing with engraving designs onto them. I need to find the right setting to just burn away that top coating of paper to leave a nice pale line, not a burned one.

Anyway, just wanted to share what I'm working on. There are so many things to learn! I am still struggling with getting my illustrations from the paper to the lasercut software, but I have had a small bit of success with that and I know I will get there. I'm also interested in playing around with some of my glazed pottery to see if I can make any changes in the glaze colours with the laser. I have engraved into a glaze piece, through the glaze, but I'd like to actually be able to affect the glaze itself, rather than just removing it.

Thanks to everyone who helped me out in my last thread. Nice to finally be a laser owner, rather than just dreaming about it! I'll post some photos of the jewellery soon.

[Keith Upton]

I'm new to the laser stuff as well... it's fun isn't it! please post up some photos of your book covers you have lased as well please. Those sound neat.

[Dan Hintz]

Sarah,

This thread is worthless without pics ;) :p

I'm interested in seeing what you're creating with the books, and I'm sure others are, as well.

[sarah beck]

See, I put myself out there, in a public forum, and already by my second thread I am worthless. ;) Yes, I know, I will get pics as soon as I can! Right now we are busy trying to dig out from the 3 feet of snow we got over the last few days (on top of the 2 feet we already have). But I promise, pics to come.

[Glen Monaghan]

Sarah,

This thread is worthless without pics ;) :p



And Dan should know! Can you imagine trying to review the receipt and setup of a new Trotec without posting any pictures??? Not even after weeks and weeks have passed by? Talk about worthless ;^)

[Keith Upton]

See, I put myself out there, in a public forum, and already by my second thread I am worthless. ;) Yes, I know, I will get pics as soon as I can! Right now we are busy trying to dig out from the 3 feet of snow we got over the last few days (on top of the 2 feet we already have). But I promise, pics to come.

It's easier to tunnel through ;)

[Paul Phillips]

Aw snap! Called out again Dan!
Welcome Sarah, looking forward to seeing some examples as well.

[Bill Stearns]

Sarah -

I sure do admire your enthusiasm 'bout your new laser engraving capabilities! - never let it wane! I believe that in business - "passion" drives the engine! Okay profit, too. BTW: I Googled Cape Breton: what' a beautiful place! (No need to tell me 'bout digging out' a snow; I live in Northern Minnesota: for 3 feet we use wisp brooms. ;) Your jewelry making made me think of my Mom; we lived 'n Florida many years ago. She supplemented our family income painting, and glittering, very tiny seahorses 'n starfish - making 'em into clip-on ear rings 'n lapel pins. Anyway .... a fond memory.
A steep learning curb makes life interesting. After 8 years, not a day passes that I am not learning something new 'n helpful 'bout engraving. Or, coming up with 'new idea middle 'o the night. Image you will too. (how 'bout engraving thin wood bookmarks with your business' name - hand 'em out?)
One thought 'fore I forget: Don't forget to back-up your files externally! And, hopefully, you'll find plenty of "how to" information on YouTube videos; I do. BTW: Hey Dan - I want' a see Sarah's pictures, too - but, for some of us plowing 'n shoveling comes first! :rolleyes:
Have fun, Sarah ... and, good luck.

Bill

[Julie Moriarty]

It's interesting I ran across this post. This is my first peek inside the Engraver's Forum. A few months ago I got into guitar building and fell in love. A couple of days ago I saw a picture a luthier posted of a guitar headstock he had laser engraved. I really liked it. I had never seen that done before and it got me thinking.

I'm looking forward to seeing your pictures, Sarah, and to learning more about laser engraving.

Julie

[John Calhoun]

A couple of days ago I saw a picture a luthier posted of a guitar headstock he had laser engraved.

I'd love to see this — do you have a link?

[Dan Hintz]

And Dan should know! Can you imagine trying to review the receipt and setup of a new Trotec without posting any pictures??? Not even after weeks and weeks have passed by? Talk about worthless ;^)

Could someone help me? I have this sharp pain in my back... probably from the knife sticking into it ;)

:D

[Julie Moriarty]

I'd love to see this — do you have a link?

I can't remember which guitar forum I saw it on but I did a Google search for laser engraved headstocks just now and was surprised how many there were. Guess it's not as unique as I thought it was.

[David Somers]

Julie,

A Laser is often used to inlay on a guitar as well. Though the units can have difficulty with the Fret board depending on what wood it is. Ebony and Blackwood and what not can be difficult to cut in the extreme based on what we are hearing in other posts about those woods.

[Bruce Dorworth]

Without a picture of the knife, your post is worthless.

Bruce

[Khalid Nazim]

Sarah,

I can totally relate to what you are going through. I have the same feeling about my laser as well. Its the best thing that I have ever bought. And all thanks to the wonderfull people on this forum. The laser and this forum allowed me to take a dive into this new world and I am loving every moment of it.

So experiment by putting everything in your laser that you can afford to damage ( be safe though :) )!

Regards
Khalid

[Mike Troncalli]

Without a picture of the knife, your post is worthless.

Bruce

That was funny... Good One..

Don't feel bad Dan, I am in very serious debate on Toilet Paper types for RV's right now on another forum.. Serious stuff there ya know... GOD.. I think I need a life.. :D

[Bert Kemp]

Sarah ,
Would miniature tug boats make cool earrings or tiny light houses??286351286352

[Bill Cunningham]

Could someone help me? I have this sharp pain in my back... probably from the knife sticking into it ;)

:D

Ahhh I guess that knife never really had an engraving...Just a Burn..ha..:rolleyes:

[sarah beck]

That's funny because I actually was thinking of lighthouses and fishing boats. My husband is a retired lighthouse keeper, so lighthouses are very much in our world! :). Also, tourists love the lighthouses, so if I can come up with a good design it will be a keeper. Thanks for the suggestion.

[Walt Langhans]

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/images/misc/quote_icon.png Originally Posted by Glen Monaghan http://www.sawmillcreek.org/images/buttons/viewpost-right.png (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=2249354#post2249354)
And Dan should know! Can you imagine trying to review the receipt and setup of a new Trotec without posting any pictures??? Not even after weeks and weeks have passed by? Talk about worthless ;^)



Could someone help me? I have this sharp pain in my back... probably from the knife sticking into it ;)

:D

Heck I'm still convinced it's a chinese machine that he painted to look like a Trotec :P

[sarah beck]

Here are some photos, as promised. I'll take some more when I get a chance. I'm still trying to figure out the polyurethane coating. If I don't coat them the top layer of paper peels up after wear. I'd much rather find a spray that I could use, rather than painting it on, which is fiddly and time consuming. I have tried a few of the sprays from Krylon, but they don't harden enough, not like the Minwax. Anyone know a spray that will apply a thick coating and will harden?
Ok, back to the shovelling....
Now..hopefully this thread is worthwhile. ;)

[Mike Troncalli]

Those look very nice Sarah.

You might want to look into a 2 part resin that you can mix and then "dip" the items into. It will leave a very thick hard shell around them. I know that Home Depot, Lowes, Michaels and Hobby Lobby sells the stuff.

[David Somers]

Sarah,

Those are fun pieces!!

To expand on Mike T's thoughts a bit.

If you find a 2 part epoxy to be too thick for your needs you might look at CA or Cyanoacrylic Glues. Essentially, high grade super glues of varying thickness. You can get them ranging from highly viscous, more like honey in consistency, down to extremely low viscosity, seemingly thinner than water. My favorite of the brands is Starbond, mostly because they have an extremely thin glue model EM-02 that works exceptionally well for doing metal powder inlay work. Buy small amounts to test with. Then if you like a brand and thickness you can usually get larger volumes. Don't use accelerators for anything where the appearance is important. Like jewelry in your case, or the finish of a small item like a turned wood pen in mine. Keep some acetone handy (as in within reach) in case you glue your self to something. (like a 450 lb lathe with 600lbs of ballast on it...don't ask...<grin>) If you do end up buying a bunch...consider buying a larger container (16oz or sometimes larger) plus small bottles to apply from. CA will start curing with exposure to moisture so trying to use it out of a larger container is difficult and often involves the whole container setting by accident. Also, refrigerate what you won't use. It lasts longer. Starbond has good storage and use info on their site. It applies to all CA's.

Another thought would be a spray on Lacquer. Deft makes a finish lacquer in various degrees of gloss. You can get them in aerosol. They dry pretty fast and produce a nice finish for small items.

Hope this helps a bit!!

Dave

[sarah beck]

Thanks for the tips on the CA's and lacquer, I'll check into those. I have tried dipping with the minwax, but then you have the drips to deal with. Brushing so far has given the best results, but again, I am looking for ways to speed up production. So, I will look for some spray lacquer to try. Thanks! I made those earrings today and I'm wearing them right now. I love the immediacy of the laser. Cut it, wear it! :) Not like pottery....make it, dry it, fire it, glaze it, fire it, clean it, sell it. :) Ok, I guess the laser is more like, Design it, cut it, clean it, coat it, attach findings, wear it. But it is definitely waaaaay faster than pottery! I'm still in the honeymoon phase with the laser, can ya tell?

[sarah beck]

I keep thinking...ya know, I have that laser...surely I could just beam this stuff outta here. Guess I should have got more than a 40 W.

[sarah beck]

My husband and I are actually fiddle players. This island has a thriving traditional music culture that is heavily fiddle oriented. We have two good friends who are luthiers that live nearby. We each play one of their instruments. I think the guys will want to give the laser a try when they see what it can do. I have no desire (yet) to stick my fiddle under the laser. I don't think I will ever feel comfortable to let them try it on an instrument...but I wouldn't mind engraving pegs or tailpieces at some point!

[Dee Gallo]

Sarah,

Welcome to the Creek and you can already see how friendly this place is... and helpful too!

Have you tried spraying the finish onto the book covers before cutting? I usually finish wood before engraving or cutting and it makes everything easier. It's also good if you intend to sand the finish at any time, since sanding a nice big flat area is a lot easier than handling a tiny little charm sized area. I would think you could decoupage, experiment with inks or paints, and engrave onto those covers too, for more interesting color and visual texture.

Have fun, you are at the exciting discovery stage of laser ownership - it's exhilarating! Keep a notebook full of your settings because pretty soon it will get confusing when you have 100 different substrates to remember.

cheers, dee

[sarah beck]

Hi Dee, thanks! Yup, I'm feeling pretty welcome! I have been a lurker here for so long that I recognise a lot of the names. Actually, I just gave a little jump when I saw your name there. :)

Well I did think of trying the spray first, but the problem is that it is the very thin top layer of coloured paper that is glued to the book board that lifts up at the edges with wear. For example, in that crow shown in the photo the paper at the wing tips will lift up. The spray needs to go around the edges, sealing the paper at the edge to the book board underneath. I should try it though, just in case it does work, however I have to get some better spray, because the spray I have right now doesn't work anyway. And yes, I will certainly do some textures on the covers. I have engraved on some but I didn't have them near by when I was taking pictures and I'm not quite happy with how they look yet. I hadn't thought of painting on them, that's a great idea! I am thinking of glueing different papers and even book pages on before I cut through to give another look. I use book pages and dictionary pages as backgrounds for printing some of my designs onto. I sell those in one of my Etsy shops, so I think that these will be a nice extension to my line of book products.

[David Somers]

Sarah,

Don't know if you have spent time on Pinterest? If you go in and do a search on "book art" I think you will find all kinds of ideas to get you going. Doesn't sound like you need too much to get your mind racing with possibilities.

You might find that super thin CA glue helpful with your books. It will soak in VERY quickly and cure without leaving a raised area of CA glue like you might get with the thicker stuff. You could then do spray finishes over that. Wood turners use CA a lot for various reasons and then finish over it, or, in the case of pen turners, use it as a finish by itself.

As you get used to the laser, play with inlay techniques. I am not sure of the sources of wood you have locally, but I think there is a Woodcraft up in Nova Scotia if I remember right from trips out that way. Seemed like there was a big park nearby? Provincial Park perhaps? Cant remember the town of course. Clear something? Sigh.

Another thought that I have not seen used by luthiers is metal powder inlay that I mentioned earlier. Basically, you engrave your design. Then fill it with a 100 mesh powder metal. Copper. Aluminum (as a substitute for wicked expensive silver) brass, bronze, iron oxide, etc. Then you saturate it with the ultra thin CA glue and sand it down and buff it. It looks very much like a solid metal inlay. One caution though. I have never tried it on something that vibrates like a fiddle would. Not sure how that does over time. You might do a sample on the inside of an instrument where it is not visible and see how it held up. (another caution...the metal powder inlay definitely takes the ultra thin viscosity CA glues like the one I mentioned above. EM-02 from Starbond. Any thicker and it will just sit on top of the powder and not soak through it completely and quickly and you end up with voids and gaps. They can be fixed but it adds a level of fuss to the process that is annoying.)

Pretty fun to see your enthusiasm!! Hope you have a blast with this puppy!!! Anxious to see more of your work!!

Dave

[Bert Kemp]

That's funny because I actually was thinking of lighthouses and fishing boats. My husband is a retired lighthouse keeper, so lighthouses are very much in our world! :). Also, tourists love the lighthouses, so if I can come up with a good design it will be a keeper. Thanks for the suggestion.


:)Well I'm glad you liked that Idea, but I guess you didn't recognize the photo's, as they were both taken on Cape Breton on one of my Motorcycle trips. The little tug I shot right after I crossed the causeway onto the Island, and Wesley's Whale Watch is at the north end of the island.

[David Somers]

Sarah,

Another thought for you since you are a potter as well as a book unbinder <grin>. A laser can be used to score glass and glazed tile for stained glass and mosaics. I would assume it would also score glazed pottery that has broken or didn't turn out well. That might be a thought for another line of items from the laser? Or, if you weren't interested then perhaps you have a friend who is into mosaic work?

[sarah beck]

What....? David....Are you saying that I have stuff that doesn't turn out?!!! ;) I actually have tried engraving on some scraps I have around and I liked the results. I have read about a potter who was experimenting with actually changing the glaze surface on fired pieces, rather than etching. That interests me a lot. I mostly do raku animal sculpture (Wildfire Pottery if you want to google me) and I was actually thinking there could be a possibility of some interesting effects with etching off the applied glaze before firing. Places that aren't glazed in a raku firing will turn black from the smoke, so potentially I could etch a design into the unfired glaze, going through to the surface of the clay and then that etched design would turn black when it was fired. I'll have to give it a try anyway; if it worked on tiles it would be great! And you should try unbinding a book some time...after you get over the initial sick stomach it offers a lot of possibilities! :) Thanks for the thoughts.

[sarah beck]

Bert, you are right, I completely missed that! Wesley's Whale Watch is about an hour and a half north of me. I'm on the Cabot Trail, so you probably drove right by my shop. Maybe you even came in! :)