Results 1 to 9 of 9

Thread: Powder Coated Polar Camel Question

  1. #1

    Question Powder Coated Polar Camel Question

    How easy is it engrave the powder coated Polar Camel mugs with a 35 watt laser? I had some issues engraving powder coated Yeti's. Probably would be best to engrave with a few passes but engraving won't always line up a 2nd time with my rotary attachment.
    Epilog 35 Watt Mini 12" x 24"
    New Hermes V3400
    Kwikprint 55
    CorelDraw 2017, Illustrator, Photoshop

  2. #2
    Different colors react differently. Black seems to be the easiest with all mfrs. I have an 80-watt machine and once in a while I run two passes.

    I still think you should go after the business. Just slow the machine and increase your dpi. Get some ZEP Fast 505 cleaner at HD. It's the best stuff I've found so far and it's also good for cleaning your machine.
    Mike Null

    St. Louis Laser, Inc.

    Trotec Speedy 300, 80 watt
    Gravograph IS400
    Woodworking shop CLTT and Laser Sublimation
    Dye Sublimation
    CorelDraw X5, X7

  3. #3
    My 30 watt GCC is pretty much my go-to machine for flasks. I have a good 1-pass Cermark setting that gives me great results in one pass, and for powdercoated, I have a great 2-pass run that just about equals the time of the Cermark run. I regularly do Hydroflasks (doing 100 right now), Avex, SIC, Bubba, H2Go and a few others, and have very few problems. Sometimes the Hydroflasks are REALLY thick coated, but as of late they've been much more consistent.

    My 40w LS900 is faster on some flasks, but for one thing, it's by far my busiest (and best) machine so it's always busy with other stuff, and for another, and this may sound funny but the beam exander on it works so well that the narrower beam width has a hard time removing all the powdercoating without moving to higher -and slower- Y axis resolution. The GCC I run at 380 res and not all that slowly- First pass just barely makes it to the metal, second pass cleans up. If I go slower, it tends to leave more goo behind. I've tried doing one-pass runs, and it never works. In other words, with powdercoating I've found 'less is more'
    ========================================
    ELEVEN - rotary cutter tool machines
    FOUR - CO2 lasers
    THREE- make that FOUR now - fiber lasers
    ONE - vinyl cutter
    CASmate, Corel, Gravostyle


  4. #4
    i run my 100w at only 40% power and do two passes. My buddy works for a shop that has a really old 30w and he can take up to 6 passes. I had problems with my rotary not lining up on second pass and realized it was spinning back to home too fast after the pass. I slowed it down and can repeat same job all day.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    NW Arkansas
    Posts
    1,951
    Blog Entries
    1
    I cut some the other day, blue, and did about the same as black yeti. Should be OK, just run a bit slower to start and clean....
    Woodworking, Old Tools and Shooting
    Ray Fine RF-1390 Laser Ray Fine 20watt Fiber Laser
    SFX 50 Watt Fiber Laser
    PM2000, Delta BS, Delta sander, Powermatic 50 jointer,
    Powermatic 100-12 planer, Rockwell 15-126 radial drill press
    Rockwell 46-450 lathe, and 2 Walker Turner RA1100 radial saws
    Jet JWS18, bandsaw Carbide Create CNC, RIA 22TCM 1911s and others

  6. #6
    I clean up my laser engraving on powdercoat with iso alcohol on a magic eraser. Works really good. Candy powdercoat I have to use a microfiber cloth and alcohol. It scratches really easy.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Cincinnati, Ohio
    Posts
    1,843
    I use a chuck style rotary on my Fusion M2, so repeatability is a piece of cake. However, if I was still using the gravity rollers I would likely pass on these jobs, or at least be very PICKY as some powder coatings are soooo much thicker than others. I have had a couple that required 3 passes on my 50w. A gravity roller rotary would have cost me a bunch of mugs on that job.
    Tim
    There are Big Brain people & Small Brain people. I'm one of the Big Brains - with a lot of empty space.- me
    50W Fiber - Raycus/MaxPhotonics - It's a metal eating beast!
    Epilog Fusion M2 50/30 Co2/Fiber - 2015
    Epilog Mini 24 – 35watt - 2006 (Original Tube)
    Ricoh SG3110DN
    - Liberty Laser LLC

  8. #8
    I found that using the Floyd Steinberg dithering method @ 600 dpi and 100 power 8 speed worked decently on my 35 watt laser. I didn't dare try to re-engrave because the tumbler shifted when going back to home on my rotary attachment. I also made sure to focus and level each one individually. Rubbing alcohol on a magic eraser worked really well!

    Picture 037.jpg

    Picture 036.jpg
    Epilog 35 Watt Mini 12" x 24"
    New Hermes V3400
    Kwikprint 55
    CorelDraw 2017, Illustrator, Photoshop

  9. #9
    Nice work. That's interesting; I wouldn't have tried dithering.
    Mike Null

    St. Louis Laser, Inc.

    Trotec Speedy 300, 80 watt
    Gravograph IS400
    Woodworking shop CLTT and Laser Sublimation
    Dye Sublimation
    CorelDraw X5, X7

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •