Can’t wait to try this with a diode laser! If anyone is wondering how to engrave on glass with a diode laser, the secret is black tempera paint. Same technique.
Yep, it takes a bit of testing to get the settings just right, but it will be darker. After engraving, hit it with a couple coats of clear coat to protect it.
This is the best technique I've seen in a long time for laser engraving. My wife uses borax. So, I've got plenty of it on hand. We're packing up to move right now, but as soon as I get the laser set up in the new office, this will be the first thing I do on it.
so i run a company specialised in laser cutting. We know some tricks but this seems like magic to me. Definitely gonna try it out and will update about the result!
Mr Tobbo Yes, it’s working well, I did the camera add on and upgraded chiller option. The only way I could afford the 100W tube was the free upgrade they were offering that month with a purchase of the Titan.
Awesome. What a difference that makes. Great tip thank you. One question..... how do u clean off the black sooty residue without it soiling your workpiece.
So if you start by minimizing the power used to create the engraving and then after engraving spray the piece with clear coat, you can protect the piece. You can’t touch the engraving until you do this otherwise it will smear. For every plus, there is a minus but this one can be mitigated.
Quite like this idea, you could also do a two tone effect with a normal engraving first, leave it in place and apply the borax then do a different engraving over the top so some parts are light and some dark. I do wonder though about how it may affect the chemistry of the wood, for example long term degradation of certain finishes, like say shellac or an epoxy or PU finish
I am used to using baking soda, when I learned about borax in a different video, I really wanted to try it. Images were turning out pure black, dots were melting in to each other so there was no more grayscale effect. So I doubled the speed and halfed the power, no change. I increased the speed even more, lowered power and the borax kept charring the wood no matter what except some of the wood wouldn't get touched so it would be like an incomplete yet black image. Very weird stuff, I really prefer the baking soda, it gives something in the middle and I get the grayscale effect. I've only tested these on basswood, that may be why. Ortur master 2 20W so it's not a powerful laser. I don't think this video really demonstrates a photo style engraving though, more like a vector so there's not much grayscale. So it seems excellent for that type of engraving. I may just need to practice more with it.
Some basic high school chemistry 101 to ponder: Sodium tetraborate (Borax) is a mild alkaline with a PH between 8 and 9. When mixed with dihydrogen oxide (water), it becomes hydrogen peroxide. Borax is basically bleaching the wood at the molecular level. You would think the added whiteness/brightness that Borax gives the wood would be counterintuitive to using a laser since it would reflect the laser light, but hey, it works somehow to create a darker burn. Borax is not only used as a cleaner and laundry brightener, among other industrial uses. It is also a great insecticide for ants and termites. Just mix it with corn syrup, and it dehydrates the insects from the inside out when they eat the mixture. Those Terro ant traps are basically corn syrup and Borax. Good stuff! My question is. What do you do after engraving with Borax to clean and seal the wood? If you wipe the wood after engraving, the dark soot gets everywhere and ruins the project. I have heard some other laser engravers say they use a vacuum and a spray poly or lacquer to seal the wood without any wiping of the project. I was just wondering what you recommend after engraving with Borax so that the project does not get ruined by the dark soot getting everywhere? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 😊
You can spray it with a couple coats of clear coat, though reducing the power more will help balance the darker color with the fragility caused by layering the Borax. Run some material tests to find the best settings
@SteveMakesEverything Thanks for the advice. I will definitely try lowering the laser power even more, and spraying some clear coat after engraving. Unfortunately, this won't work with cutting boards though, as they have to be rubbed and wiped with food grade mineral oil. I will figure something out though. 😊
@@TheGuitarman1968 Try a test with the mineral oil applied before lasering. See what happens! I think there's a good chance that the laser would decompose some of the oil into carbon rich compounds.
Borax (products made from chemicals in the Borate Group) are no longer sold in the EU and UK as they have been classified as "toxic" (classified as a Reprotoxic Category 2). It is obtainable, from specialist chemical companies, but not to private individuals. Companies who use these compounds need to prove that they have appropriate safety systems to handle, use, and dispose of it. One could try this with Bicarbonate of Soda (baking power might do) - give it a go Steve and see if it performs the same.
yes I’ve tried baking soda in the past and it helps improve engraving but doesn’t have quite the same impact. it’s too bad the regulations are so tight in the EU, especially since it’s a material that occurs in nature
Technically Borax won't kill you but I doubt it's very healthy regardless. What I do on cutting boards is engrave and then fill them with resin. It takes longer but it's durable.
My congratulations for this outstanding video! In order to obtain that result, Borax must be applied always before engraving or it is possible to applied borax after engraving ? Which power and speed should we use (for example I have a 10W diode laser)?
You definitely need to apply the borax first, since it is what causes a reaction with the laser. Power is trickier since there is no clear setting that works. All I can tell you is to really cut the power back (about a third of what you would expect) and experiment from there on a few pieces of scrap material.
You can use a heat gun to dry it if you’re in a rush. I wouldn’t use this in area where there is food. Any toxicity aside, the surface will be fragile unless you pour some clear resin over it. Sanding isn’t recommended after engraving, but you can sand before and then mask the surface before engraving.
Wow, this is amazing. I've been wishing for a way to make my engravings darker. The results shown in the video are super impressive. Steve, would you recommend using this method on all types of wood with any type of engraving (photo, logo, text, etc)? Also, could you estimate how long it took for the wood to dry and be ready for engraving?
This will work with any type of engraving and should have an impact on most woods. It has a bigger impact on light woods though. As far as drying you can leave it overnight or use a heat gun/hair dryer to accelerate things. For the video I lightly heated my board with a heat gun and drying took less than a minute.
@@zachofalltrades1111 the Borax is liquifying under the creating a moment of molten liquid. Borax is also used as a wetting agent in melting brass in a furnace. It significantly reduces the time involved in melting brass, and is easily skimmed off the top before pouring. Works with gold too, same reason.
@@24-Card So, are you claiming the Borax will effect to the picture graving positively similar as it does for the wooden materials too? How do you add this borax on the metal? Similar as wood, layering on the top of the plattern to be lazerized?
Can you use this technique on regular engraving to make it darker but not have as much burn/. Also, can you use this technique on any material? Thanks for the video
This only works on more porous woods. You can get darker engraves without much burn, but you really need to drop the power or increase the speed to achieve this.
@@okin8949 that is very interesting. I'm guessing what happens here is the borax crystals precipitate inside of the wood and act like little roadblocks, soaking up all the energy from the laser beam, getting super heated, and smoldering their way in to the wood at a microscopic scale.
WOW! This is a game changer. Been lasering stuff for over 10 years and I am looking forward to trying this. Headed to the store to get some Borax! Thanks for sharing.
@@SteveMakesEverything I saw another video that compared baking soda and Borax. The baking soda was definitely an improvement over nothing but the Borax was by far the best. I will try to find some online. Thanks again!
It should, though I haven't tried it. I don't work with leather too often. Maybe there is justification to do a follow-up video on different materials.
What a great video! Thanks so much for sharing this information! Do you know would this have a different affect when using a diode laser instead of a CO2?
It works the same with diode lasers. Keep in mind, though, that this produces a very black burn, which some find artificial-looking. A similar mixture with baking soda will produce a darker burn that still shows the wood. However, if you use too much baking soda it will yellow the wood.
@@QuixoticEnt Baking soda will indeed work and both it and Borax will darken the burn. One thing to keep in mind is that you will need to reduce the power quite a bit to avoid too much of that "fake" look. Thanks for confirming that this works with diode lasers too.
I make and sell soap. I watch other videos and I've seen some of the most peculiar and simple items, even in the soaping world, banned from the UK. Now Borax!? Really!! Why do they ban things like this in the UK? The US cant say much either. Hell, they've banned Dukes of Hazard for the sake of racism (reason for everything). Even though that is a lie why would England ban borax and other simple items?
@@iwannaapple7190 I wish I had a voice for government. It's a weird thing to ban given that is it naturally occurring in nature. Personally I would also ban the Dukes of Hazard, though not specifically because of racism, but rather because as a kid, I always thought it was a pretty terrible show (and I know I'll take heat from my Kentucky viewers, though I've been to Kentucky and the state is quite scenic) :-)
Ha, you should really spend a day with me in my shop. You would see lots of mistakes and wasted material😉 My goal is to just help people move forward on their Maker journey.
Steve, another great video. I can't seem to get enough of them! Odd question, can you tell me where you get your green "grid" work sheet that you work on? Thanks
Steve great video. My results, with a diode 5W laser were very similar to yours...that is until I ran my fingers across the borax one. The dark design basically rubbed off on my fingers and all over the wood. After cleaning it up, there was no difference in the two designs. Needless to say it was very frustrating. Have you ever had this problem?
This is the tax you pay. The first solution is to greatly reduce the power when you're engraving (or increase the speed). The reaction with Borax is so fast that the endency is to cook the surface. The other way to solve this is to spray wih a couple good coats of clearcoat, or alrenately you can fill the engraving with some clear resin.
@@okra23 I just usually spray some Rust-Oleum Painters Touch, and I typically use flat if I still want the surface to look like wood when I'm finished. You can get it at most hardware stores
As an organic compound Borax (B4H20Na2O17) is pretty tame. It is mostly hydrogen and oxygen and if you did inhale or consume it, it will break down quickly in your system with minor irritation. I believe the only reason it is banned in some areas is because it is toxic to insects (typically ants).
They would be no worse than any other fumes from material. There is no chlorine or fluorine. Always make sure you are properly venting for any material though
What camera are you using inside your machine to record your laser jobs? I feel like you’ve said before in one of your videos but I can’t remember which one it was (I’ve watched too many! Haha) thank you for the great videos!
Hi Steve, great tip it works great. One question if you don't mind. What is the best way to clean the piece before clear coating? If I rub the engraved image after burning it seems to smudge pretty bad. Do you just blow it off and slap clear coat straight on? Thanks in advance!
Some folks use a very light soapy water (barely wiped over, no scrubbing], and rinse after that thoroughly, very clean of smoke deposition. Try it on some scrap wood, see what you like best.
@@johnmood5653 I try to make best efforts to minimize deposits in the first place. It's always best to tinker with settings to avoid surface cleaning down the road whenever possible.
Can I expose my Noob ignorance? Clear coat?? Clear spray paint? I have been searching for how to treat wooden objects after engraving when I found this video. Thanks
Yep, no issue, though you will have to really drop the power. Run a material test on a scrap to ensure you are using settings that give you the result you want.
@@SteveMakesEverything can you help me choosing a machine between longer ray 5 20 w vs neje max 4 20 w or longer b1 40w or if you can suggest anything better and under 1000CAD including tax and shipping?? my main goals are: precise engraving on wood and leaf 3 mm or 5 mm plywood cutting for layer project(cant afford cnc router) 3 mm or 2mm black acrylic cutting if possible good speed otherwise precision is more imp. Thanks in advance
@@aniketgupta5118 To stay under $1000 you will definitely be looking at an ope-frame laser rather than something in an enclosure. Budgets are important, but safety trumps cost, so I would first suggest you budget for something enclosed. Having said that, I'm a big fan of Longer lasers and for the money, the Ray 5 is quite solid. I would recommend something larger than a 20W laser if you want to cut material regularly. The 24W Ray 5 is a decent cutter, but more power = faster cutting, so keep that in mind. I'm not too familiar with the NeJe laser, though it is older tech compared to some of the other in the same price range.
@@kerrijodierberger I don't but that doesn't mean you shouldn't. Because the finished engraving can be pretty fragile until it gets protected with a finish, any required sanding should be done first.
I think once done with Engraving. If we have to clean the surface with light damp cloth or polish with oil/lacquer, burnt borax will be all over the place spoiling the picture with blackness ? Has it happened to you?
It's easier if the surface of the material is ready for finishing before you do the engrave and then after you can just spray it with clear coat (avoiding contact with the engraving of course).
I have some bamboo cutting boards and I plan on trying this today. Engraving with nothing on it looked good until I washed it. Hoping Borax will look better after washing.
@@derrickdavis1860 Fair warning. If you do this to a cutting board then I would suggest filling in the engraving with clear resin. This isn't a good use case for Borax unless you protect the engraving under clearcoat or resin
@@SteveMakesEverything My real question is: what is the dark char? Does the Borax burn hotter and stay as black dust that smears or does it char the wood deeper? I hope this makes sense. In other words, what exactly so dark? Burnt Borax which can smear and dust off or deeply burnt wood which stays there after a mild sweeping with a brush? It's an important distinction. Thanks.
@@ramonhamm3885 The darkness comes from the wood, not the Borax. The Borax is really just an accelerant that causes the softer fibers in the wood to vaporize more quickly. However, the engraving is more fragile than it would normally be because what remains after engraving is a structure or wood fibers that is full of holes. You can minimize this by reducing the power used to engrave though I normally spray in a couple coats of clear coat to fill the holes back in and restore the strength of the wood. (I use flat spray)
Yes for sure. You will really need to back off on the power though or you’ll be cutting holes. Do a material test on a piece of material to get a sense of the power you will want
Thank you for posting this. I'm literally dialing in my engraving this week and trying to step up my game on that. I've been getting pretty good results, but this is a big step up and exactly what I'm after. Quick question- looks like you have an FSL laser. What wattage is you cutter and do you have an idea of what the mm/s equates to when cutting at 100% speed? Trying to relate it to my 50w OMTech. Thanks again for this tip!
Yes I have a Muse 3D which claims to be 45W but it's really only ever driving it to 40W peak power. I can't honestly say what the real speed equates to (one of the things that annoys me a bit about the RE3 software. I would say you could use math to solve the problem. Your laser is 25% more powerful so you should be able to guess what your 100% velocity is to get some like a mm/s per % number. Subtract 25% from the Muse speed percentage and multiply the result by your calculated speed. It would get you close.
@@PaulJarrett Hi Paul, sorry for the long delay- I did some testing with both and I really wasn't happy with either result. The borax does indeed burn nice and dark and the baking soda a bit more yellow. You need to handle them carefully can clear coat them as the Borax doesn't seem to bond all that great to the wood (unless I'm doing something wrong). I've been focusing more on getting good solid burns on the wood itself and pretty happy with the results. Good luck
@@osterlundm11 While I don't try to spread any chemical on my skin, this is a very low concentration so irritation is unlikely, but gloves would never go astray for this. I use a spray bottle for this and then a foam brush to even it out and touching it unlikely.
Yes, though it depends on the concentration. You need surprisingly little Borax and it's possible to reduce the amount used to not cause this yellowing and still get the desired effect. By contract, if you are using Baking Soda, any amount seems to cause far worse yellowing.
I have several. For this I think I used my Muse 3D, but I also have a 90W CO2 that I built myself. For diode lasers I commonly use a 40W xTool D1 Pro or Atezr V35
@@SteveMakesEverything thanks. Looks pretty straight forward. The pasting right in is what caught my attention. I haven't tried that with might run or other proprietary softwares. Just never thought to try. I still would likely save an image rather than copy and paste, but thought that was pretty cool as an option
Could you explain the science behind this? The borax seems to give the wood a yellow cast I’m not crazy about but the diff in the engraving is worth it. Because of the yellow cast the entire project would need to be coated with it, not just the engraving area.
If you want to find out everything, you could want to know about this process, go over to Russ Sadler's channel and watch this video, where he dives very deep into the reaction that Borax and lasers have on fibrous woods. th-cam.com/video/7pFuW1zPkkg/w-d-xo.html
I have not. This will work best on lighter soft woods, but I'd say give it a try. I theory the borax is reacting to the laser and that should work regardless
Baking soda in water is used on the Lichtenberg method of burning fractals into wood. It gives the electricity a place to go. I wonder if this chemical reaction is related.
This won’t work on glass since it’s a chemical reaction with the fibres in the wood. Petroleum jelly on glass is more of a protectant against edge fractures than something that improves the actual engrave. It works well on lamacoid acrylics as well to prevent engraving dust getting previously engraved surfaces as well. It’s just a bit messy to clean up after
@@SteveMakesEverything some people are using dish soap and 3n1 oil on glass with good results just wondering if Vaseline or petroleum jell will work the same, never on wood lol I know better
@@glennthomas9496 If you are trying to eliminate mild hazing of the glass dish soap works well, though this is a better trick for acrylic. I suspect unless you have a very thin layer then petroleum jelly will defocus the laser and potentially make things worse. You'd just have to try it on a scrap piece to see what happens.
@@SteveMakesEverything appropriate your input ty hey have you tried baking soda instead of borax on wood ,I used baking soda on my fractal burn and it's the only way, I think I'm going to try on laser burn for it may work as well as borax but wow that borax big difference. Ty again
Borax is boric acid. I suspect you could use lemon juice to do the same thing. Borax isn't too tough to find so you might as well use that, though. As a side note, I used to play tennis with a guy that was a supervisor for 20 Mule Team. There is actually a 20 Mule Team exit on the way to Lancaster, CA that takes you to the factory. Does this work for materials other than wood? I suspect you could coat the item with epoxy to make an even tougher finish. Thanks for the video!
While borax (Na₂[B₄O₅(OH)₄]·8H₂O) and boric acid (H3BO3) are both in the borate family, they aren’t the same thing. I haven’t. tried lemon juice myself but I’ve heard some people say it has some impact on engraving. I think you would be better with baking soda dissolved in water. Unfortunately, none of these will work on anything wood, and not even all woods. After engraving, epoxy poured into the engraving would definitely protect it.
Is borax acidic? I think lemon juice would work because it was used for invisible ink. The application of heat was what made it visible if I remember my history correctly. Might be able to use milk or onion juice also. I'm thinking a product that gets used for insect control would probably be a bad choice for engraving a cutting board or something that comes in contact with food... I wonder if borax in water would serve as an invisible ink. Thanks for the chemistry lesson on Borax.@@SteveMakesEverything
@@GoCreateSomething I believe Borax is actually a base rather than an acid. It will kill ants, but my mother always used it as some sort of laundry whitener. Either way, I wouldn't use it in contact with food because it is suspected to be carcinogenic, which is why it is banned in the EU. It is mined from the ground, so I'm not sure how they could ban it successfully. As I noted, try lemon juice to see if it does anything, but I have a feeling that a laser will heat it enough to obliterate it before it has a chance to turn the wood dark.
I like these questions. You can certainly amp up the power, but you'll end up charring he surface or burning through your material before you get to the same level of darkness. With an application of Borax (or even Baking Soda) you can use far less power than you normally would, so you won't have to deal with the smoke residue and will still get darker engraving. Give it a try and you will see the difference.
Well you do need to reduce the power a bit (or increase the speed) with Borax otherwise you'll get a lot more charring. If you leave the setting as you would for a normal engrave it will probably look less appealing.
Certainly you can ask. So with the Borax I actually had to dial down the power by about 50% otherwise the material would just be charred into oblivion. Speed is the same for both
Can’t wait to try this with a diode laser! If anyone is wondering how to engrave on glass with a diode laser, the secret is black tempera paint. Same technique.
this should work with a diode laser as well
Holy Hannah, THANK YOU for sharing this! Lower power, faster AND much higher quality? That's a Trifecta, Man. OUTSTANDING!
Yep, it takes a bit of testing to get the settings just right, but it will be darker. After engraving, hit it with a couple coats of clear coat to protect it.
I have seen this technique done on other videos but your has the most dramatic results and clear execution I have seen. Thanks for a great vid!
Thanks
This is the best technique I've seen in a long time for laser engraving. My wife uses borax. So, I've got plenty of it on hand. We're packing up to move right now, but as soon as I get the laser set up in the new office, this will be the first thing I do on it.
Sounds like you’ve got plans for the holidays. Hope this is helpful
I've used Borax solution to make wood fire-retardant before, but never considered it could help a laser like this. Great tip!
Glad I could help!
so i run a company specialised in laser cutting. We know some tricks but this seems like magic to me. Definitely gonna try it out and will update about the result!
If you want dark engraving this will do it for you
Thanks I really like this and am using it for my projects
It works well, but go gentle on the power.
My husband & I just got a 100W Titan from FSL and we’re still learning to use it. This is a very helpful tip!!! Thank you for sharing!!
Nice laser! Big workspace + lots of power = fun projects
How you finding it Minxy? Planning on buying one early january but it's either gonna be the titan or the PS36 PRO~
Did you do the 3d camera addon?
Mr Tobbo Yes, it’s working well, I did the camera add on and upgraded chiller option. The only way I could afford the 100W tube was the free upgrade they were offering that month with a purchase of the Titan.
Awesome. What a difference that makes. Great tip thank you. One question..... how do u clean off the black sooty residue without it soiling your workpiece.
So if you start by minimizing the power used to create the engraving and then after engraving spray the piece with clear coat, you can protect the piece. You can’t touch the engraving until you do this otherwise it will smear. For every plus, there is a minus but this one can be mitigated.
Quite like this idea, you could also do a two tone effect with a normal engraving first, leave it in place and apply the borax then do a different engraving over the top so some parts are light and some dark. I do wonder though about how it may affect the chemistry of the wood, for example long term degradation of certain finishes, like say shellac or an epoxy or PU finish
I like this idea. 😀
Good idea 👍🏾
I did this last night …. Came out really good… added that contrast … sealed with poly once completed
@@daminator2004 Excellent!
@@daminator2004 2 weeks in, how's the polyurethane finish?
I am used to using baking soda, when I learned about borax in a different video, I really wanted to try it. Images were turning out pure black, dots were melting in to each other so there was no more grayscale effect. So I doubled the speed and halfed the power, no change. I increased the speed even more, lowered power and the borax kept charring the wood no matter what except some of the wood wouldn't get touched so it would be like an incomplete yet black image. Very weird stuff, I really prefer the baking soda, it gives something in the middle and I get the grayscale effect. I've only tested these on basswood, that may be why. Ortur master 2 20W so it's not a powerful laser. I don't think this video really demonstrates a photo style engraving though, more like a vector so there's not much grayscale. So it seems excellent for that type of engraving. I may just need to practice more with it.
I’m not sure how a diode laser works o this but I’m going to find out soon
Thanks for the baking soda tip, since borax isn't available in my country.
Some basic high school chemistry 101 to ponder: Sodium tetraborate (Borax) is a mild alkaline with a PH between 8 and 9. When mixed with dihydrogen oxide (water), it becomes hydrogen peroxide. Borax is basically bleaching the wood at the molecular level. You would think the added whiteness/brightness that Borax gives the wood would be counterintuitive to using a laser since it would reflect the laser light, but hey, it works somehow to create a darker burn.
Borax is not only used as a cleaner and laundry brightener, among other industrial uses. It is also a great insecticide for ants and termites. Just mix it with corn syrup, and it dehydrates the insects from the inside out when they eat the mixture. Those Terro ant traps are basically corn syrup and Borax. Good stuff!
My question is. What do you do after engraving with Borax to clean and seal the wood? If you wipe the wood after engraving, the dark soot gets everywhere and ruins the project. I have heard some other laser engravers say they use a vacuum and a spray poly or lacquer to seal the wood without any wiping of the project. I was just wondering what you recommend after engraving with Borax so that the project does not get ruined by the dark soot getting everywhere? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 😊
You can spray it with a couple coats of clear coat, though reducing the power more will help balance the darker color with the fragility caused by layering the Borax. Run some material tests to find the best settings
@SteveMakesEverything Thanks for the advice. I will definitely try lowering the laser power even more, and spraying some clear coat after engraving. Unfortunately, this won't work with cutting boards though, as they have to be rubbed and wiped with food grade mineral oil. I will figure something out though. 😊
@@TheGuitarman1968 thanks for sharing the science behind why this works. For your food grade option you could maybe try baking soda.
So if what he says is try, why not just use hydrogen peroxide ?
@@TheGuitarman1968 Try a test with the mineral oil applied before lasering. See what happens! I think there's a good chance that the laser would decompose some of the oil into carbon rich compounds.
Excellent!!! Thank you!! Does it only work on wood?
Porous wood only
Thank you for sharing. Wish you all the best.
Thank you! You too!
You probably already answered this question but what type of wood did you use in this video?
Thanks for making this video. Greatly appreciated..
It’s just laser grade Baltic birch
The way you chose the picture was very cute. He ~is handsome 😅
Borax works great on killing ant too! I will have to try this next time I engrave.
It's my go-to ant killer too. 😀
Borax (products made from chemicals in the Borate Group) are no longer sold in the EU and UK as they have been classified as "toxic" (classified as a Reprotoxic Category 2).
It is obtainable, from specialist chemical companies, but not to private individuals. Companies who use these compounds need to prove that they have appropriate safety systems to handle, use, and dispose of it.
One could try this with Bicarbonate of Soda (baking power might do) - give it a go Steve and see if it performs the same.
yes I’ve tried baking soda in the past and it helps improve engraving but doesn’t have quite the same impact. it’s too bad the regulations are so tight in the EU, especially since it’s a material that occurs in nature
Sorry, you are wrong. I live in the Netherlands and can buy Borax without restrictions.
great video, thanks. This is how scorch pens work.
Glad you enjoyed it
I'm super eager to do this! Thanks
Give it a shot. Note that Borax isn’t available everywhere.
That's an amazing technique, I just bought a laser engraver and want to do dome engravings on cutting boards, is this solution food safe?
Technically Borax won't kill you but I doubt it's very healthy regardless. What I do on cutting boards is engrave and then fill them with resin. It takes longer but it's durable.
My congratulations for this outstanding video! In order to obtain that result, Borax must be applied always before engraving or it is possible to applied borax after engraving ? Which power and speed should we use (for example I have a 10W diode laser)?
You definitely need to apply the borax first, since it is what causes a reaction with the laser. Power is trickier since there is no clear setting that works. All I can tell you is to really cut the power back (about a third of what you would expect) and experiment from there on a few pieces of scrap material.
Thank you for this! How long does it need to dry before engraving? Does this make the product not food safe? Can it be lightly sanded after engraving?
You can use a heat gun to dry it if you’re in a rush. I wouldn’t use this in area where there is food. Any toxicity aside, the surface will be fragile unless you pour some clear resin over it. Sanding isn’t recommended after engraving, but you can sand before and then mask the surface before engraving.
@@SteveMakesEverything awesome thank you for the reply can’t wait to go try this out
Wow, this is amazing. I've been wishing for a way to make my engravings darker. The results shown in the video are super impressive. Steve, would you recommend using this method on all types of wood with any type of engraving (photo, logo, text, etc)? Also, could you estimate how long it took for the wood to dry and be ready for engraving?
This will work with any type of engraving and should have an impact on most woods. It has a bigger impact on light woods though. As far as drying you can leave it overnight or use a heat gun/hair dryer to accelerate things. For the video I lightly heated my board with a heat gun and drying took less than a minute.
@@SteveMakesEverything so this will work on metal as well
@@zachofalltrades1111 I don't think this will work on metal since it needs a porous surface.
@@zachofalltrades1111 the Borax is liquifying under the creating a moment of molten liquid. Borax is also used as a wetting agent in melting brass in a furnace. It significantly reduces the time involved in melting brass, and is easily skimmed off the top before pouring. Works with gold too, same reason.
@@24-Card So, are you claiming the Borax will effect to the picture graving positively similar as it does for the wooden materials too? How do you add this borax on the metal? Similar as wood, layering on the top of the plattern to be lazerized?
Can you use this technique on regular engraving to make it darker but not have as much burn/. Also, can you use this technique on any material? Thanks for the video
This only works on more porous woods. You can get darker engraves without much burn, but you really need to drop the power or increase the speed to achieve this.
That may be the best tip I've ever seen. . Thank you, Steve.
Glad you found it useful
Cool! Would this improve the laser's ability to cut through the wood?
No, not really. This is almost specifically an engraving enhancement.
Borax made it impossible to cut through wood (same i easily cut without borax coating) with my small 7W diode laser 😞
@@okin8949 that is very interesting.
I'm guessing what happens here is the borax crystals precipitate inside of the wood and act like little roadblocks, soaking up all the energy from the laser beam, getting super heated, and smoldering their way in to the wood at a microscopic scale.
WOW! This is a game changer. Been lasering stuff for over 10 years and I am looking forward to trying this. Headed to the store to get some Borax! Thanks for sharing.
Borax isn’t available everywhere so if you can’t find it you can also try baking soda dissolved in water
@@SteveMakesEverything I saw another video that compared baking soda and Borax. The baking soda was definitely an improvement over nothing but the Borax was by far the best. I will try to find some online. Thanks again!
@@kellyklaask7su990 Yes Borax definitely works better
I tried the same thing using dishwasher detergent and it worked just as good. Thanks for sharing this great tip!
I’ve been looking for alternatives so I’ll try this. Soap would be a bit hard to clean off the material though.
@@SteveMakesEverything Oh, I mean automatic dishwasher detergent. It looks a lot like borax so I thought it figured it would work about the same.
@@NathanBuildsRobots Well that makes a whole lot more sense. 😀
Does this work on metal too? I say that because you mentioned parts at the beginning thanks
No. You're out of luck using Borax on metal. You would need to use something like Cermark for that. It's expensive but it works well.
Thank you for the hint! Do you know if this also works on metal and other materials, or is this specific for wood/plywood?
Sadly this process is specific to wood material
how amazing Steve , does it work with glass ?
Not on glass. A CO2 laser will engrave glass anyway. A diode laser would require some sort of treatment (like paint) to engrave glass.
Wow what an awesome trick.. Thanks a lot sir. Is Borax like Tide guys? Borax is not available in our country :) ...
If you can’t get Borax then you will need to try Baking Soda
@@SteveMakesEverything thanks a lot.. Will try it out..
Thanks
Hi, thanks for the tip. Is it working for poliuretane leather as well? Thanks and Happy New Year!
It should, though I haven't tried it. I don't work with leather too often. Maybe there is justification to do a follow-up video on different materials.
@@SteveMakesEverything Thank you so much for your quick reply!
What a great video!
Thanks so much for sharing this information!
Do you know would this have a different affect when using a diode laser instead of a CO2?
I think it should have the same effect. Give it a try
It works the same with diode lasers. Keep in mind, though, that this produces a very black burn, which some find artificial-looking. A similar mixture with baking soda will produce a darker burn that still shows the wood. However, if you use too much baking soda it will yellow the wood.
@@QuixoticEnt Baking soda will indeed work and both it and Borax will darken the burn. One thing to keep in mind is that you will need to reduce the power quite a bit to avoid too much of that "fake" look.
Thanks for confirming that this works with diode lasers too.
@@QuixoticEnt Awesome! thanks for filling in the blanks here! Appreciate the insight.
Unfortunately Borax is banned in UK/EU but you get a similar result with Baking Soda (Bicarb)
Well that's too bad, though indeed baking soda will also work, just not quite as well.
I make and sell soap. I watch other videos and I've seen some of the most peculiar and simple items, even in the soaping world, banned from the UK. Now Borax!? Really!!
Why do they ban things like this in the UK?
The US cant say much either. Hell, they've banned Dukes of Hazard for the sake of racism (reason for everything). Even though that is a lie why would England ban borax and other simple items?
@@iwannaapple7190 I wish I had a voice for government. It's a weird thing to ban given that is it naturally occurring in nature.
Personally I would also ban the Dukes of Hazard, though not specifically because of racism, but rather because as a kid, I always thought it was a pretty terrible show (and I know I'll take heat from my Kentucky viewers, though I've been to Kentucky and the state is quite scenic) :-)
Good to know. I’m horribly allergic to Borax.
Easy to get it on ebay
Man, you are genius. Thank you for sharing your knowledge 😊
Ha, you should really spend a day with me in my shop. You would see lots of mistakes and wasted material😉
My goal is to just help people move forward on their Maker journey.
Steve, another great video. I can't seem to get enough of them! Odd question, can you tell me where you get your green "grid" work sheet that you work on? Thanks
The green mat is a standard cutting mat that you can find at most craft stores and some hardware stores.
Awesome! Any added strong smell with the Borax? Thanks
Nope! No smell at all
Steve great video. My results, with a diode 5W laser were very similar to yours...that is until I ran my fingers across the borax one. The dark design basically rubbed off on my fingers and all over the wood. After cleaning it up, there was no difference in the two designs. Needless to say it was very frustrating. Have you ever had this problem?
This is the tax you pay. The first solution is to greatly reduce the power when you're engraving (or increase the speed). The reaction with Borax is so fast that the endency is to cook the surface. The other way to solve this is to spray wih a couple good coats of clearcoat, or alrenately you can fill the engraving with some clear resin.
What type clear coat do you recommend to seal in the black color?
@@okra23 I just usually spray some Rust-Oleum Painters Touch, and I typically use flat if I still want the surface to look like wood when I'm finished. You can get it at most hardware stores
how you slap layer of clear coat? do you have a video of that process?
I just use clear spray from a spray can
Would this do anything on glass or acrylic ?
No, this will only work on wood and in fact, will generally work best on softwood and plywood.
Just tried it wow amazing
Glad you liked it
Wow - so cool! One question: do you know if the smoke from Borax would be toxic?
As an organic compound Borax (B4H20Na2O17) is pretty tame. It is mostly hydrogen and oxygen and if you did inhale or consume it, it will break down quickly in your system with minor irritation. I believe the only reason it is banned in some areas is because it is toxic to insects (typically ants).
Hi Steve...do you think this trick will work on a small 10W laser (xTool M1) as well?
Yes, This will work with pretty much any laser.
Are the fumes from the Borax safe?
They would be no worse than any other fumes from material. There is no chlorine or fluorine. Always make sure you are properly venting for any material though
Can this process work on Stainless Steel? I have a kitchen knife, I'd like to mark with a memorable photo.
No, this only works for woods, and really only soft woods.
Will this work with diode lasers? I am going to try it but wondering if it has been tried already. Thanks for
The great video and tip
I think a few people have had success doing this with diode lasers
Will Borax or Soda blacken metal engravings as well? Does it work with any type of laser (diode, CO2, fiber etc.)?
Sorry, this will work only with wood, but it should work with diode or CO2 lasers
Hi, what software are you pasting the image into? Thanks in advance!
I don’t recall which laser I used but it was probably the Muse 3D in which case it would be Retina Engrave 3
No Borax in Europe - any suggestions for alternative or, better still, the chemicals causing the effect, please?
Baking soda works almost as well but tends to stain the wood a bit
@@SteveMakesEverything Thank you. 🙏
Thank you for this tip. Normally I laser out of focus to darken the color. Do you do this “In Focus”?
Yes I do! borax makes the surface very sensitive. in fact you will probably need to reduce the power by 30-50% or it surface will be charred
Is this only for CO2 lasers or for diode lasers as well please? ☺
I use it for CO2 laser, but it should work for a diode laser as well.
@@SteveMakesEverything Thank you ☺
You got a subscriber for this one, thanks for sharing a industry secret with the little guys! 👍👍👍
Nice! Welcome aboard 😁
Thanks Steve for this Tips , but what should i do if i don't have Borax in my location ? is there any alternative solution ?
Try Baking Soda
What camera are you using inside your machine to record your laser jobs? I feel like you’ve said before in one of your videos but I can’t remember which one it was (I’ve watched too many! Haha) thank you for the great videos!
Most times I I use my Logitech C920
hi, can this be used on a dark colored wood as well?
Pretty much any wood will work, though softwoods are best. Also lighter colored woods are better.
Happy Holidays, Great tip. Will this process work on slate, granite or sandstone also. TIA
Good question. I'll have to try this when I have time
Can you use this trick to cut thicker wood than you normally could?
Probably not. This tends to burn away soft wood, so with high power this would char the material a lot.
Hi Steve, great tip it works great. One question if you don't mind. What is the best way to clean the piece before clear coating? If I rub the engraved image after burning it seems to smudge pretty bad. Do you just blow it off and slap clear coat straight on? Thanks in advance!
In general don’t touch it with anything. Just clearcoat it
Some folks use a very light soapy water (barely wiped over, no scrubbing], and rinse after that thoroughly, very clean of smoke deposition. Try it on some scrap wood, see what you like best.
@@johnmood5653 I try to make best efforts to minimize deposits in the first place. It's always best to tinker with settings to avoid surface cleaning down the road whenever possible.
Can I expose my Noob ignorance? Clear coat?? Clear spray paint? I have been searching for how to treat wooden objects after engraving when I found this video. Thanks
All questions are welcome here 😁. Yes clear spray paint. I typically use flat or satin finish
Steve,
Are you using a CO2 laser ?
Can this be done with Diode Laser as well??
For this video I used my Muse 3D CO2. This should work with a diode laser as well.
Can this be any kind of Borax?..theres a prrtty good amount of styles at my local stores
Anything that has the word "Borax" on the box should work.
so was that added straight to the wood or was there any protective coating.I like your Videos.
No coating, just paint it on lightly and let it dry.
@@SteveMakesEverything ok thank you im going to try that because ive been having people ask me about portraits on wood.
Great, excelente secret tip..!! Thanks..🤫
Glad you liked it!
can i perform this using longer b1 40W or 20W?
Yep, no issue, though you will have to really drop the power. Run a material test on a scrap to ensure you are using settings that give you the result you want.
@@SteveMakesEverything can you help me choosing a machine between longer ray 5 20 w vs neje max 4 20 w or longer b1 40w or if you can suggest anything better and under 1000CAD including tax and shipping??
my main goals are:
precise engraving on wood and leaf
3 mm or 5 mm plywood cutting for layer project(cant afford cnc router)
3 mm or 2mm black acrylic cutting
if possible good speed otherwise precision is more imp.
Thanks in advance
@@aniketgupta5118 To stay under $1000 you will definitely be looking at an ope-frame laser rather than something in an enclosure. Budgets are important, but safety trumps cost, so I would first suggest you budget for something enclosed.
Having said that, I'm a big fan of Longer lasers and for the money, the Ray 5 is quite solid. I would recommend something larger than a 20W laser if you want to cut material regularly. The 24W Ray 5 is a decent cutter, but more power = faster cutting, so keep that in mind.
I'm not too familiar with the NeJe laser, though it is older tech compared to some of the other in the same price range.
@@SteveMakesEverything i bought the ray5 for 315$ in halloween sale plus shipping
Thanks for the help🙏🙏
@@aniketgupta5118 Can't beat the price
How did you prepare the wood. That is if you did. Thanks
As noted in the video I use either a sprayer or a foam brush to apply this. Then let it dry.
@@SteveMakesEverything Thank you, but do you do any other prepping like sanding first.
@@kerrijodierberger I don't but that doesn't mean you shouldn't. Because the finished engraving can be pretty fragile until it gets protected with a finish, any required sanding should be done first.
I think once done with Engraving. If we have to clean the surface with light damp cloth or polish with oil/lacquer, burnt borax will be all over the place spoiling the picture with blackness ? Has it happened to you?
It's easier if the surface of the material is ready for finishing before you do the engrave and then after you can just spray it with clear coat (avoiding contact with the engraving of course).
@@SteveMakesEverything can we laser engrave over varnished areas? like a couple of coats of water-based varnish?
@@CasualDrive Yes, I do this all the time. Use something like Polyacrylic so you don't sprew out a bunch of VOCs when you engrave though.
Why does this work? Also wondering if other chemicals result in different colors on the Laser?
See the link I posted to the Community tab on my channel page. It will point you to Russ Sadler’s video that deep dives on this
Great work. Love it. Time to go buy some Borax.
If you can’t find Borax you can try Baking Soda as well. Doesn’t have quite the same effect but Borax isn’t available everywhere
Would this also work on solid oak boards ?
It should. It appears to have a positive effect on any porous wood
Could this technique be used in cutting boards? Would it be lost after washing?
Good question. It would be a challenge unless this was a deep engrave and you maybe fill it with clear resin.
I have some bamboo cutting boards and I plan on trying this today. Engraving with nothing on it looked good until I washed it. Hoping Borax will look better after washing.
@@derrickdavis1860 Fair warning. If you do this to a cutting board then I would suggest filling in the engraving with clear resin. This isn't a good use case for Borax unless you protect the engraving under clearcoat or resin
The solution coloured the wood as well. Would rinsing it remove that?
The easiest way to fix this is to reduce the concentration. It really requires little to get darkened engraving.
Does that leave black char made from Borax residue that wipes off or is it the actual wood that chars darker from the Borax?
If you reduce the power quite a bit you will get darker engraves without so much charring
@@SteveMakesEverything My real question is: what is the dark char? Does the Borax burn hotter and stay as black dust that smears or does it char the wood deeper? I hope this makes sense. In other words, what exactly so dark? Burnt Borax which can smear and dust off or deeply burnt wood which stays there after a mild sweeping with a brush? It's an important distinction. Thanks.
@@ramonhamm3885 The darkness comes from the wood, not the Borax. The Borax is really just an accelerant that causes the softer fibers in the wood to vaporize more quickly.
However, the engraving is more fragile than it would normally be because what remains after engraving is a structure or wood fibers that is full of holes. You can minimize this by reducing the power used to engrave though
I normally spray in a couple coats of clear coat to fill the holes back in and restore the strength of the wood. (I use flat spray)
@@SteveMakesEverything Thanks Steve.
Thank you for sharing. Awesome tip!
Happy to help
Will it work on metal?
Nope, the surface must be wood. For metal you can use something like Cermark.
Hey Steve i have a 40 watt XTool S1 will this method work for me ?
Yes for sure. You will really need to back off on the power though or you’ll be cutting holes. Do a material test on a piece of material to get a sense of the power you will want
Thank you for posting this. I'm literally dialing in my engraving this week and trying to step up my game on that. I've been getting pretty good results, but this is a big step up and exactly what I'm after. Quick question- looks like you have an FSL laser. What wattage is you cutter and do you have an idea of what the mm/s equates to when cutting at 100% speed? Trying to relate it to my 50w OMTech. Thanks again for this tip!
Yes I have a Muse 3D which claims to be 45W but it's really only ever driving it to 40W peak power. I can't honestly say what the real speed equates to (one of the things that annoys me a bit about the RE3 software. I would say you could use math to solve the problem. Your laser is 25% more powerful so you should be able to guess what your 100% velocity is to get some like a mm/s per % number. Subtract 25% from the Muse speed percentage and multiply the result by your calculated speed. It would get you close.
@@SteveMakesEverything Thanks Steve. I'll dive into it. Gonna try some Borax and Baking Soda tests this weekend!
@@msyverson3 Let me know how it works out for you. I've haven't had as much luck with baking soda - not as much sodium in it I think.
@@msyverson3 So how did your testing go, please share
@@PaulJarrett Hi Paul, sorry for the long delay- I did some testing with both and I really wasn't happy with either result. The borax does indeed burn nice and dark and the baking soda a bit more yellow. You need to handle them carefully can clear coat them as the Borax doesn't seem to bond all that great to the wood (unless I'm doing something wrong). I've been focusing more on getting good solid burns on the wood itself and pretty happy with the results. Good luck
Great tip, just discovered your channel!
Does this treatment have any affect on the wood long term? Discoloration or can it cause any allergies?
Assuming you use a low concentration to start, there will be minimal yellowing of the wood after the initial engraving.
@@SteveMakesEverything Cool! Thanks for the response!
@justin banks It can cause skin irritation so I would use gloves and be careful to get it on your skin.
@@osterlundm11 While I don't try to spread any chemical on my skin, this is a very low concentration so irritation is unlikely, but gloves would never go astray for this. I use a spray bottle for this and then a foam brush to even it out and touching it unlikely.
The tone color of the wood has changed to. Yellow tint. Is that because of the Borax?
Yes, though it depends on the concentration. You need surprisingly little Borax and it's possible to reduce the amount used to not cause this yellowing and still get the desired effect. By contract, if you are using Baking Soda, any amount seems to cause far worse yellowing.
That's an amazing practice. 20% power would make the diode last forever!
Interesting. I hadn’t considered trying this with a diode laser
Steve what lazer are you using?
I have several. For this I think I used my Muse 3D, but I also have a 90W CO2 that I built myself. For diode lasers I commonly use a 40W xTool D1 Pro or Atezr V35
What is the laser software used in this video? I am not familiar with it. Looks like it is browser/web based?
It’s Retina Engrave 3 because I used my Muse 3D for this
@@SteveMakesEverything thanks. Looks pretty straight forward. The pasting right in is what caught my attention. I haven't tried that with might run or other proprietary softwares. Just never thought to try. I still would likely save an image rather than copy and paste, but thought that was pretty cool as an option
Could you explain the science behind this? The borax seems to give the wood a yellow cast I’m not crazy about but the diff in the engraving is worth it. Because of the yellow cast the entire project would need to be coated with it, not just the engraving area.
If you want to find out everything, you could want to know about this process, go over to Russ Sadler's channel and watch this video, where he dives very deep into the reaction that Borax and lasers have on fibrous woods. th-cam.com/video/7pFuW1zPkkg/w-d-xo.html
Have you used this method on acacia cutting boards by any chance?
I have not. This will work best on lighter soft woods, but I'd say give it a try. I theory the borax is reacting to the laser and that should work regardless
Very cool going to try this tonight.
Remember to really reduce the power, and once engraved, give it a couple good layers of clear coat
Great video..Do you know the uk equivalent of borax?
Just use baking soda. It will work too, though won't produce the same level of darkness
Baking soda in water is used on the Lichtenberg method of burning fractals into wood. It gives the electricity a place to go. I wonder if this chemical reaction is related.
Thanks for the tip. What software are you using that allows you to drag and drop pictures and set different settings on each?
All the drag and drop in this video is handle by Retina Engrave 3, which is the software that controls the Muse 3D laser.
Oh I see. I made my own laser engraver at home. I use laser grbl for generating gcode. I wonder if Retina Engrave 3 can be used instead…🙋
@@paladin2579 Well unfortunately you'd need a laser build by FSL to use Retina Engrave 3. It's their dedicated software.
@@SteveMakesEverything I see, Thank you
If you use hardwoods, cherry or aspen, the engraving is dark and rich. For cheap wood, this is a nice trick.
Woods that are harder or have smaller grains won’t work as well, though there will be benefit with this
Steve, will this work on other porous materials like leather?
Not likely though it generally pretty easy to make dark engraving on leather
Have you tried on glass? Also have you tries Vaseline or petroleum jell on glass
This won’t work on glass since it’s a chemical reaction with the fibres in the wood. Petroleum jelly on glass is more of a protectant against edge fractures than something that improves the actual engrave. It works well on lamacoid acrylics as well to prevent engraving dust getting previously engraved surfaces as well. It’s just a bit messy to clean up after
@@SteveMakesEverything some people are using dish soap and 3n1 oil on glass with good results just wondering if Vaseline or petroleum jell will work the same, never on wood lol I know better
@@glennthomas9496 If you are trying to eliminate mild hazing of the glass dish soap works well, though this is a better trick for acrylic. I suspect unless you have a very thin layer then petroleum jelly will defocus the laser and potentially make things worse. You'd just have to try it on a scrap piece to see what happens.
@@SteveMakesEverything appropriate your input ty hey have you tried baking soda instead of borax on wood ,I used baking soda on my fractal burn and it's the only way, I think I'm going to try on laser burn for it may work as well as borax but wow that borax big difference. Ty again
@@glennthomas9496 Yes Baking soda works in a pinch. It does color the material more though and doesn't work quite as well.
Thank you for this tip! I appreciate your content.
My pleasure!
Borax is boric acid. I suspect you could use lemon juice to do the same thing. Borax isn't too tough to find so you might as well use that, though.
As a side note, I used to play tennis with a guy that was a supervisor for 20 Mule Team. There is actually a 20 Mule Team exit on the way to Lancaster, CA that takes you to the factory.
Does this work for materials other than wood?
I suspect you could coat the item with epoxy to make an even tougher finish.
Thanks for the video!
While borax (Na₂[B₄O₅(OH)₄]·8H₂O) and boric acid (H3BO3) are both in the borate family, they aren’t the same thing. I haven’t. tried lemon juice myself but I’ve heard some people say it has some impact on engraving. I think you would be better with baking soda dissolved in water.
Unfortunately, none of these will work on anything wood, and not even all woods.
After engraving, epoxy poured into the engraving would definitely protect it.
Is borax acidic? I think lemon juice would work because it was used for invisible ink. The application of heat was what made it visible if I remember my history correctly. Might be able to use milk or onion juice also. I'm thinking a product that gets used for insect control would probably be a bad choice for engraving a cutting board or something that comes in contact with food...
I wonder if borax in water would serve as an invisible ink.
Thanks for the chemistry lesson on Borax.@@SteveMakesEverything
@@GoCreateSomething I believe Borax is actually a base rather than an acid. It will kill ants, but my mother always used it as some sort of laundry whitener. Either way, I wouldn't use it in contact with food because it is suspected to be carcinogenic, which is why it is banned in the EU. It is mined from the ground, so I'm not sure how they could ban it successfully.
As I noted, try lemon juice to see if it does anything, but I have a feeling that a laser will heat it enough to obliterate it before it has a chance to turn the wood dark.
Im new to this, whats the difference between this method or just doing more power ?
I like these questions. You can certainly amp up the power, but you'll end up charring he surface or burning through your material before you get to the same level of darkness. With an application of Borax (or even Baking Soda) you can use far less power than you normally would, so you won't have to deal with the smoke residue and will still get darker engraving. Give it a try and you will see the difference.
Does it work on leather?
No, only woods, and in fact best with soft woods
Does the borax engrave deeper, shallower, and will it last as long as a normal engrave?
Well you do need to reduce the power a bit (or increase the speed) with Borax otherwise you'll get a lot more charring. If you leave the setting as you would for a normal engrave it will probably look less appealing.
hi, looks good... but i have a problem.. i can´t buy borax in EU... is there some similiar product? :) Thank you for your asnwer
Trying baking soda. Not quite as nice, but still an improvement over nothing.
Great tip. Thanks for sharing!
Hope it helps
may i ask if you used the same laser setting (power,speed and DPI) for both picture? many thx
Certainly you can ask. So with the Borax I actually had to dial down the power by about 50% otherwise the material would just be charred into oblivion. Speed is the same for both
Just good for wood? Or other materials?
Really this only works for wood