Cermark skipping

[Liesl Dexheimer]

I've been reading some of the messages on Cermark here for advice. I have used it in the past without too much of a problem but lately I've been having issues with it skipping or rubbing off. I'm not sure if it's that I'm applying it too thinly or if my settings aren't right. I have been using the solution and applying with a brush. I have a 35 watt Epilog Mini and engrave it @ 600 dpi with a speed of 30 and power @ 100. I'm not sure if I need to give it less speed because my laser is 10 yrs old now & I may have lost some wattage. Any ideas?

EDIT: I just re-engraved the stainless steel sign. It came out much better the second time. However, I don't want to have to engrave signs twice in the future. Is Cermark tape any easier?

[Steve Clarkson]

Liesl,

I don't really think it's your settings......I have a 45 watt and those are my settings.....maybe dropping down to 25 speed might help. I have discovered that making sure the piece is perfectly in focus and cleaning the stainless with DNA before applying the cermark are the two most important things. I use a brush to apply it too, and I generally never have a problem.

[Gary Hair]

I've been having issues with it skipping or rubbing off. I'm not sure if it's that I'm applying it too thinly or if my settings aren't right.
You only need three things for Cermark to work - clean substrate, thin even coating, proper settings. You don't mention cleaning, but I clean with DNA. Some people have good luck with brushing it on but I never have. I use an airbrush and put on very thin coating. If you can't see the metal through the coating then you are applying it too thick. I would suggest slower speed, much slower. Try doing a power grid to see what it should be.


Is Cermark tape any easier?
Easier? Yes. But if I remember correctly it's not recommended for less than 45 watts so it's not going to work with your machine.

[Chris DeGerolamo]

I run 16%s on our Epilog at 100%p @600 DPI

[Kev Williams]

Speed & power settings for a certain job will vary even between identical machines...

If your power settings were fine, they're still fine...

As mentioned above, and I've found this to be THEE most important rule, DO clean the stainless with denatured alcohol first! Just last weekend I was etching titanium bracelets. The second batch I did, I forgot the alky first. 2 out of the first 3 I did in that batch, I could rub off the etching. I alky-cleaned the remaining bracelets and all were perfect.

And one more thing, DON'T buff off the cloudy film the alcohol leaves behind, you WANT that there, it's acts like primer for the Cermark, and especially on high-polished SS that the Cermark tends to not stick to, that film will help it adhere...

THAT all said--

Be sure your lens and mirrors are clean too! :)

[Gary Hair]

And one more thing, DON'T buff off the cloudy film the alcohol leaves behind, you WANT that there, it's acts like primer for the Cermark, and especially on high-polished SS that the Cermark tends to not stick to, that film will help it adhere...

That "cloudy film" would be the dirt you didn't clean off Kev. DNA will clean stainless completely and leave no residue behind.

[Mike Null]

I prefer to air brush Cermark when possible but my biggest Cermark customer has a product where I am forced to use a small sponge brush. I mix the solution pretty much like 2% milk and with the 1" sponge brush I am able to paint about 30 pieces per brush load. It works just as well as the air brush and is so much faster for this application.

I would advise slowing the speed.

I would not consider the tape.

[Mike Null]

I have hundreds of Yeti and Yeti type cups to do. I've been using a sponge brush which produces generally good results but i am about to buy my second 500 gram jar this month. The sponge seems to waste the Cermark so I'm going to experiment with my air brush. I am marking an area about 4 or 5 times as large as my typical Cermark application but I am using too much with the sponge.

The air brush is great for realatively small jobs but I hate to think how much cleaning and unclogging I'll be doing when I paint a 300 piece job. I'll let you know.

[John Lifer]

Mike, why do you think you are wasting Cermark when you are brushing?

[Kev Williams]

Hey Mike, you try my way of reducing waste--
Bottle on the left is pre-mix (needs a snick of thinning still), bottle on the right is DNA-
The small cup is my 'per use' cup...
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-I use that alky bottle it to rinse all my brushes, and it's also my thinner...

as for the foam brushes, when I'm done I have a couple of small SS plates I uses as 'squeezers',
to squish out as much Cermark as possible into my little tupperware jar. If I'm careful, I barely
get any on my fingers...
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-then I just set them aside. Just be sure to separate the brush and squisher plates, they stick to each other... ;)

When ready to brush again, I just swish n' push the foam brush around in the alky for a few seconds,
that emulsifies what was still in the brush. Then I squish the excess alky back into the jar...

The brush is ready to go!

--when the squish plates get built up, I just throw them in the alky and rinse 'em clean.
After awhile, the alky gets enough Cermark in it that it's almost useable as premix! -- almost... ;)

Bottom line, nearly zero waste! I spill more when stirring than ever gets just wasted...
And I've mentioned this before too: I use only about half as much Cermark brushing as I did spraying. This became
clear when covering 24 x 32" plates with the stuff! I used to empty 2 spray bottles onto one of those
panels, brushing takes only about 1 bottle's worth.

--and no headaches with the sprayer clogging up...

Another bonus, since I started doing this (about 3 months ago) I haven't had to change brushes yet,
the foam is obviously lasting longer, I can only guess because they dry out much faster...

[Mike Null]

Kev
thanks. I'm pretty much doing the same as you using a separate jar for my mix. The brush seems to demand a thicker mix and my guys tend to apply it over a wider area, thus the excessive use I've mentioned. We have found that cleaning the foam with water rather than dna allows us to get multiple uses out of the foam. (we thin only with DNA.)

I will be trying the air brush tomorrow and will post results.