aluminum color paint?

[John W. Love]

Howdy all

I am playing around with the painting on glass then lasering off and repainting another color - rinse repeat idea that Onur had posted. Well, it's the same idea that Onur used only I'm doing a little twist on it in that we are doing logos of our two finest state universities in an outline of our state with mini logos surrounding the outside.

Anyway, not sure that part is important, but I wanted to paint the Texas A&M logos grey...and it turns out the paint we bought is "aluminum" color. What this means is it is kind of shiny silver...not as shiny say as chrome but still a little shiny. I'm wondering if it is safe to spray this on my glass and then laser it away or am I risking bouncing the laser beam back into the tube and frying it? I did buy some grey primer tonight that I can use instead...but I thought that other paint would look cool...if it won't damage our laser! Does anyone know if this type of paint would reflect the laser back or not?? It is cheap paint from Wallyworld...the Color Place spray paint that is like 96 cents per can...if that helps any.

Thanks,

~Alicia

[Dan Hintz]

You guys will be fine... there's not enough reflectivity in that paint due to the randomness of the particles.

[Steve Clarkson]

John,

Do you subscribe to the Scrollsaw Workshop daily e-mail? There was a guy who made something almost like what you're talking about. I'm sure it's on his website if you want to go look at it.

[Dave Johnson29]

or am I risking bouncing the laser beam back into the tube and frying it?

Hi Alicia,

As Dan says, it should not be a problem but if you are still nervous or cautious, sit one end of the glass up on a sliver of wood about 1/8" thick. That will still allow the beam to still be in focus at the surface and any reflection will miss the lens carriage because of the angle.

[John W. Love]

Thanks guys! We were just a little nervous, not wanting to fry our machine as there is absolutely no way we can afford a new tube at the moment I thought it would be fine, but John said "are you sure, do you want to risk it???" and so I thought I'd better ask first lol

~Alicia