Help! Leather Warping :(

[Janet Leahy]

:confused:

I laser engraved a leather book cover for a customer yesterday, and the heat from the laser actually started curling and warping the leather. This resulted in the engraving being uneven. Does anyone have any tips to prevent this because his wife wants one engraved next, and I really don't want the same problem to occur.

[Joe Pelonio]

Too much heat will warp many materials. Try less power, more speed, and if needed, multiple passes. Unfortunately you don't often get a supply of spares to experiment on.

[Mitchell Andrus]

Double sided tape. Or, lead flashing around the edges - gravitational fixation.

[Sandra Force]

What were your power/speed settings? What type of leather was it? I have done quite a bit of upholstety leather and never had trouble even with high power. If it is a dry leather it is going to have more likely hood of warping. I might be tempted to lightly wet the back of the leather with water to keep it from drying out so much.

[Mike Null]

I use Joe's recommendation. Have had no problems. Haven't tried the misting idea.

[Janet Leahy]

I don't know exactly what kind of leather it was...just that it was a softer kind. We have a 120W engraver and the speed was 100% and the power 15%. I also set the leather on top of a piece of wood while engraving, if that makes any difference...

Thank you all for your help :)...I'll keep your recommendations in mind when I get the next one.

[Sandra Force]

Janet, I would go the the local saddle/leather shop and pick up a couple of scrap pieces to test on. If you don't have either of those you might try a custom upholstery shop. I love the leather scraps.

[Mike Mackenzie]

Janet,

If you are using a dual tube 120 watt system unplug the bottom tube and use 15% power of just one tube. Certain thin leather will do this no matter what you do it is caused by the heat of the system. Also use a lower PPI setting as well as DPI. This will put less heat onto the material.

[Bill Cunningham]

If your doing a large area of leather as opposed to a small portrait or a few initials, you will probably have to go to multiple passes as Joe said, with the heat as low as you can to get a mark.. If your going for depth, your going to get warping..As leather (or skin for that matter) burns, it shrinks, you just want enough heat to make it change colour.. If you can actually feel the engraving depth, your probably too deep....

[Warren Eames]

I don't know exactly what kind of leather it was...just that it was a softer kind. We have a 120W engraver and the speed was 100% and the power 15%. I also set the leather on top of a piece of wood while engraving, if that makes any difference...

Thank you all for your help :)...I'll keep your recommendations in mind when I get the next one.
Janet,
I am looking at a 120-150w Laser and was wondering how stable your machine is? Do you do any heavy cutting with it/ and is it still good on Engraving.
regards
Warren