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Joe Pelonio
12-07-2005, 6:59 PM
Anyone that's rastored a rather expensive belt, have you found this before?

I just did a leather belt for a guy that came in (for a gift). Unlike other leather I have done before, the first pass the letters were sticky and glossy. It was almost like a wax-based finish was on it. Rather than
increase power/lower speed and go too deep I decided to try another pass and it helped a little, so I did a 3rd. That was better yet but still a little of it remained. It took a 4th pass to get it to look good. I didn't want to try to clean it with anything and mess up the finish.

Daryl Barberousse
12-07-2005, 10:09 PM
I'm new to this laser technology, but have started to use it in my leather business. Makes it possible to do the impossible.

Alan Young
12-07-2005, 10:40 PM
Daryl

Could you explain what you do a little more. I have not done leather, the possible or the impossible:)

Alan

Frank Corker
12-08-2005, 1:14 AM
Hi Joe,

I have only tried this two belts and exactly the same thing occured to me on the first one. I ended up doing what you did. The other belt however was a totally different box of biscuits, it was a black belt and I thought I would give that a try and it etched in a very light brown colour. Very nice, but on the inside, now I wish I knew what caused it to do that because the effect was stunning. I appreciate it doesn't actually help you with your query but you are not on your own!

Daryl Barberousse
12-08-2005, 9:11 AM
Alan,

I do mostly western leather...saddle repair, western tack, trophy awards for rodeo organizations, belts, chaps/chinks, ect. This laser technology is incredible! For example, I completed an order last week for several sets of reins that were going to be awarded at a local rodeo luncheon. Typical reins are only 3/4" wide and I was able to "laser" in the organization's logo. The "old fashioned" way is to stamp the letters in which can distort a piece of narrow leather.

To comment on the original post in this thread. I'm not sure what type of leather you're lasering, but it sounds like it has alot of oil or tallow imbedded into it. Tanneries add this oil to make the leather more flexible and aid against the weather. I use skirting leather, which is used to make saddles. It is veg or alum tanned and doesn't contain the oil.

Joe Pelonio
12-08-2005, 9:28 AM
This belt is fairly dark brown, and on the inside is stamped "genuine leather" and "made in Guademala". The price tag still on it says $35
which is why when I saw the gooey letters I said a couple of bad words.
From what Daryl said I probably just had to burn past the area penetrated by the tanning process.