New To Engraving Need Some Help With Pens

[Danielle Pattison]

Hello,
I'm new to the forum and the laser engraving and I was wondering if it was possible if I could get some advice from anyone. I have a 40watt co2 laser and I'm having the hardest time trying to engrave pens. I have a jig made up for doing batches because I do not have a rotary attachment. When I go to engrave my pens (now I'm doing various different pens some with an unknown type of paint coating, I suspect an acrylic base, and some some rubber coated) I've been having some luck with a setting of 600 DPI 50 Speed 100 Power and 500 PPI. I ahve to do about 3 to 4 passes with this setting and I have to rub off residue with an alcohol swab. Any suggestions on how I could do this better would be more than appreciated.

[Mike Null]

Your experience is the same as mine. In some instances, I was not able to sufficiently remove all the residue and deemed the result unsaleable.

I no longer do painted pens with the laser.

Glad to have you on the forum. Your location and type of machine you have would be helpful to those trying to assist you.

[John Noell]

No advice to offer on coated pens, but when you try bamboo (and rosewood) pens you will be pleased with how easy they are and how nice they look. Not every piece engraves the same (as bamboo is a natural material that varies) but they almost always come out pretty good. Unless you are doing wrap-around designs, you do not need a rotary (nor is it worth the hassle of individually doing them that way IMO).

[Bert Kemp]

The acrylic pens are most likely a solid acrylic pen blank. I would lower your power to about 60% and speed of about 325mmps. These will have to be color filled after engraving. The painted pens Like others said are unpredictable

[Danielle Pattison]

Thanks for the help, as for my location and type of machine I have a Spirit GX Laser Pro amd we're based in Guelph Ont.