Cermark vs Laser Wattage and question on Cerakote

[Dan Beebe]

Hello all,

I'm new here but have read many of the threads. I'm ordering a laser this week and had a question about wattage. First a little background. I am absolutely new to Lasers and have never used Coreldraw yet. I'm interested in purchasing a laser as a hobby with the possibility of making a little money on the side to help pay for it. One item of interest is applying cermark on on Yeti type tumblers. I witnessed a demonstration of the Epilog Mini 18 30w unit last week and was pleasantly surprised at the adequate speed of the unit on wood, glass, anodized aluminum and a few other items. Upon more reading, I see where Cermark tape recommends using at least a 45w CO2 laser for marking. The Mini 18 is available in 30 or 40 watt units. Will the 30 watt unit do cermark tape onto stainless steel? Would the 40 watt unit be better, or just faster?

On another note, has anyone had experience with lasering cerakote on aluminum? Im associated with a gunsmith who may be interested in using my laser for this type work.

Thanks,
Dan

[Bert Kemp]

To a degree the more power the better, if cutting is your thing then you want power if engraving then up to 80 watts. You can't engrave bare metal but anodized Alum or cerkote will engrave fine.

[Mike Null]

Ceracote will be no problem. Not all colors will produce a good contrast but the darker ones will.

I wouldn't use tape for Cermark. It's way too expensive and requires more power. I use the bulk and mix my own.

Always opt for more power. It allows you to do more and faster. If you're buying new then take a look at Trotec.

[Kev Williams]

Like Mike says, Cermark tape is costly and troublesome, it's main 'feature' is that it may be cost efficient for those who may Cermark items very rarely. Like once a year. But anyone considering doing SS mugs should get a bottle of 'mud', some denatured alcohol and some foam brushes...

As for Cerakote, using low power you can darken it, which isn't very helpful on dark Cerakote. Using higher power you can remove the Cerakote down to the base metal. If that would be aluminum, then you'll usually get some good contrast.

HOWEVER-- bear in mind that a C02 laser will NOT etch/remove/engrave metal, which means you can't meet ATF engraving requirements with one. Therefore, any Cerakote engraving (or any other C02 laser engraving) on a firearm MUST BE for decorative/aesthetic purposes only. (The only exception being all-polymer weapons). FWIW, I've engraved a lot of firearms- 7 just tonight- and 98% of them are to meet ATF requirements. The other 2% are the occasional 'don't tread on me', flag, armed forces logo or some other custom design, usually on the right side AR magwells... They're fun to do, but just not that big a seller...

this is just to say, please beware of the limitations of what you plan to buy! :)

[Dan Beebe]

Thanks for the input. I'm thinking 40 watt is the way to go too. The price difference isn't that much.

[Dan Beebe]

Thanks Mike. I was wondering about Cerakote since it is part ceramic and I see some differing results with others on ceramic tile and coffee mugs and was wondering if similar might happen with Cerakote. Understand that tape is not recommended. I am buying new and the whole Epilog "Made in USA" means a lot to me.

[Dan Beebe]

Thanks Kev. The engraving on firearms would just be artwork on the magwell, etc. The gunsmith has the CNC Rotary tool so the laser would just be some embellishments. Thanks for the clarification on the cermark question. I noticed a recommended lowest power for the tape but not the spray or liquid. Once I get started I will try the foam brush and air brushing to see what works best.

Now, on to more reading threads......................