Color Filling Laser Engraved Image -- Need Your Suggestions on Best Paint

[Scott Memmer]

Hello, Everyone. I have a unique problem I'm trying to solve.

I make a line of very high-end guitar picks. We're six years in business, doing very well, and our products range from $30-100 each.

We are now in the process of laser-engraving our products with our Shamrock logo (the company name is Charmed Life Picks). Below is what one of our products looks like before any attempted color fill.

https://i.imgur.com/0AyBtDnm.jpg

I was working with a really cool guy who color-filled a few picks for me (see photos below). However, he used acrylic, but my gut tells me that over a few weeks the guitar player will wear away the color. Here's what he did for us.

https://i.imgur.com/VdDVxyRm.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/kZxPT7lm.jpg

I love the look of this, but I'm pretty certain I need a more durable and long-lasting paint. We have customers who've had our picks over five years, and I can't imagine this kind of paint holding up.

What would you recommend? If you have a certain kind of paint in mind, please include a link as well if possible.

3M makes a clear, flexible epoxy for marine applications that may look very well, but I'd prefer to avoid the messiness and time-prep of Epoxy. However, if that's the best solution, I'll make it work.

Thanks in Advance,
Scott

[Kev Williams]

If you don't want to mess with epoxy, and I don't blame you, good durable paint of most kinds need mixed with a catalyst. But paints are less messy than epoxies to mix, epoxy is so yucky sticky to work with. The most durable paint I can think of off the top of my head is Imron. You could probably make your picks out of it! ;)

[Scott Memmer]

If you don't want to mess with epoxy, and I don't blame you, good durable paint of most kinds need mixed with a catalyst. But paints are less messy than epoxies to mix, epoxy is so yucky sticky to work with. The most durable paint I can think of off the top of my head is Imron. You could probably make your picks out of it! ;)

Kev, thanks as always for the great info. I didn't see an Imron paint that was the very specific lime green I'm seeking, but it's good to know, and it sent me off to look at other industrial paints.

Do you know if the Imron is flexible at all? Some of our thinner picks (under 1.0 mm thick) need to flex. That's why I'm thinking this flexible marine 3M marine Epoxy is probably at least worth experimenting with. I'll try to futz with it over the next week and post some photos. One thing I like about the Epoxy approach is I can sand it down to the surface of the pick face and buff and polish it. If it looks really cool, it might be worth messing with.

I know the answer is out there. As I often say, we're not building the Space Shuttle. Just more trial and error. One thing we have to do is have the most durable marking in the industry. Most picks sell for less than a buck. We need to be a leader here as well.

Thanks Again
sm

[Kev Williams]

Just googled, Imron makes a flexible paint, in a spray can even- https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwiChdKx8en1AhXsEEQIHYiFC_4QFnoECBAQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.axalta.com%2Fcontent%2Fdam%2 FNA%2FHQ%2FPublic%2FTransportation%2FDocuments%2Ft ds%2FGI-TDS-EX-1700-Aerosol-Eng.pdf&usg=AOvVaw3hxt2rUQ1ZLkacLT6IRrZv

More than a few times in my life I've sprayed paint into a cup just to use a brush to apply it, which makes it convenient at least ;) -- this stuff might be worth a try if you can get the color you need. This sheet says 'available in thousands of solid and metallic colors', so maybe--?

[Scott Memmer]

Just googled, Imron makes a flexible paint, in a spray can even- https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwiChdKx8en1AhXsEEQIHYiFC_4QFnoECBAQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.axalta.com%2Fcontent%2Fdam%2 FNA%2FHQ%2FPublic%2FTransportation%2FDocuments%2Ft ds%2FGI-TDS-EX-1700-Aerosol-Eng.pdf&usg=AOvVaw3hxt2rUQ1ZLkacLT6IRrZv

More than a few times in my life I've sprayed paint into a cup just to use a brush to apply it, which makes it convenient at least ;) -- this stuff might be worth a try if you can get the color you need. This sheet says 'available in thousands of solid and metallic colors', so maybe--?


Terrific research, Kev. So appreciative of your efforts. I will keep you in the loop on this.

Will probably still play with the Epoxy, see how that works.

Sending you a PM on an unrelated matter.

You play guitar?

Thanks!
Scott

[Kev Williams]

Nope, fingers are too short ;)

I DID once engrave a pick mold for someone who was making them for a local metal band-
this was the logo I had to work with--
473375

My aluminum test piece and silly-putty test--
473373
473374

Not too bad considering that much detail in 3/4" of space, and tool engraved too... was before I had fiber lasers

[Scott Memmer]

Nope, fingers are too short ;)

I DID once engrave a pick mold for someone who was making them for a local metal band-
this was the logo I had to work with--
473375

My aluminum test piece and silly-putty test--
473373
473374

Not too bad considering that much detail in 3/4" of space, and tool engraved too... was before I had fiber lasersKe

Nice work, Kev.

On the short fingers thing, you'd still probably play better than half the people I know. There's some real stinkers out there.

sm

[Scott Memmer]

Here's the latest iteration. This is Acrylic, which I expect not to last long-term. However, if it wears off we still have a beautiful laser-engraved image underneath it. We'll ship some out to our best customers and see what happens.

https://i.imgur.com/wxIrz9Im.jpg

[Kev Williams]

What's likely to happen, isn't so much the paint wearing off, but the engraving filling up with dirt & guck from the player's fingers-- which is easy enough to clean with some soap and water-- hopefully :)

[Scott Memmer]

That makes sense. Hope you're right. Gonna put some out to some of my best customers and ask them to watch what happens. The good news is, if it wears off eventually you still have the engraving underneath. The engraved logo, when you buff and shine the black material, looks pretty swift.

Sending you a laser-related PM.

sm

[Bill George]

Wondering if UV cured clear plastic resin would work? Amazon has a few to chose from and you will need a UV light not UV LED flashlight.

[Bill George]

Wondering if UV cured clear plastic resin would work? Amazon has a few to chose from and you will need a UV light not UV LED flashlight.

I have some UV clear casting resin ordered, and they do have colors in a separate kit so you could experiment. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09GFS2SFZ?ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details&th=1