Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 20

Thread: Looking for pictures of engraved clear anodized aluminum.

  1. #1

    Looking for pictures of engraved clear anodized aluminum.

    Does anyone have any pictures of how clear anodized aluminum turns out when engraved with a co2 laser?

    I have a customer who wants to replicate some rose turning (like engine turning but the part is also moving so the spots are not round) on some clear anodized aluminum, but I don't know how clear anodizing turns out. I could always do it on the yag with bare aluminum but the work area isn't big enough so I am thinking it may work on the co2.
    Universal M-300 (35 Watt CO2)
    Universal X-660 (50 Watt CO2)

    Hans (35 watt YAG)
    Electrox Cobra (40 watt YAG)


    Glass With Class, Cameron, Wisconsin

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Cape Town, South Africa
    Posts
    3,922
    I assume you mean natural anodising..silver..engraving comes out white , it wont replicate engine turning in any form.
    Rodney Gold, Toker Bros trophies, Cape Town , South Africa :
    Roland 2300 rotary . 3 x ISEL's ..1m x 500mm CnC .
    Tekcel 1200x2400 router , 900 x 600 60w Shenui laser , 1200 x 800 80w Reci tube Shenhui Laser
    6 x longtai lasers 400x600 60w , 1 x longtai 20w fiber
    2x Gravo manual engravers , Roland 540 large format printer/cutter. CLTT setup
    1600mm hot and cold laminator , 3x Dopag resin dispensers , sandblasting setup, acid etcher

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Shefford, United Kingdom
    Posts
    685
    At highish speed there is not much difference between the colour of laser engraved clear anodize be it YAG or CO2, well thats what i find, we swap between the two depending on the job size.
    L Squared Lasers UK
    2 x Halo Lasers 20 watt fiber
    1 x Halo CO2 Galvo System
    1 x Shenhui 1512 80 watt
    3 x Electrox D40
    3 x electrox Scriba 2
    1 x Electrox Scorpion 40 watt Fibre
    1 x Epilog EXT36 75 watt.

  4. #4
    Attached picture is CO2 etch on clear-anodized 6061-T651 aluminum. Would be very challenging to make it look anything like engine turning, IMHO.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    All Angles Design
    G.Weike LC1290
    80W & 120W RECI Tubes
    Rotary Attachment

  5. #5
    Here's an iPad.

    I PAD.jpg
    Mike Null

    St. Louis Laser, Inc.

    Trotec Speedy 300, 80 watt
    Gravograph IS400
    Woodworking shop CLTT and Laser Sublimation
    Dye Sublimation
    CorelDraw X5, X7

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Glenelg, MD
    Posts
    12,256
    Blog Entries
    1
    Yeah, I assume you're looking for a shiny, bright engraving, like into bare metal (as a rose engine would create)... not gonna happen.
    Hi-Tec Designs, LLC -- Owner (and self-proclaimed LED guru )

    Trotec 80W Speedy 300 laser w/everything
    CAMaster Stinger CNC (25" x 36" x 5")
    USCutter 24" LaserPoint Vinyl Cutter
    Jet JWBS-18QT-3 18", 3HP bandsaw
    Robust Beauty 25"x52" wood lathe w/everything
    Jet BD-920W 9"x20" metal lathe
    Delta 18-900L 18" drill press

    Flame Polisher (ooooh, FIRE!)
    Freeware: InkScape, Paint.NET, DoubleCAD XT
    Paidware: Wacom Intuos4 (Large), CorelDRAW X5

  7. #7
    Ummm please excuse the hijack. what's "Engine turning" ?

    cheers

    Dave
    You did what !

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Suwanee, GA
    Posts
    3,686
    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Sheldrake View Post
    Ummm please excuse the hijack. what's "Engine turning" ?

    cheers

    Dave
    I had the same question - a quick google search turned this up
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_engine_lathe

  9. #9
    Cheers Gary,

    That machine is artwork!!

    best wishes

    Dave
    You did what !

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Hintz View Post
    Yeah, I assume you're looking for a shiny, bright engraving, like into bare metal (as a rose engine would create)... not gonna happen.
    No, the part isn't engine turned which leaves a bunch of highly polished circles. It is rose engine turned which removes a small amount of material in all sorts of shapes.

    The part I am trying to duplicate looks like a piece of polished aluminum that had a pattern of diamonds turned into it and was then anodized. We are trying to match it as closely as possible. One idea is to have the aluminum silver anodized, then engrave it with the CO2 and possibly clear coat it if necessary.

    The other option we are testing at the moment is to engrave a piece of polished aluminum with the yag then send it out to be anodized.
    Universal M-300 (35 Watt CO2)
    Universal X-660 (50 Watt CO2)

    Hans (35 watt YAG)
    Electrox Cobra (40 watt YAG)


    Glass With Class, Cameron, Wisconsin

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Glenelg, MD
    Posts
    12,256
    Blog Entries
    1
    I still don't get what you're after, then... do you want the deep engraving aspect, the shiny aspect, the different colors, what?
    Hi-Tec Designs, LLC -- Owner (and self-proclaimed LED guru )

    Trotec 80W Speedy 300 laser w/everything
    CAMaster Stinger CNC (25" x 36" x 5")
    USCutter 24" LaserPoint Vinyl Cutter
    Jet JWBS-18QT-3 18", 3HP bandsaw
    Robust Beauty 25"x52" wood lathe w/everything
    Jet BD-920W 9"x20" metal lathe
    Delta 18-900L 18" drill press

    Flame Polisher (ooooh, FIRE!)
    Freeware: InkScape, Paint.NET, DoubleCAD XT
    Paidware: Wacom Intuos4 (Large), CorelDRAW X5

  12. #12
    Can you post a picture of what you're trying to replicate?
    Mike Null

    St. Louis Laser, Inc.

    Trotec Speedy 300, 80 watt
    Gravograph IS400
    Woodworking shop CLTT and Laser Sublimation
    Dye Sublimation
    CorelDraw X5, X7

  13. #13
    Right now they will settle for anything that comes close to replicating what they have. The closer I can get to what they have the better. I don't have any pictures, just a measured drawing.

    The pattern is repeating diamonds .060" tall by .560" wide and .030" apart over an area about 16 inches by 6 inches.
    Universal M-300 (35 Watt CO2)
    Universal X-660 (50 Watt CO2)

    Hans (35 watt YAG)
    Electrox Cobra (40 watt YAG)


    Glass With Class, Cameron, Wisconsin

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Glenelg, MD
    Posts
    12,256
    Blog Entries
    1
    Quote Originally Posted by Joe Hillmann View Post
    Right now they will settle for anything that comes close to replicating what they have. The closer I can get to what they have the better. I don't have any pictures, just a measured drawing.

    The pattern is repeating diamonds .060" tall by .560" wide and .030" apart over an area about 16 inches by 6 inches.
    What look are they trying to replicate? We can't offer proper suggestions until we know what you're after. I thought I understood in the beginning, but now it seems I'm way off base...
    Hi-Tec Designs, LLC -- Owner (and self-proclaimed LED guru )

    Trotec 80W Speedy 300 laser w/everything
    CAMaster Stinger CNC (25" x 36" x 5")
    USCutter 24" LaserPoint Vinyl Cutter
    Jet JWBS-18QT-3 18", 3HP bandsaw
    Robust Beauty 25"x52" wood lathe w/everything
    Jet BD-920W 9"x20" metal lathe
    Delta 18-900L 18" drill press

    Flame Polisher (ooooh, FIRE!)
    Freeware: InkScape, Paint.NET, DoubleCAD XT
    Paidware: Wacom Intuos4 (Large), CorelDRAW X5

  15. #15
    Dan, when I started this thread I just wanted a picture of what the natural or silver anodized aluminum looked like when engrave, and Mike posted a picture.

    Ideally they would like a few thousandths of depth and the engraved area have to have slight circular marks as if it was done by a spinning tool then the entire piece anodized.

    If worst comes to worst they were ok with it being anodized than engraved (I showed them mikes photo.

    What they would like is for me to figure out a way to break the design up so it can be done in the 8" working area of my yag, to get it a bit of depth and then they will anodize the parts after they are engraved and formed or formed and engraved.
    Universal M-300 (35 Watt CO2)
    Universal X-660 (50 Watt CO2)

    Hans (35 watt YAG)
    Electrox Cobra (40 watt YAG)


    Glass With Class, Cameron, Wisconsin

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •