Engraving Leather

[Karen Barber]

Hello All!

I first want to start off by saying this is truly a fantastic site (so much so I am going to be upgrading to contributor).

Okay, so while I was at my local Tandy Leather Outlet recently I was informed by the lady working there that a previous customer, who did laser engraving, informed her the while engraving a maroon/burgundy colored/dyed piece of leather that it "burnt out his laser". She went on to say and I am quoting, "He said that the chromium sulfate in the leather refracted the beam and therefore burnt out the laser." ???

I sent this question along to ULS to see if they have ever heard of this "problem" and the very helpful Darryl said that he didn't think that the "guy" had the correct setup (air assist and appropriate exhaust). I'm thinking the same thing because the leather was NOT metallic or shiny in anyway. It just looks like reddish leather.

In doing some research I have found that leather is either vegetable tanned or chrome tanned and that 90% of leather in the US is Chrome Tanned.

The reason that I bring this up today is because I had a customer stop by with a burgundy leather jacket bible to be engraved.

I know you're all super smart with these kind of "chemical reaction" questions, so any further explaination as to what could/can happen is greatly appreciated.

UPDATE: Heard back from ULS. The chromium sulfate DOES NOT affect the laser in anyway in regards to refracting the beam. It was this man's set up!

[Dan Hintz]

Yeah, that guy needed someone/something to blame other than himself. The leather tanning solution had zero to do with it...

[Mike Null]

I agree. Engraving darker colored leathers can produce unexpected results. Some not too good. The other thing is that colored leathers tend to be thinner so it's better to engrave with a couple of passes at lower power than to just blast it.

The old tan cowhide engraves as well as any material I've found.

[Joe De Medeiros]

I engrave tons of leather, and I get my leather at the local Tandy, and I've never had a problem, it does stink, so you need to vent outside or use a charcoal scrubber. It's one of the reasons I bought the engraver in the first place.

[James E Baker]

When I was attending training workshops in Ontario with the ULS distributors, a couple of the other students were from a company in Nova Scotia that specialized in leather goods for Nova Scotia's thriving Scottish/Highland Games market (www dot landmhighland dot com).

They do a lot of custom leather etching with their LASER.

[Viktor Voroncov]

I did a lot of leather engraving and can say that on artificial leather engraving almost always perfect, but on real leather sometime you can be very dissapointed with results.

[Frank Corker]

I think whoever it was that said that the laser was damaged by engraving leather have their facts wrong. There have been people engraving leather for years without problems and I suspect what might have happened was that their laser just happened to blow out when they were doing a leather piece and found themselves an easy excuse for it dying.

[Viktor Voroncov]

Agree with you Frank, but when you engrave natural leather SMELL IS UNBELIEVABLE

[Gary and Jessica Houghton]

Is that burnt hair? - No it's just engraved leather!

I have engraved leather and still do. I have over 100 pieces to do currently. All of the pieces I do are raw leather, acid washed, dyed, or hide (fur still on). Never had a problem! The only problem I have is the stench and the cleanup with the hide. Fur goes everywhere!

I'm including two pictures of some of the leather I have done.

[Lee DeRaud]

...on artificial leather engraving almost always perfect...

The question that brings to my mind is, what exactly is "artificial leather" made of? It would not surprise me a bit if PVC showed up in the ingredient list.

[Viktor Voroncov]

I think artificial leather do not contain PVC:
1) November-December here is diary engraving season. Sometimes customers engrave 500 pcs per day and there is no effect of rust on laser metal parts.
2) Smell after engraving is not same like after PVC engraving

[Mark Winlund]

The question that brings to my mind is, what exactly is "artificial leather" made of? It would not surprise me a bit if PVC showed up in the ingredient list.

It comes from the skin of the Nauga..... Surely you've heard of Naugahyde?

http://www.snopes.com/business/market/nauga.asp


Mark

[Lee DeRaud]

I think artificial leather do not contain PVC:
1) November-December here is diary engraving season. Sometimes customers engrave 500 pcs per day and there is no effect of rust on laser metal parts.
2) Smell after engraving is not same like after PVC engraving

A quick google on "artificial leather pvc" reveals that some types do in fact contain PVC.
And we have the usual problem that most of the common sources for artificial leather don't/can't/won't provide MSDS info.

[Lee DeRaud]

It comes from the skin of the Nauga..... Surely you've heard of Naugahyde?

So it's not enough we have to worry about PVC, now we have to deal with an endangered species?

("It's a joke, I say, it's a joke, son." - Foghorn Leghorn)

[Bill Cunningham]

It comes from the skin of the Nauga..... Surely you've heard of Naugahyde?

http://www.snopes.com/business/market/nauga.asp
Mark

Yes, although it's not half the quality of Corinthian leather. But I have to admit, their a heck of a lot easier to catch than a Wild Scottish Haggis!