Black Oxide with a CO2

[Chris DeGerolamo]

Anyone have luck engraving on black oxide steel with a CO2 laser?

[Scott Shepherd]

Works fine, no issues. Turns it grayish. Not sure if it's removing it all together or what. I did 1000's of them last year. They weren't heat treated or anything, just plain old cold rolled steel, black oxided.

[Mike Null]

Steve
What was your power setting? I've tried black oxide and the result is such a dark gray that it's barely noticeable. Thinking I may not have enough power.

[Scott Shepherd]

Steve
What was your power setting? I've tried black oxide and the result is such a dark gray that it's barely noticeable. Thinking I may not have enough power.

100% power, 60% speed, but I recall it wasn't real picky.

[Mike Null]

Steve
thanks.

I ran it high and slow and repeated it but it didn't satisfy me or the customer.

[Kev Williams]

Sometimes less is more. I've had various anodized parts brought to me that when done at my normal settings would only go a dark gray. I found out that particular anodizing liked 1/4 my normal power setting. I've had similar results with a few guns and black coated SS medical parts. Sometimes the results are great, sometimes not, seems it's always a crap shoot. But I always start light, at about 20% power on that kind of stuff, then work up. Because if you start heavy, there's no going back.

[Scott Shepherd]

Mike, here's a reference photo. Customer supplied the artwork, so don't blame me

blackoxide.jpg

[Mike Null]

Steve

That's very good. Mine was 50% darker--legible but not good.

Kev:

Black oxide rather than anodized.

[Kev Williams]

Mike, I mentioned 'black guns' and SS parts, those were oxide coated, I should've pointed it out. I threw in anodized simply because I find the same issues with power settings on anodized too--

[Bill Cunningham]

I just did a test on a black oxide leatherman tool. The mark was a gold colour, some other black oxide I've done is grey.. I run sloooow and hot.. 1200 dpi at 8% speed seems to work.. Testing on black oxide has shown that if you don't get a good mark, do it again slower.. It seems you can't go to slow or too hot.. hmmm that sounds like the old claim you can't put too much water on a nuclear reactor..It can be interpreted both ways.. In this case sloooow & hottt works...