Beer Bottles

[Pete Ganz]

Hi,

I'm looking for some guidance in laser-ing some Brown beer bottles for a friend.

I have a 30 watt VL-300 with their rotary attachment.

It seems like to use the rotary attachment I must use the the simple driver which doesn't offer much in the way of power adjustment (just +/- 20% power slider).

I did a sample with some dish soap and without and for either way it takes 2 passes at +20% power to get good solid looking letters & lines.

Any tips, hints or help would be greatly appreciated.

Pete

[Eric Allen]

Hi,

I'm looking for some guidance in laser-ing some Brown beer bottles for a friend.

I have a 30 watt VL-300 with their rotary attachment.

It seems like to use the rotary attachment I must use the the simple driver which doesn't offer much in the way of power adjustment (just +/- 20% power slider).

I did a sample with some dish soap and without and for either way it takes 2 passes at +20% power to get good solid looking letters & lines.

Any tips, hints or help would be greatly appreciated.

Pete

Beer bottles are tricky. I think there are inconsistencies in the glass that make them harder. We've been thinking of getting an airbrush type sand blaster for them, seems to be what most are recommending for glass work.

[Mike Mackenzie]

Pete,

Try using the hard wood setting that should get you the power to do the bottles.

[Todd Schwartz]

In addition, use 80% black instead of 100% black for the line color of the items you want rastered. At least that works on clear glass.

Todd

[Pete Ganz]

Thanks,

I'll try the wood setting and the 80% black tips. I've seen some threads here that suggest covering the bottle with wet paper or tape, or a thin layer of dish detergent, does that make a big difference?

BTW, do I need to treat the bottles with anything after doing the lasering? or is the lasered area pretty robust?

Also is the any easy way to color the frosted area?

Thanks

Pete

[Scott Shepherd]

Also is the any easy way to color the frosted area?
Thanks

Pete


A often used product is a product called "Rubb-N-Buff". It's a paste in a tube and you rub it on with your finger (other anything else that works for you), wait a minute or so and then rub off the excess. It comes in a small variety of colors and is often found in craft stores like Michaels.

[Pete Ganz]

Scott,

Does the rub'n'buff hold up to washing?

Pete

[Stephen Beckham]

I've had good luck with the rub-n-buff going through one to two dishwashings if it sits for a couple days before washing. If you wash it the same day - it won't hold very well. After a couple washings - it's not going to hold up.

I get mine from MisterArt.com because they carry all the colors.

Also - I've tried five different colors - It seems to me that the silver and the gold are the best two for sticking to the glass. The blue/red/green colors didn't seem to stick as well so I haven't ventured out to try any of the others yet.

Don't buy a bunch. That stuff is like that bunny - keeps going and going... Great deal for the price.

Speaking of price - I got tired of coloring products for customers. I pass this along to my customers as something they might want to pursue. Although I'll gladly color for them, I take the honesty route and explain that a tube is only $4 and they will pay much more for my labor than that. It usually sways them to buy and do it themselves. Nothing like a frugal customer and saving hours of rubbing and buffing... I know there is two sides to the argument, but I favored the customer appreciating honesty and saving them a buck versus me putting out the extra work for what amounts as a small return for the time invested... As a one man show, I err on the side of less work to return a product versus trying to offer a full-service option for everyone...

[Jerry Allen]

Pete,
If you use laser mask you will get a pretty good etch. Not quite as clean as sandblasting, but way better than soap and paper.
Also, there are a couple of brands of acrylic paint at Michael's, one of which is Liquitex Glossies. Leave the mask on and paint fill. Then bake at a low temp (don't recall specifics) to cure so it becomes washable. I think doing nothing but waiting a few weeks to dry has the same curing effect.

[Pete Ganz]

what is "laser mask"? Where is it available?

Pete