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Todd Fulton
10-12-2007, 1:06 PM
Anyone tried to engrave on silver cuff links?

I tried Raster and Vector... Nothing worked.

I tried 100% power and 5% speed on both. Any slower and I'm afraid it might melt.

If I can't, I'll just take them to a jewelry store and bite the bullet.

Trial and Error.

Thanks.
Joe Pelonio
10-12-2007, 2:02 PM
With a CO2 laser unless you have several hundred watts you have to use cermark. I have done one silver item, a hip flask, but have also done gold this way. The only metal that can be done without cermark is coated, like anodized aluminum where you engrave through the color. I have managed to get a slight mark on stainless steel but it's very faint and takes 100% power and speed 3.
Brian Conklin
10-12-2007, 2:29 PM
Try to find an engraving shop other than a jeweler...most jewelers in my area send their engraving to me as they don't want to mess with it or can't do it themselves. If you were in the Michigan area I would be happy to do them for you;)
Paul Brinkmeyer
10-12-2007, 3:29 PM
With a CO2 laser unless you have several hundred watts you have to use cermark. I have done one silver item, a hip flask, but have also done gold this way.

Can you get perm marks on gold and silver? I have tried with cermark and both items looked good until the jewlery cleaned them in an ultrosonic cleaner. Maybe I just need to slow down more.

I have a 60 watt ULS.

Paul
Mike Null
10-12-2007, 6:28 PM
The way a jewelry store or jewelry engraver would engraver silver and gold is with a method called diamond drag. It can be done with a manual pantograph or a computerized engraver with a diamond stylus.
Paul Brinkmeyer
10-13-2007, 11:25 AM
It just looked to me like Joe was talking about laser on silver and gold.
Guess I mis-understood it.

paul
Joe Pelonio
10-13-2007, 3:29 PM
It just looked to me like Joe was talking about laser on silver and gold.
Guess I mis-understood it.

paul
I have to admit, I don't know if the cermark on gold and silver can last through a jeweler cleaning it. So far none have come back but they were not things likely to need much cleaning.
Mike Null
10-13-2007, 9:20 PM
Paul

You didn't misunderstand but unless you use a chemical such as Cermark the laser won't work. Even with Cermark it's unreliable and the cermark people do not recommend it.
Levi Chanowitz
10-14-2007, 12:08 PM
did you mean that cermark is unreliable on gold and silver??
Mike Null
10-14-2007, 12:42 PM
Levi

I recall having read that. Sean Weir, the Cermark representative is a member of the forum, so maybe he'll see this and post a comment.