Great video, Mike! You unveil a lot of the magic required for successful laser engraving in this video! Yes, absolutely, patience above all else. Thank you so much for the shout outs! I'm glad we're out here helping each other out!
Great idea of just laying the plastic on top of the prepared metal. For some reason I had never thought of trying that before. But I will now. Thank you for sharing with us.
Your etch looks clean right out the gate, I have to clean a lot of black residue of mine after doing same as in the video. Great video and very informative, I will just have to fine tune some more here before I get it right.
ive seen some videos where they put transfer paper on the acrylic or paint it black before lasering. do you think it would be any different if you did that?
Hey! I did some small tests and got the settings dialed in to where I liked them (no poppin/burning and looks good lit), then I scaled the design up full size (100 mm) and it came out covered with large pops/burns in it. Do you know why that might be? I was excited about finally getting the settings right
That seems strange as it should have been fine with the large scale. Possibly due to an over-exposure to the same area? The heat will radiate out from the metal, so smaller areas get hit by the laser for smaller amounts of time. If you scale it up, then you have the laser hanging in one area for longer. That's just off the top of my head. Try turning your laser power down to compensate.
Subscribed! But I am having the hardest time trying to get my image right. I have followed step by step. I ran at 100 speed 30 power and got why looks like a range from 15 min 19.50 max power for greyscale. It looks good when etching but when I remove the acrylic the portion on it looks very white washed
When you are finished with the etching and the image is burned on the sheet metal can you reused the metal or is it no longer usageable for those type of projects? TIA
Unfortunately no. All this does is melt a thin layer of the acrylic by transference of heat from the metallic surface. The blue diode will not affect the acrylic directly.
Nice presentation. It would be neat to see you build a led light strip base that you could insert your etched sheet into to see how enhanced your etch. It would be interesting to see how different colors and brightness levels react to the white / silver etch design.
Thanks for making this. What is the actual power output of that laser? I realize it says 20 watts but that often is not the actual output. (I see that it’s a 5.0 to 5.5 watt output on the website) Answered my own question but figured others could benefit. One concern I have is that if your sheet steel is actually galvanized, the fumes burning off it are highly toxic and perhaps deadly. That is not a joke...do a web search about welding on galvanized steel. Still a great video but just wanted to mention the safety gig.
I don't have access to the file, but here's a link to Shawn's Etsy Page. I think you can contact him through that and request it. www.etsy.com/listing/991103078/z-axis-manual-adjust-for-fox-alien?fbclid=IwAR1h_Yoz2q4LCXipZE0XCYqbAnygX84W6GuxmYl-_cmFmpbTVEAdtkIDcr4
You might not have a high enough setting yet to actually affect the acrylic. The heat has to transfer to the acrylic enough to start to melt it. Try turning your power settings up.
That galvanized coating will vaporize and create zinc oxide fumes. Those fumes, if inhaled, cause “metal fume fever” (flu like symptoms… nausea, headaches, high fever, shivers and thirst). However, that is short term, like 48 hours or so. But, for long term health risks, the galvanized coating also has lead in it which will create lead oxide fumes. This can create problems in the future like brain cancers and nervous system problems. This is all info according to welding instructors, I’m not a doctor or a specialist by any means. Anyway, great video! Now I can do acrylic with my new laser!
So you can only do the burn one time and then you have to pick a different spot on the steel plate as you can't have the burn done where there has already been a burn because the steel won't reflect the image the same Correct?
Rolling papers are great to get super tight to something and still have space just set it on your gauge block and drop the head down till it’s touching and back it off till the paper slides out nicely
I have a question. Does this process actually etch the acrylic or did it just transfer the heated paint from the steel to the acrylic? The reason I ask is when you moved the piece it looked gray instead of frosted, which I would have expected. Either way it's a great process. I may try this using different colored primers.
@@mikecunicodesigns3687 Did you ever find out? I am interested in engraving clear acrylic with a diode laser but for making an illuminated sign--I don't want any paint residues. So I do wonder if the technique you show actually engraves the acrylic surface or just bonds the paint/primer to it.
It looks like it's definitely transferring the primer paint to the acrylic. You might be able to remove the paint with a solvent to see the clean etching as long as it's a solvent that won't harm the acrylic.
@@Coolmaaaaaan lol... I can't believe it's already been that long! I did try it with black, and there seems to be a fine line between the just the acrylic etching and the acrylic melting hot enough to melt the color into it. Unfortunately, after moving, I shifted focus to getting my pilot's license (which I did complete). Once the kids go back to school, I might have more time to revisit this.
Super helpful video, my daughter just broke her unicorn LED now I am going to try to remake it. Still have to figure out how to cut the shape though 😀 probably CNC eh?
I have been searching for a successful video on using a laser diode to engrave on clear acrylic! This has been super useful and very very helpful I want to ask however, would it then be possible to also cut acrylic using this method but with more passes and/or power?
I'm so glad it was helpful! Unfortunately, there's no way to cut clear acrylic using a blue diode. I have tried and it doesn't work. I've successfully cut black acrylic, but if it's transparent at all, it won't cut.
Thank you Do you have any idea how to cut clear acrylic with our 20w blue dot lasers? I’ve tried unsuccessfully using a test burn but it just became a absolute mess with a lot of fumes
Unfortunately Sandy, there's no way of cutting the acrylic. The Blue Diode Laser won't actually affect the acrylic, only the material that's above or below the acrylic. You have to use a CO2 or Fiber Laser to cut.
I've run tests between 500 and 2500 mm/min. Around 1000 mm/min seemed to work best. I'll dig some more since it's been a while since I ran this one and see if I can find something more concrete.
@@mikecunicodesigns3687 Would also like to get the .stl for the manual vertical laser adjust - that would save a lot of time and would be more precise. Thanks
Thanks!!! The primer allows the metal to better absorb the radiation from the laser. Without the primer, the metal won't really react to the blue diode, so I would recommend cleaning and re-priming each time.
Thanks for this!. For me only 45% to 100% works, but if I put Power 100% and limit it to 20% in "Shape properties" (changing the picture) and adjust gamma, brightness, contrast etc I get a good result from about 10% to 90% (5% looks good, but wipes off). It does look awfull on screen ;-). Gray paint is better than black as the acrylic looks more frosted instead of black.
No reversal needed since in keeping on the back surface for presentation. I think it offers a better effect. If you're going to use it on the front surface for presentation, then you'd need to reverse the image.
It can be all black. Anything that the laser will affect, so no really light colors (white, pink, etc). The darker the better... I just happened to have gray in my shed at the time.
I've tried it and it (sorta) works. The problem is, the glue on the mask melts and makes a bit of a mess, which can affect how the acrylic looks. I'll post a pic up of what mine looks like. You can find thin sheet steel at most hardware stores and it's relatively inexpensive. In fact, Amazon has it: www.amazon.com/M-D-Building-Products-56020-Galvanized/dp/B0010ZXE9I/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=sheet+steel&qid=1616755032&sr=8-4
That is definitely one of the advantages of a CO2 laser over the BDL! There are advantages of the BDL over the CO2 as well (price and size of engraving to name a few). A shop would benefit from both if the budget allows for it.
Nice! So if the aluminum has etching all over it from continued uses, can you respray the aluminum and use it again or you'll need a different piece of aluminum to start a new etch?
I would clean and repaint each time. Fortunately (or unfortunately depending on your point of view), blue diode lasers can not actually "etch" metal. You can get something like Brilliance Spray that bakes an etching onto the surface, but it won't actually mark the metal. So, for this case, the metal is perfectly fine to keep reusing.
I've not actually tried it yet, but here are my thoughts. You want your burn (and thus the heat) to be as even as possible. By not re-priming the steel, you could cause some imperfections in the burn.
So I at first used Galvanized Steel, which is what I used in this video. The problem is that it can give off very toxic fumes. I've switched to aluminum, and it seems to mark it the same way.
Hi, I've must have been missing something. I've tried to engrave on plain glass plate with a masking tape on top of it. SP= 1200 / 1000 / 800 and max power = 100%. Nothing happened there. Also, I've tried to engrave on the same plate, putting an aluminum sheet underneath it. Again, nothing happened. Do you have any idea why?
The engraving is not made on the upper surface of the acrylic, but on the lower one, so why air assist? Sorry for the mistakes english is not my language
I tried that and the problem I ran into is the glue on the acrylic left a really nasty residue. In order to avoid it, I had to turn the laser down, which didn't etch nearly as clearly.
Wow, how very interesting. Thank you for sharing sure experience with this machine. Is this machine suitable for burning designs on wood ? Regards from Australia
No worries!!! Unfortunately no. A Blue Diode Laser is unable to cut clear acrylic. It CAN cut opaque acrylic, but unfortunately it passes right through clear.
@@GerardoElJerry101 Gotchya. Unfortunately, it's one of the things I didn't like about the OLM2. I actually bought both machines when I first looked into getting into this because I couldn't decide on which was better. The drag chains are one of the reasons I stayed with the FoxAlien machine.
Nice video, after watching it I tried the exact same one, however in my case I am seeing a slight browning. When I tried a second time black burn marks appeared, the difference I guess is I haven’t painted the bottom aluminium surface, it’s the Natiral Aluminium sheet. Also I think as you correctly pointed out Air gas is also a problem. Also would be a big help if you can share the z height adjustment 3D stl file. Regards Madhav Tenneti
If the steel is "etching" through a transference, how are people able to etch the same when simply coating one side of acrylic with black paint and using the honeycomb? I believe the etching process is because of the reflection off the opaque layer and has nothing to do with heat transference.
Sorry for the extremely late reply. Yes, you can re-prime and re-use. The laser won't actually affect the metal permanently. It's why we have to use an etching solution to etch metal.
Thank you for this! Did you do any other colors? Imagine being primer, that color will not come off. Wondering if using a white paint might produce the same result in a "frosted" type color.
I've not had a chance to try, but I can probably guess that white paint won't work. White doesn't really react at all to a blue diode. Unfortunately, I've not had much time to experiment lately because I've been working on my pilot's license. Once that is done, I might have more time
Interested in how black paint would work. I've done glass using black paint, but find black poster board with a dried film of dish soap works amazing. I just tried doing my first acrylic piece for an LED display using my method above. Using my 20w laser set to 50%-180mm/s. The overall etch came out good, but had several pockets that look like the acrylic melted internally, actually got black specs in it! Trying 10%-50mm/s now. Fingers crossed. Thanks for this video! Did you ever get you pilot certificate?
I use primarily LightBurn. I also use Photoshop and Fusion 360 to create the designs. However, for $30ish, LightBurn is an amazing CAD software as well.
"Inquiring minds want to know!" So I ran a test today to answer the question "Does it actually etch the acrylic, or just transfer the gray primer?" Well, my test answered the question! I'll post a video soon with more details!
I've found that the laser is most efficient with opaque surfaces. So, I was worried that the clean surface would either be too reflective or cause the laser to lose efficiency. Not that I wouldn't be willing to test it!
@@mikecunicodesigns3687 First test on the unprimed steel surface, no go. Too reflective It didn’t do anything except make a small pop which I’m not sure what that was
@@DerHobbychannel I usually have to clean the acrylic some, but not a lot, otherwise I end up scratching it. Usually, there's some residual paint/dust that stays after the burn.
Too bad, I couldn't understand it correctly because I don't understand the English language and also, there are no subtitles in the video but I gave my Like! I didn't understand what material you used under the clear acrylic and how you applied the design to that material. Thanks
I do not, but here's the link to the Etsy store product. Contact them and they might sell you the STL. www.etsy.com/listing/991103078/z-axis-manual-adjust-for-fox-alien?ref=shop_home_recs_1&crt=1
Galvanized metals are plated or coated with Zinc and it is nasty when evaporated as a gas. Welders have the same problem -you need lots of ventilation!
Just saw this video - nice job and informative. Two questions, the speed in you video was around 118. Was the m/m or m/s and the second question is on the acrylic thickness, since it is clear does a millimeter thinner or a couple millimeters thicker make a difference in optimal power? Thx
For a blue diode, it doesn't really matter since you're only melting the surface against the metal. Cast versus extruded matters a lot more with CO2 lasers I believe.
Experimentation is the name of the game in this. Each laser/material will be different. I've got tons of scrap I use to test on before going to production.
Are you meaning the protective paper? I tried it a few times. The adhesive melts and becomes a mess with the ones I tried. I found it better to use a dry medium (i.e. a painted surface).
So primer on a metal sheet. Sand the primer with 400 grit, wipe with paper towel and isopropyl alcohol. It dries in seconds. Re-prime with two light coats. The primer should fill any etching the laser did. True stainless is non magnetic and real expensive. What would it do on a polished metal surface? Aluminum is easy to polish with buffing wheel, compound and 1/2 hp bench grinder. You can mount it with 8” length of bed / box spring frame metal, drill & bolt to grinder and “C” clamp it to a bench. That way you can remove it easy. I don’t know what this laser, upgrades, laptop (5 dead ones here) and software cost, but is some software easy to create automotive symbols you would see on the door switches, dash or steering wheel. I want to engrave these symbols on clear, but glue or double the thickness to mount underneath a custom center console next to spring loaded switch buttons to indicate what they are and illuminate at night with LED(s) on a sandblasted edge. Interesting video & equipment but not for one time use on 1/2” square with 1/2” X 1” under it for LED and attachment. I can draw the symbols and size like a drafting rendering. Thanks for the info & video. ASE Master Tech since 1978 - Retired
Ok... I'll try to answer each question in turn. Aluminum: any metal should work fine. Remember, you're just transferring the heat to the acrylic, not really etching the metal. I did you sheet aluminum on a piece and it worked without issue. I changed to steel to be able to use magnets to hold the acrylic as tight to the metal as possible.
Cost 4040LE with 20W Module: $430 *** Upgrades *** Air Assist: $40 Z-Axis Adjust: $40 Metal Bed: $25 *** Software *** LightBurn: $30 for two computers I'm seriously impressed with LightBurn's drafting capabilities for the price. It has a lot of nice features and could easily do a logo or anything else that you can get a quality image of. This is coming from an engineer with almost 20 years of experience on different CAD and Drafting platforms. Seriously... it's worth every penny.
Mike, Congratulations on the new shop. Just make you plan a larger electrical service entry box as if you add more stuff, you will need it. Remember, grounding is the number one thing inspectors look at as a copper plate steel rod is place 6’ away from the drip zone of you building and driven into the ground, attached to the box ground bus to take the place of water pipe. It can be buried. Use an electric jack-hammer w/o a bit, on top to drive it. Yes, if engraving / etching the back side it may have to be filled in with a paint as “CA” glue to larger back piece (In my Case) may make it transparent not reflecting light. I have small pieces but used in 1/4” hard board wrapped in 1.3mm leather. So I need something to stick up into the square hole (Perhaps Rectangular) to be flush or below the surface. The back piece is to be illuminated, secured and covered in black for good light reflection and avoid ambient light from adjacent switches. I draw everything out to provide “Proof of Concept” before moving forward. I get paint sticks and a free pallet for model building if complex before committing to metal or other. I have never done social media but could email a rendering of a drawing. After I put a muffler on my wife’s car today. Best of luck on the new shop. Test each outlet for proper wire placement plus new entry panels have a third bar for arc fault breakers, so no white pigtail. Unless you’re paying someone to do it. Nice! Wish I was getting a garage but live on a corner and need upstairs storage! Farmers & Mechanics never throw away anything! Lol.
Thanks for this video, it's really helpful. I have had my laser for a few months and did not know I was measuring my distance from the wrong place! BTW, do you have a link to the air assist you are using?
Thanks for the feedback! Here's a link to the Air Assist: www.foxalien.com/collections/innovative-parts/products/ultimate-air-assist-brass-nozzle-for-foxalien-laser-module
I never thought of that! I'll try some other mediums and see if it changes things. Just got some more clear acrylic in last week so I'll be running some tests this week.
I'll say "sort of". I've not actually checked to see if it did etch the steel. However, my understanding of the laser is that it does have the capability to etch steel.
Great video, Mike! You unveil a lot of the magic required for successful laser engraving in this video! Yes, absolutely, patience above all else. Thank you so much for the shout outs! I'm glad we're out here helping each other out!
Great idea of just laying the plastic on top of the prepared metal. For some reason I had never thought of trying that before. But I will now. Thank you for sharing with us.
That is awesome!!! Thank you for sharing your skills.
I just dealt with and he was absolutely awesome! Thanks again Mike ron
You're very welcome and thank you for the kind words!
Well because of you and your video I pulled the trigger and bought one. I've been looking for months and haven't been able to decide
Awesome Bobbie!! If you need any help with it, please let me know!!
Your etch looks clean right out the gate, I have to clean a lot of black residue of mine after doing same as in the video.
Great video and very informative, I will just have to fine tune some more here before I get it right.
I did this method and it worked perfectly for me. I used steel sheet metal.
ive seen some videos where they put transfer paper on the acrylic or paint it black before lasering. do you think it would be any different if you did that?
Don't the engraving wheels you did have a lot of the gray primer stuck to them? That's not how it's supposed to look.
woh man, interesting engraving method!, those best ones are so great, I'm going to make them mine, thank you so much !!
What kind of dog is that on your wall?
Great job, I learned a lot, I never thought of etching below the acrylic either. I am very new to this so great help. Thanks
Great video. Do you have the stl for the z axis height controller?
Awesome video. Appreciate you sharing your secrets with us all !
Hey! I did some small tests and got the settings dialed in to where I liked them (no poppin/burning and looks good lit), then I scaled the design up full size (100 mm) and it came out covered with large pops/burns in it. Do you know why that might be? I was excited about finally getting the settings right
That seems strange as it should have been fine with the large scale. Possibly due to an over-exposure to the same area? The heat will radiate out from the metal, so smaller areas get hit by the laser for smaller amounts of time. If you scale it up, then you have the laser hanging in one area for longer. That's just off the top of my head. Try turning your laser power down to compensate.
Calibration Wheel is a great tip!
Subscribed! But I am having the hardest time trying to get my image right.
I have followed step by step.
I ran at 100 speed 30 power and got why looks like a range from 15 min 19.50 max power for greyscale. It looks good when etching but when I remove the acrylic the portion on it looks very white washed
Thank you for your video. I was looking for exactly for this video. Bless you!
Glad I could help!!!
When you are finished with the etching and the image is burned on the sheet metal can you reused the metal or is it no longer usageable for those type of projects? TIA
Thanks, this fixed my problem.
Is it possible to cut the clear acrylic using this trick?
Unfortunately no. All this does is melt a thin layer of the acrylic by transference of heat from the metallic surface. The blue diode will not affect the acrylic directly.
Can this kind of etching be used to make LED illuminated acrylic lamps?
It's exactly what I used it for. I created an LED sign of the moon phases. Came out really nice!
I cut acrylic, will this same method work with a couple of passes?
Unfortunately no. What this process does is melt the acrylic, not remove material. All you would end up doing is continue to melt it until it burns.
Nice presentation. It would be neat to see you build a led light strip base that you could insert your etched sheet into to see how enhanced your etch. It would be interesting to see how different colors and brightness levels react to the white / silver etch design.
I did a build with the moon phases and created and LED base. I'll see if I can dig it out. It made it look really cool!
Hello, nice video.
Btw, what metal you use? Is it cold rolled steel? Have you tried with stainless steel 304?
Thanks for making this. What is the actual power output of that laser? I realize it says 20 watts but that often is not the actual output. (I see that it’s a 5.0 to 5.5 watt output on the website) Answered my own question but figured others could benefit. One concern I have is that if your sheet steel is actually galvanized, the fumes burning off it are highly toxic and perhaps deadly. That is not a joke...do a web search about welding on galvanized steel. Still a great video but just wanted to mention the safety gig.
This is true. That stuff is dangerous to burn, weld, plasma cut etc. BE CAREFUL!
Hermano, Feliz día.
Quierooo saber de que material es la lamina que pusiste debajo de el acrílico? Gracias.
Usé acero, pero el aluminio también funcionaría.
@@mikecunicodesigns3687 Genial, 😎👍🏾 Eres el mejor! Gracias.
awesome explanation. Can you share the file link of the 3d printed z-axis adjuster?
I don't have access to the file, but here's a link to Shawn's Etsy Page. I think you can contact him through that and request it.
www.etsy.com/listing/991103078/z-axis-manual-adjust-for-fox-alien?fbclid=IwAR1h_Yoz2q4LCXipZE0XCYqbAnygX84W6GuxmYl-_cmFmpbTVEAdtkIDcr4
Do we know if this works better than black paper
You’ve got a sub!!!
Very informative!!!
Thank you!!! I hope to have more soon!
@@mikecunicodesigns3687 gosh darn after testing this today - im not having any luck
@@joem3576 what's it doing? Can you send me your settings and setup?
I do this method but when i wipe the acrylic its actually the primer that is on the acrylic but very little etching
You might not have a high enough setting yet to actually affect the acrylic. The heat has to transfer to the acrylic enough to start to melt it. Try turning your power settings up.
That galvanized coating will vaporize and create zinc oxide fumes. Those fumes, if inhaled, cause “metal fume fever” (flu like symptoms… nausea, headaches, high fever, shivers and thirst). However, that is short term, like 48 hours or so. But, for long term health risks, the galvanized coating also has lead in it which will create lead oxide fumes. This can create problems in the future like brain cancers and nervous system problems. This is all info according to welding instructors, I’m not a doctor or a specialist by any means. Anyway, great video! Now I can do acrylic with my new laser!
Yup...exactly the reason why I put the notation at the beginning. I've also started using sheet aluminum, which works just as well!
So you can only do the burn one time and then you have to pick a different spot on the steel plate as you can't have the burn done where there has already been a burn because the steel won't reflect the image the same Correct?
Yeah. Depending on the paint you could clean it with paint thinner then repaint
Rolling papers are great to get super tight to something and still have space just set it on your gauge block and drop the head down till it’s touching and back it off till the paper slides out nicely
Or just set it on the block like he did
hello, thank you for your sharing, what motherboard are you using ? Best regards.
I'm not sure I understand what you mean. Are you asking about my computer? Or the control board?
What if you use a different color paint on the Steel? Will it transfer that color to the acrylic?
Not 100% sure! I'm actually going to try it this week with some Navy Blue paint. We'll see what happens!
I'd love a copy of your Lightburn calibration file. Very clever! Thanks for the video. BTW, I use cheap ceramic tiles as a base.
I'm out of town for Easter, but when I get back, I'll share the file.
@@mikecunicodesigns3687 Very much appreciated . Enjoy your time away!
@@davidr5964 I've updated the description to include a link to the light burn file.
@@mikecunicodesigns3687 Thank you very much Mike! Much obliged!
I have a question. Does this process actually etch the acrylic or did it just transfer the heated paint from the steel to the acrylic? The reason I ask is when you moved the piece it looked gray instead of frosted, which I would have expected. Either way it's a great process. I may try this using different colored primers.
You know what... I'm not 100% sure! I know that it would not wipe off after cleaning it... I'll try it with another color paint just to see.
@@mikecunicodesigns3687 Did you ever find out? I am interested in engraving clear acrylic with a diode laser but for making an illuminated sign--I don't want any paint residues. So I do wonder if the technique you show actually engraves the acrylic surface or just bonds the paint/primer to it.
It looks like it's definitely transferring the primer paint to the acrylic. You might be able to remove the paint with a solvent to see the clean etching as long as it's a solvent that won't harm the acrylic.
@@mikecunicodesigns3687 Its been a year lol, Did you try it with a different color?
@@Coolmaaaaaan lol... I can't believe it's already been that long! I did try it with black, and there seems to be a fine line between the just the acrylic etching and the acrylic melting hot enough to melt the color into it. Unfortunately, after moving, I shifted focus to getting my pilot's license (which I did complete). Once the kids go back to school, I might have more time to revisit this.
Nice video thank you
You're very welcome!!!
is it not beter to put some water based paint on top and do it that way ?
Super helpful video, my daughter just broke her unicorn LED now I am going to try to remake it. Still have to figure out how to cut the shape though 😀 probably CNC eh?
Thanks! Yeah, unfortunately you'll have to use either a band saw, CNC, or a CO2 laser. A blue diode won't cut clear acrylic.
Or route it to a template
I have been searching for a successful video on using a laser diode to engrave on clear acrylic! This has been super useful and very very helpful
I want to ask however, would it then be possible to also cut acrylic using this method but with more passes and/or power?
I'm so glad it was helpful!
Unfortunately, there's no way to cut clear acrylic using a blue diode. I have tried and it doesn't work. I've successfully cut black acrylic, but if it's transparent at all, it won't cut.
Thank you Do you have any idea how to cut clear acrylic with our 20w blue dot lasers? I’ve tried unsuccessfully using a test burn but it just became a absolute mess with a lot of fumes
Unfortunately Sandy, there's no way of cutting the acrylic. The Blue Diode Laser won't actually affect the acrylic, only the material that's above or below the acrylic. You have to use a CO2 or Fiber Laser to cut.
@@mikecunicodesigns3687 ok I kind of thought that might be the problem. Eventually I’m going to get me a co2 laser
So about 8% power and how fast on the speed?
I've run tests between 500 and 2500 mm/min. Around 1000 mm/min seemed to work best. I'll dig some more since it's been a while since I ran this one and see if I can find something more concrete.
can you give the link to download the .stl for the manual x-axis...please..
sorry I mean Z-axis ...
For sure! Let me grab it from the guy who created it... Might take me a day or two
@@mikecunicodesigns3687 Would also like to get the .stl for the manual vertical laser adjust - that would save a lot of time and would be more precise. Thanks
Hello! Great Video! I have a question! Must i recolor the metal with the primer or may i use it several times! Thank you for the Video!
Thanks!!! The primer allows the metal to better absorb the radiation from the laser. Without the primer, the metal won't really react to the blue diode, so I would recommend cleaning and re-priming each time.
Thanks for this!. For me only 45% to 100% works, but if I put Power 100% and limit it to 20% in "Shape properties" (changing the picture) and adjust gamma, brightness, contrast etc I get a good result from about 10% to 90% (5% looks good, but wipes off). It does look awfull on screen ;-). Gray paint is better than black as the acrylic looks more frosted instead of black.
Do you have to reverse the picture to get it to show the correct way on he back of the glass?
No reversal needed since in keeping on the back surface for presentation. I think it offers a better effect. If you're going to use it on the front surface for presentation, then you'd need to reverse the image.
does it have to be gray or can it be black?
It can be all black. Anything that the laser will affect, so no really light colors (white, pink, etc). The darker the better... I just happened to have gray in my shed at the time.
Hallo, wie bekommst du die Farbe vom Acrylglas runter ?
Versuche es mit Ammoniak oder Franzbranntwein
Could I just leave the paper mask on the bottom side of the acrylic if I don't have the steal plate?
I've tried it and it (sorta) works. The problem is, the glue on the mask melts and makes a bit of a mess, which can affect how the acrylic looks. I'll post a pic up of what mine looks like. You can find thin sheet steel at most hardware stores and it's relatively inexpensive. In fact, Amazon has it:
www.amazon.com/M-D-Building-Products-56020-Galvanized/dp/B0010ZXE9I/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=sheet+steel&qid=1616755032&sr=8-4
@@mikecunicodesigns3687 thanks for the info. Great video BTW.
Do different color paints change the color of the etch?
I'm actually not sure. That's one thing I plan to test in the coming weeks but my new setup isn't completed yet.
how long does it take to etch this
If I remember correctly, it took around an hour.
Does it cut it though? I got a co2 cause I was tired of doing all these tricks to get clear acrylic to engrave, way easier and faster.
That is definitely one of the advantages of a CO2 laser over the BDL! There are advantages of the BDL over the CO2 as well (price and size of engraving to name a few). A shop would benefit from both if the budget allows for it.
Nice! So if the aluminum has etching all over it from continued uses, can you respray the aluminum and use it again or you'll need a different piece of aluminum to start a new etch?
I would clean and repaint each time. Fortunately (or unfortunately depending on your point of view), blue diode lasers can not actually "etch" metal. You can get something like Brilliance Spray that bakes an etching onto the surface, but it won't actually mark the metal. So, for this case, the metal is perfectly fine to keep reusing.
@@mikecunicodesigns3687 whta baout painting both side of the Acrylic black to stop the reflection of the diode inorder to etch the Acrylic
Interesting. Can the steel be re-used, or does it need to be flattened back to grey every time you want to etch?
I've not actually tried it yet, but here are my thoughts. You want your burn (and thus the heat) to be as even as possible. By not re-priming the steel, you could cause some imperfections in the burn.
Is it possible to etch on clear Polycarbonate.
Honestly don't know! I'm not against giving it a try!
Hi, Thanks for your great video. I would like to ask, if Is it a galvanized metal surface that you put underneath the glass or acrylic plate?
Hi, another question. Why should it be galvanized metal surface and not just metal non-galvanized surface?
So I at first used Galvanized Steel, which is what I used in this video. The problem is that it can give off very toxic fumes. I've switched to aluminum, and it seems to mark it the same way.
@@mikecunicodesigns3687 Thanks Mike. It was a great video and I learned a lot.
Hi, I've must have been missing something. I've tried to engrave on plain glass plate with a masking tape on top of it. SP= 1200 / 1000 / 800 and max power = 100%. Nothing happened there. Also, I've tried to engrave on the same plate, putting an aluminum sheet underneath it. Again, nothing happened. Do you have any idea why?
Etching glass is a different animal. I've not tried it, but I believe this video shows a good demonstration:
th-cam.com/video/s0sBeAsHyNQ/w-d-xo.html
can a diode laser engrave on polymer ?
Are you setting your 30mm laser focal point on the primed steel or the top of the acrylic?
NVM..Answered at 11min mark.
It showed and said on the plate not the plastic
Would this technique work for a desktop 3018 pro with a 5.5w diode laser?
Is the 5.5w true output or is it input wattage?
The engraving is not made on the upper surface of the acrylic, but on the lower one, so why air assist?
Sorry for the mistakes english is not my language
You're correct. In this case, air assist isn't required. I use it most of the time so I sometimes forgot to turn it off.
Question....why wouldn't you just leave the paper on the acrylic and just run it like any other solid surface?
I tried that and the problem I ran into is the glue on the acrylic left a really nasty residue. In order to avoid it, I had to turn the laser down, which didn't etch nearly as clearly.
Wow, how very interesting.
Thank you for sharing sure experience with this machine.
Is this machine suitable for burning designs on wood ?
Regards from Australia
1000% Yes!!! I burn designs on wood for folks all the time!! I'm getting ready to test out metal plaques... so we'll see how that goes!
Excuse me sir, for the sheet steel plate .. is it you colour it into grey?
Yes, it is. I primed it myself.
So can this method be used at all to cut clear acrylic or am I dreaming? Sorry newbie still learning the basics
No worries!!! Unfortunately no. A Blue Diode Laser is unable to cut clear acrylic. It CAN cut opaque acrylic, but unfortunately it passes right through clear.
Where can I get that chain link guide thingy-majigi for the cables. My cables keep bending and draging.
What machine do you have? Mine came with the FoxAlien machine.
@@mikecunicodesigns3687 ortur master 2
@@GerardoElJerry101 Gotchya. Unfortunately, it's one of the things I didn't like about the OLM2. I actually bought both machines when I first looked into getting into this because I couldn't decide on which was better. The drag chains are one of the reasons I stayed with the FoxAlien machine.
Mcmaster carr
Wow Thanks. So you just need to re apply the grey paint to reuse the same plate right?
Yes sir! I would give it a good sanding before hand, but yes, you could continue to use the same piece of metal.
hy do you try to cut clear acrylic ?
Yes. It's how I pretty much stumbled on this method. Unfortunately, it will not cut.
Nice video, after watching it I tried the exact same one, however in my case I am seeing a slight browning.
When I tried a second time black burn marks appeared, the difference I guess is I haven’t painted the bottom aluminium surface, it’s the Natiral Aluminium sheet. Also I think as you correctly pointed out Air gas is also a problem.
Also would be a big help if you can share the z height adjustment 3D stl file.
Regards
Madhav Tenneti
Can you post a link to the Z axis adjustment stl?
If the steel is "etching" through a transference, how are people able to etch the same when simply coating one side of acrylic with black paint and using the honeycomb?
I believe the etching process is because of the reflection off the opaque layer and has nothing to do with heat transference.
Can you re-prime over used areas and reuse the steel sheet over and over or is it one time use?
Sorry for the extremely late reply. Yes, you can re-prime and re-use. The laser won't actually affect the metal permanently. It's why we have to use an etching solution to etch metal.
Hi,
Why did you divide the 40% by 20?
And do you show the picture as though it's behind the screen/acrylic?
How would it work if I inverse the picture? Would it look any different?
Thank you for this! Did you do any other colors? Imagine being primer, that color will not come off. Wondering if using a white paint might produce the same result in a "frosted" type color.
I've not had a chance to try, but I can probably guess that white paint won't work. White doesn't really react at all to a blue diode. Unfortunately, I've not had much time to experiment lately because I've been working on my pilot's license. Once that is done, I might have more time
Interesting because for glass, white paint yields a black image and black paint yields a white image.
Interested in how black paint would work. I've done glass using black paint, but find black poster board with a dried film of dish soap works amazing.
I just tried doing my first acrylic piece for an LED display using my method above. Using my 20w laser set to 50%-180mm/s. The overall etch came out good, but had several pockets that look like the acrylic melted internally, actually got black specs in it!
Trying 10%-50mm/s now. Fingers crossed.
Thanks for this video! Did you ever get you pilot certificate?
What software are you using
I use primarily LightBurn. I also use Photoshop and Fusion 360 to create the designs. However, for $30ish, LightBurn is an amazing CAD software as well.
@@mikecunicodesigns3687 I gotta learn it
"Inquiring minds want to know!"
So I ran a test today to answer the question "Does it actually etch the acrylic, or just transfer the gray primer?"
Well, my test answered the question! I'll post a video soon with more details!
Why does it need to be primed? Would bare metal work as well?
I've found that the laser is most efficient with opaque surfaces. So, I was worried that the clean surface would either be too reflective or cause the laser to lose efficiency. Not that I wouldn't be willing to test it!
@@mikecunicodesigns3687 OK thank you. I will be testing that today
@@sousasons1891 awesome! Let me know how it goes!
Remember, DO NOT use galvanized steel!
@@mikecunicodesigns3687 First test on the unprimed steel surface, no go. Too reflective It didn’t do anything except make a small pop which I’m not sure what that was
So u don't paint on the piece that u laser on?
If you mean by painting the acrylic, no. You paint the piece of metal underneath. That's what you're technically lasering.
@@mikecunicodesigns3687 that's interesting. So u don't have to clean anything after? I usually paint the acrylic with chalk paint before
@@DerHobbychannel I usually have to clean the acrylic some, but not a lot, otherwise I end up scratching it. Usually, there's some residual paint/dust that stays after the burn.
Focus on steel sheet?
That is what he said
Too bad, I couldn't understand it correctly because I don't understand the English language and also, there are no subtitles in the video but I gave my Like!
I didn't understand what material you used under the clear acrylic and how you applied the design to that material. Thanks
Subscribed!!!
Thank you!
do you have the STL for the 3D printed manual focus
I do not, but here's the link to the Etsy store product. Contact them and they might sell you the STL.
www.etsy.com/listing/991103078/z-axis-manual-adjust-for-fox-alien?ref=shop_home_recs_1&crt=1
Galvanized metals are plated or coated with Zinc and it is nasty when evaporated as a gas. Welders have the same problem -you need lots of ventilation!
Yeah... another commenter said the same thing, so I updated the description to include the warning. It can be nasty stuff!
Just saw this video - nice job and informative. Two questions, the speed in you video was around 118. Was the m/m or m/s and the second question is on the acrylic thickness, since it is clear does a millimeter thinner or a couple millimeters thicker make a difference in optimal power?
Thx
Does the color of primer matter? I used black and didnt seem to work to etch the plexiglas? Any ideas?
I've used black and gray primer with decent results with both.
I assume you prefer CAST acrylic
For a blue diode, it doesn't really matter since you're only melting the surface against the metal. Cast versus extruded matters a lot more with CO2 lasers I believe.
Great try but how do you choose your speed?If you go less speed you will have different results no/
Experimentation is the name of the game in this. Each laser/material will be different. I've got tons of scrap I use to test on before going to production.
Engraving Wheel link is broken.
Sorry about that! I'll try to get it fixed ASAP.
It's fixed!
since acrylic has paper on it why can't u laser through it? It wont pass through or reflect.
Are you meaning the protective paper? I tried it a few times. The adhesive melts and becomes a mess with the ones I tried. I found it better to use a dry medium (i.e. a painted surface).
@@mikecunicodesigns3687 yes, i have not tired but i can see the point. I wonder if painters tape would give the same issue.
So primer on a metal sheet. Sand the primer with 400 grit, wipe with paper towel and isopropyl alcohol. It dries in seconds. Re-prime with two light coats. The primer should fill any etching the laser did. True stainless is non magnetic and real expensive. What would it do on a polished metal surface? Aluminum is easy to polish with buffing wheel, compound and 1/2 hp bench grinder. You can mount it with 8” length of bed / box spring frame metal, drill & bolt to grinder and “C” clamp it to a bench. That way you can remove it easy.
I don’t know what this laser, upgrades, laptop (5 dead ones here) and software cost, but is some software easy to create automotive symbols you would see on the door switches, dash or steering wheel. I want to engrave these symbols on clear, but glue or double the thickness to mount underneath a custom center console next to spring loaded switch buttons to indicate what they are and illuminate at night with LED(s) on a sandblasted edge.
Interesting video & equipment but not for one time use on 1/2” square with 1/2” X 1” under it for LED and attachment. I can draw the symbols and size like a drafting rendering. Thanks for the info & video. ASE Master Tech since 1978 - Retired
Ok... I'll try to answer each question in turn.
Aluminum: any metal should work fine. Remember, you're just transferring the heat to the acrylic, not really etching the metal. I did you sheet aluminum on a piece and it worked without issue. I changed to steel to be able to use magnets to hold the acrylic as tight to the metal as possible.
Cost
4040LE with 20W Module: $430
*** Upgrades ***
Air Assist: $40
Z-Axis Adjust: $40
Metal Bed: $25
*** Software ***
LightBurn: $30 for two computers
I'm seriously impressed with LightBurn's drafting capabilities for the price. It has a lot of nice features and could easily do a logo or anything else that you can get a quality image of. This is coming from an engineer with almost 20 years of experience on different CAD and Drafting platforms. Seriously... it's worth every penny.
I've wanted to try the double thickness etch. Once I'm moved into my new shop, I'll give it a go and post the results!
Mike, Congratulations on the new shop. Just make you plan a larger electrical service entry box as if you add more stuff, you will need it. Remember, grounding is the number one thing inspectors look at as a copper plate steel rod is place 6’ away from the drip zone of you building and driven into the ground, attached to the box ground bus to take the place of water pipe. It can be buried. Use an electric jack-hammer w/o a bit, on top to drive it.
Yes, if engraving / etching the back side it may have to be filled in with a paint as “CA” glue to larger back piece (In my Case) may make it transparent not reflecting light. I have small pieces but used in 1/4” hard board wrapped in 1.3mm leather. So I need something to stick up into the square hole (Perhaps Rectangular) to be flush or below the surface. The back piece is to be illuminated, secured and covered in black for good light reflection and avoid ambient light from adjacent switches. I draw everything out to provide “Proof of Concept” before moving forward. I get paint sticks and a free pallet for model building if complex before committing to metal or other. I have never done social media but could email a rendering of a drawing. After I put a muffler on my wife’s car today.
Best of luck on the new shop. Test each outlet for proper wire placement plus new entry panels have a third bar for arc fault breakers, so no white pigtail. Unless you’re paying someone to do it. Nice! Wish I was getting a garage but live on a corner and need upstairs storage! Farmers & Mechanics never throw away anything! Lol.
How would u cut mirror acrylic??
I don't believe so since the material has to absorb the energy from the laser.
Can it's cut acrylic 2mm or 4 mm pic
If it's opaque, it should. I'm going to be testing that this week. Clear acrylic it will not cut.
@@mikecunicodesigns3687 which laser power cut acrylic
@@FARRUKHCNCMAKER not 100% sure yet, but the laser I'll be using outputs around 4-5w (20w input).
Thanks for this video, it's really helpful. I have had my laser for a few months and did not know I was measuring my distance from the wrong place! BTW, do you have a link to the air assist you are using?
Thanks for the feedback! Here's a link to the Air Assist:
www.foxalien.com/collections/innovative-parts/products/ultimate-air-assist-brass-nozzle-for-foxalien-laser-module
Looking at the gradient, I can see it clearly - once it goes black, it never goes back...
I’ll leave now....
I was convinced for a minute you were saying your laser engraver was called Elly lol
The steel your using has a fine coaling of zinc, this reduces the oxidation or rust, this may be the reaction to the acrylic!
I never thought of that! I'll try some other mediums and see if it changes things. Just got some more clear acrylic in last week so I'll be running some tests this week.
"it etches the steel itself" ?
I'll say "sort of". I've not actually checked to see if it did etch the steel. However, my understanding of the laser is that it does have the capability to etch steel.
you do realize that is 20w (consumed) but 5-5.5w optical output
Correct. Nearly all the blue diode lasers I've dealt with always advertise the input wattage.
I just realized that I need to update the description to include links. I'll also tag the sequences.
can you get precision etches? your laser engraves does not look articulate and clear.