Issues with cermark and a 3" logo

[Keith Downing]

Hi Keith, just noticed you're in Austin. Hey from the east side. I do a fair amount of stainless marking. If I can help out let me know. Neville

Thanks Neville, I was wondering how long it would be before I ran into a fellow creeker here in Austin. We are still in more of the learning phase on a lot of things, but the offer is much appreciated. Maybe we could stop by your shop sometime, it'd be worth the trip for me just to see the bigger trotec and the fiber laser in action!

[Neville Stewart]

Thanks Neville, I was wondering how long it would be before I ran into a fellow creeker here in Austin. We are still in more of the learning phase on a lot of things, but the offer is much appreciated. Maybe we could stop by your shop sometime, it'd be worth the trip for me just to see the bigger trotec and the fiber laser in action!

Any time, just give me a ring or a note. All my contact info is on my site. See you then.

[Michael Perrault]

The last large order of Yeti cups we marked, I had some cups that had cermark on them for about 10 days with no issues. So these items may hold up ok for longer periods.

I smarked a customer's knife 2 weeks ago and the cermark stained the metal after being on it for about 30 minutes. I got lucky when cleaning it up though, a jewelry polishing rag and 20 minutes removed the stain.

I always hated the staining that Thermark/Cermark leaves. They say it's the strong solvent that can effect the surface of metals. I think it's just alcohol, however. If you dry it and remix with water it's supposed to reduce the staining. Depending on the contaminants on the surface, it can still be a problem. I found that Noxon and metal polished can remove some of the marking. After years of this problem, I ran across Citrisurf, a passivation product. They don't give it away but Cermark isn't cheap either. It works so well, you can quickly and gently rub it across the surface of the metal with a soft cloth (aluminum is what I usually use it on) and the stains wipe right off. If you're really aggressive for a minute or more this can eventually remove some of the marking as well. As a bonus, you can use it before to prevent staining. Rinse well with water.
Now that I finally found an easy solution, I'll probably get a UV printer and not use the stuff any more.

[Kev Williams]

The new version of Cermark loves to hang on. While it seems like it stains stainless, as it can sometimes seem impossible to get off, the trick is simple: Magic eraser. I actually use the Home Depot brand because it's not quite as aggressive as the real ones, but even using the heavy duty real ones, they've never left a mark on the SS even wiping across the grain, (but I go with the grain whenever possible!) and conversely, the HD ones clean Cermark off just fine. I tried the HD version on a polished SS plate the other day, which can scratch if you breathe on in hard, but the eraser didn't scratch it...

That said, the new Cermark CAN and DOES stain brass as it really speeds up the oxidation process. ---beware if anyone brings you carbon steel tools to be lasered, like chisels, I did some once and the Cermark made them rust immediately, and that was the OLD formula! The new is worse-

As for Cermark longevity, I've had a brass cowbell kicking around here I Cermarked at least 3 years ago, I lasered it earlier this week, looks just fine. As it was the old formula, the brass beneath was okay too. The new formula on these bells is a race against time, sometimes-- they're plated with reclaimed ammo shell casings, and some batches won't tarnish hardly at all, while others will darken up within a couple of hours...

[Brian Leavitt]

Can cermark coated parts be stored for weeks or months after coating prior to engraving? Like those tumblers if you coated a couple dozen at once then worked through them as need. Would they be ok or would the cermark degrade or be hard to remove after sitting on the tumbler for a few weeks or months?

I had a bunch of samples I wanted to engrave for display, a while back. I coated them with the cermark (I use the spray can), but ran out of time to actually burn them. Then I forgot about them and they sat in a box under a work bench for a year. When I found them again, I decided to engrave them and everything worked as if I had just sprayed them that day. I was a bit surprised, but I had no issues whatsoever.