Color Fill vs LaserLights on Acrylic

[Liesl Dexheimer]

I have a customer who would like a few 2" x 8" acrylic signs. I'm not sure what will be going on them just yet but I made up my own sample piece with black color fill as he would like black text (see attached photo). I used some black acrylic paint that I had but wasn't really happy with the way it came out. The paint chipped and certain spots are not covered in paint.

I kept the paper mask on when I engraved the piece, ran it at 25 speed, 100 power on my 35 watt laser. I had quite a bit of white smoke that I wiped off with a damp paper towel and I even used a soft toothbrush to try to get any remaining residue off but that didn't quite work.

I'm not sure if it would be easier using black LaserLights instead of paint filling. I'm guessing it will depend on the size of the text as well. If the text is too small than I will prob have to paint fill.

Any suggestions or tips regarding this type of project? Also, how much should I charge? Paint filling and applying LaserLights are somewhat labor intensive and I've never really had a job like this before. What is the going rate for something like this?

[David Fairfield]

Not sure why you are getting the rough edges, but I would not sell a finished piece in that state. When I do plexi signs, I reverse the lettering in the graphic, and engrave from the back, through the paper mask. Spray the color on with a rattlecan then remove the mask. Should be zero chipping and a really crisp edge and a smooth front surface that collects no dust. Plus the letters look a little bit 3 dimensional through the plexi.

HTH
Dave

[Liesl Dexheimer]

I definitely would not sell this piece. That's why I was wondering how I could get it to come out right.

I did reverse engrave the piece and then painted it with the mask on. I'm wondering if I either went to deep when I engraved it or maybe it's the paint. I used Folk Art acrylic paint and applied two coats.

[David Fairfield]

I think the paint might be part of the problem. That craft store acrylic stuff is good for wood and paper, but it doesn't really bite into the resin and plastic the way enamel does. Also brush paint can seep underneath a mask. Try a spray can of Krylon, or similar, and see what you get.

Dave

[Liesl Dexheimer]

Ok, thanks for the suggestion. I was actually thinking about buying some Krylon Fusion in black (I currently have red & blue...maybe I'll try those out first).

[Rodne Gold]

You might be having a problem with the perspex stress cracking where its lasered cos of the paint solvents , use a water based paint. I'm not sure what your acrylic paint contains as a solvent.

[Ron Chapellaz]

I have just started to dabble in acrylic as well and have the same result as Liesl. I used the same settings as Liesl 25 speed, 100 power on my 35 watt laser. I lasered the text 2X. The 1st pass I found there was residue from the mask that stayed on the acrylic, which is why I did the 2nd pass. I did 2 coats with Krylon Fusion for plastic spray paint which I was told should work. I applied the 2nd coat 1 hour after the 1st, let it dry another hour and then removed the mask. The spray paint had bubbles in it and migrated under the mask as well. This was my very first piece and all looked well until I removed the mask.

Any suggestions for Liesl and I??

[Ron Chapellaz]

Oh, forgot to mention the properties of the spray...

Contains Acetone, propane, toluene, butane, petroleum distillates, xylene and methyl isobutyl ketone.

FYI Liesl I tried the red and the black so far...with the same result as you. Actually yours looks nicer than mine

[David Fairfield]

Odd, I've never had this problem and I've even done signs and badges with very fine detail. They always come out sharp.

If you blast the spray paint on heavy and at close range you will have a problem. Just dust it on so it dries a second after it hits, and it won't bubble or seep.

Or it might be the paper backing. Try replacing the paper backing with a masking tape. If you don't need a clear field, try burning through a layer of paint, then applying a second color. If that doesn't work I don't know what will.

Dave

[Rodne Gold]

With those solvents you almost sure to have issues.
We flood fill the engraving with automotive paint , undiluted.
We scrape the excess off with a piece of straight card
Let the paint dry.
Twist a small square of pex in a lint free rag so the rag is stretched tight over it , moisten it with methylated spirits and wipe off the excess - I use no masks.

[Liesl Dexheimer]

How much do you charge for paint filling, especially a 2" x 8" piece. I have no idea what to quote...

[Rodne Gold]

10-15x material cost , smaller more fiddly stuff to the 15x end of the scale. It's worth your while to tackle this job as "school fees" in terms of paint filling. You might even turn a profit on it.

[Martin Boekers]

I've used Fusion for a number of jobs, I have some samples still in the shop about 8 months old with no sign of it attacking the Plex.

How long should it be before I can safely say it wont have a future effect?

The main problem with Fusion for me is how long it retains the "fresh spray" odor.

Marty

[Chris DeGerolamo]

I'd use masking tape on the "back"...apply it then I use a post it pad to smooth it out and get rid of the bubbles. vector cut out the tape around the letters or raster through it. spray with krylon fusion (black) and let it dry. remove the remaining tape. done.

[Scott Shepherd]

I fought the same issue too many times before giving up on that process. I do some back painting now, but it's all done with what I consider, more "proper" techniques/tools.

I cut paint mask with a plotter, apply, and then use an automotive acrylic type paint.

For the most part, the letter edges are crisp and sharp. Every once in a while I'll get something that lifts, but that tends to be from too much paint, not cleaning the surface properly before painting, or something like that. It's almost always my fault, in lack of prep when it doesn't go right.

I know that doesn't help your situation, but I do have far less issues now than ever before.