I just got an xtool myself. It's been working well so far. I haven't thought about engraving glass. Your video is a big help learning a new material to engrave and how to make the most of it. Thanks and stay awesome.
Glad that I could help a bit Adam. You're going to have fun with that xTool. There are so many things that you can engrave if you just use your imagination and give it a try. I'd love to see some of your engraving once you get the imagination gears turning. Thanks for tuning in
Thank you VERY much! I have had my Longer 20W for less than a year and had to learn a LOT .. you EXPLAIN everything PERFECTLY for a new user to understand what/why/how!! (even the software!) AWESOME!!!! I was able to do a simple test on a silver mirror and was happy it turned out! I tried a Bronze Mirror and had no luck - I'm guessing it is because it has red backing with the black and the blue diode can't do it justice.
I'm glad to hear that you were able to take something positive away from the show. It can take some tweaking to get your settings right for mirrors and what might work on one mirror may not work on another but it's a fun learning process. Good luck with your projects and thanks for tuning in to the show.
That's the reason I run the ventilation to the outside of the shop Eddie. The scariest part about laser engraving is not knowing the effect of some materials on being engraved. The most prominent example I can think of is laser engraving vinyl which produces chlorine gas and acid. Crazy stuff. Thanks for tuning in and for chiming in with the concern.
I do like Lightburn. The more I play with it, the more versatile I find it to be. Just a great software and fairly reasonably priced. Thanks for tuning in.
Interesting experiment, especially when you backlit it ... very promising 👍 if you put another piece of glass/plastic sheeting with one-way mirror foil on the back, then it'd be a normal mirror up until you turn the backlight on ... maybe 😀
That's an interesting idea Barry and it sounds like it would work. I may have to try this and see what happens. Thanks for tuning in and for chiming in with your suggestion.
Beautiful image Ken, with the soot isn't there a vacuum system fot the laser ingraving and brushes like on a CNC Machine (I know nothing about laser cutters/ingravers) this might be a ridiculous question to ask, Ken don't get me wrong the image came out wonderful Thanks
There are no attachments for dust or soot removal for a diode laser engraver as far as I know Alan. The cleanup is always done after. Thanks for tuning in and for the kind words.
For a backlight, use an appropriate sized video display. This lets you use all kinds of cool videos for a broad variety of colors and shapes that will be filtered through the glass etching as a live mask. For me, I would use my own fractal animations. If a 12x12 video panel is nigh impossible to come by then a projector (pico, ultra short throw, etc.) make great substitutes. But be mindful of the ones that use a laser as the light source.
Thanks for the kind words Cris. For this engraving, I used a 20 watt diode laser. Specifically, the xTool D1 Pro 20 watt. I hope this helps. Thanks for tuning in to the show.
I tried this myself this week engraving logos. Not tried pictures yet. I'm running a Sculpfun 10W laser at 4000mm/min and 70-80% power, 2 passes for total removal of the backing. Later painted, recut, painted again to get multiple colours. I strongly recommend raising the mirror a few mm off the bed by supporting the corners on something, otherwise you can get marks on the front face of the glass. If you are engraving shapes (particularly squares) I found that using Offset Fill left a visible pattern in the glass that shows in the paint. I didnt have this issue with regular fill. The dust produced is very fine and is possibly aluminium oxide?
PS.. After engraving it might be worth spraying the back with either white or clear acrylic to seal it otherwise I suspect the mirror might degrade in a year or two. Mirrors generally fail around the edges first where the glass is cut.
This is all great information Colin and I thank you for chiming in with it. Engraving mirrors is a finicky process but your process sounds very interesting to me. The different colours sounds great. Thanks for tuning in and for chiming in with your methods and thoughts. It's appreciated.
I thought that I did and I was going to answer "yes, I did" to your question. But then I started second guessing myself and went back to watch the video and I couldn't find it either where I flattened it. But I'm pretty sure that I did. I hope this helps. Thanks for tuning in to the show and for taking the time to ask your question.
Photos works really well Mark. They can get muddy on wood, depending on the grain and species but other than that, they work well. Thanks for tuning in and for chiming in with your thoughts.
This project was framed with a shop made cherry frame with LED lighting mounted around the interior. The entire process is fully explained in the follow up video that you can find here. th-cam.com/video/2XjS5JRgOsI/w-d-xo.html I hope this helps. Thanks for tuning in to the show.
What settings are you using for your engraving? What software are you using? The Longer Ray5 20 watt is very capable of reproducing this engraving. Did you do a test grid on the mirror before engraving? How long did your engraving take? So many questions in order to be able to help, I wonder if an email would be easier.
That is awesome! That turned out absolutely beautiful!. Looking forward to Friday! Enjoyed the show, take care!
Glad that you liked it Michael. Thanks for tuning in. I hope Friday's show doesn't disappoint.
Kenny, now that is cool!!! I can see how even just a small burn in the corner of a mirror could really set it off. Thanks for all the information.
It would definitely be a great way to add accents to a mirror Paul. Thanks for tuning in this week.
I just got an xtool myself. It's been working well so far. I haven't thought about engraving glass. Your video is a big help learning a new material to engrave and how to make the most of it. Thanks and stay awesome.
Glad that I could help a bit Adam. You're going to have fun with that xTool. There are so many things that you can engrave if you just use your imagination and give it a try. I'd love to see some of your engraving once you get the imagination gears turning. Thanks for tuning in
Great expirement with a beautiful end result. Thanks for sharing your experiences.
Glad that you liked it Hans. It really turned out way better than I ever thought it would. Glad that you liked it. Thanks for tuning in to the show.
Hi Kenny, on reflection, it turned out great. Looking forward to Fridays show.
LOL. Good one!!! Thanks for tuning in and for the chuckle. I hope that Friday's show doesn't disappoint.
Awesome! I did some 4x4 inch mirrors of my friends grand kids! Came out really neat!
That would be a great project Bob. Did you take any pictures of the engravings? thanks for tuning in.
Thank you VERY much! I have had my Longer 20W for less than a year and had to learn a LOT .. you EXPLAIN everything PERFECTLY for a new user to understand what/why/how!! (even the software!) AWESOME!!!! I was able to do a simple test on a silver mirror and was happy it turned out! I tried a Bronze Mirror and had no luck - I'm guessing it is because it has red backing with the black and the blue diode can't do it justice.
I'm glad to hear that you were able to take something positive away from the show. It can take some tweaking to get your settings right for mirrors and what might work on one mirror may not work on another but it's a fun learning process. Good luck with your projects and thanks for tuning in to the show.
Really cool video. Thanks
Glad that you liked it. Thanks for tuning in and for the kind words.
Learned a lot. thanks!
Glad to hear it Dutchy. Thanks for tuning in.
Very good definitely going try this tomorrow but do 4 on 1 12x12 mirror different setting on each 1 thank you 👍
Good luck with your engraving Dean. I hope they turn out awesome. Thanks for tuning in to the show.
Kenny, fantastic project, stunning. I would be carefull though there could be poisonous metals becoming airborn😮
That's the reason I run the ventilation to the outside of the shop Eddie. The scariest part about laser engraving is not knowing the effect of some materials on being engraved. The most prominent example I can think of is laser engraving vinyl which produces chlorine gas and acid. Crazy stuff. Thanks for tuning in and for chiming in with the concern.
What a great tutorial! I have been using Lightburn for 4 years now. It is wonderful software. Your mirror turned out really nice! 🤣🛫
I do like Lightburn. The more I play with it, the more versatile I find it to be. Just a great software and fairly reasonably priced. Thanks for tuning in.
Interesting experiment, especially when you backlit it ... very promising 👍
if you put another piece of glass/plastic sheeting with one-way mirror foil on the back, then it'd be a normal mirror up until you turn the backlight on ... maybe 😀
That's an interesting idea Barry and it sounds like it would work. I may have to try this and see what happens. Thanks for tuning in and for chiming in with your suggestion.
Looking forward to seeing how you mount the mirror
Well that will be this Friday's show Andrew. I hope it doesn't disappoint. Thanks for tuning in to the show.
Beautiful image Ken, with the soot isn't there a vacuum system fot the laser ingraving and brushes like on a CNC Machine (I know nothing about laser cutters/ingravers) this might be a ridiculous question to ask, Ken don't get me wrong the image came out wonderful Thanks
There are no attachments for dust or soot removal for a diode laser engraver as far as I know Alan. The cleanup is always done after. Thanks for tuning in and for the kind words.
For a backlight, use an appropriate sized video display. This lets you use all kinds of cool videos for a broad variety of colors and shapes that will be filtered through the glass etching as a live mask. For me, I would use my own fractal animations. If a 12x12 video panel is nigh impossible to come by then a projector (pico, ultra short throw, etc.) make great substitutes. But be mindful of the ones that use a laser as the light source.
Great suggestion. Thanks for tuning in and for chiming in with your thoughts. It's appreciated.
Out of curiosity...what power module are you using here? Your leopard turned out beautifully!!
Thanks for the kind words Cris. For this engraving, I used a 20 watt diode laser. Specifically, the xTool D1 Pro 20 watt. I hope this helps. Thanks for tuning in to the show.
You said "I just haven't gotten AROUND TO IT." haha GOTCHA. It's stuck on your BAND SAW to the left of the POPCORN sign. hehe Nice mirror engraving.
Glad that you liked the project Karl. Thanks for tuning in to the show. It's very much appreciated.
Great video, mirror turned out great. In terms of the fumes, when burning wood, 26 pollutants are created.
Even more reason to vent to the outside Scott. Thanks for tuning in to the show.
Nice
Glad you liked it. Thanks for tuning in
Hi can you tell how much power diode did you used in this because i myself have a uv printing machine and i am planning to change its head
I used a 20watt diode laser to do this engraving. I hope this helps. Thanks for tuning in.
I tried this myself this week engraving logos. Not tried pictures yet. I'm running a Sculpfun 10W laser at 4000mm/min and 70-80% power, 2 passes for total removal of the backing. Later painted, recut, painted again to get multiple colours. I strongly recommend raising the mirror a few mm off the bed by supporting the corners on something, otherwise you can get marks on the front face of the glass. If you are engraving shapes (particularly squares) I found that using Offset Fill left a visible pattern in the glass that shows in the paint. I didnt have this issue with regular fill. The dust produced is very fine and is possibly aluminium oxide?
PS.. After engraving it might be worth spraying the back with either white or clear acrylic to seal it otherwise I suspect the mirror might degrade in a year or two. Mirrors generally fail around the edges first where the glass is cut.
This is all great information Colin and I thank you for chiming in with it. Engraving mirrors is a finicky process but your process sounds very interesting to me. The different colours sounds great. Thanks for tuning in and for chiming in with your methods and thoughts. It's appreciated.
Pardon me for asking, but did you flatten image. i would think you did, but I didn't notice in your video. Thank you in advance!
I thought that I did and I was going to answer "yes, I did" to your question. But then I started second guessing myself and went back to watch the video and I couldn't find it either where I flattened it. But I'm pretty sure that I did. I hope this helps. Thanks for tuning in to the show and for taking the time to ask your question.
That is a great idea. If I were to have a laser, I'd probably try a photo of my wife and I.
Photos works really well Mark. They can get muddy on wood, depending on the grain and species but other than that, they work well. Thanks for tuning in and for chiming in with your thoughts.
Did you use a certain type of LED's on the back of the glass?
This project was framed with a shop made cherry frame with LED lighting mounted around the interior. The entire process is fully explained in the follow up video that you can find here. th-cam.com/video/2XjS5JRgOsI/w-d-xo.html
I hope this helps. Thanks for tuning in to the show.
I have a longer ray5 20w so far I have not be able to duplicate a image this clearly. Please help. I have got ok result but not stunning like yours.
What settings are you using for your engraving? What software are you using? The Longer Ray5 20 watt is very capable of reproducing this engraving. Did you do a test grid on the mirror before engraving? How long did your engraving take? So many questions in order to be able to help, I wonder if an email would be easier.
So what was your setting at the final results
40mm/sec, 30% max power and 10% min power. I hope this helps. Thanks for tuning in to the show.
Was this a glass mirror or acrylic mirror?
This mirror was glass. I hope this helps. Thanks for tuning in.
Don’t have a laser, can I use a toothpick instead?
You can but it would take a lot longer. LOL. Thanks for tuning in.
@@acutabove_woodworkings have been watching ur ch for a long time.
😂
You could always engrave a Meercat on a mirr...or perhaps a deorbited Russian space station?
LOL. I will add that to my projects list. LOL. Thanks for tuning in
I make “round TUITS “ just for folks like you! On my laser engraver. If someone has one of my round tuits they have no excuse for procrastinatin. 😁🛫
Maybe that's what I need then. LOL. Thanks for tuning in this week.
What watt is your laser? Great tutorial!
I am running a 20watt laser. I hope this helps. Thanks for tuning in and for the kind words.