Liquid mask

[Bert Kemp]

I read a lot of post from 2010 about liquid mask from laserbits and Gen Chem.
Has anyone used the product from Gen Chem? Did you like it does it work on bare wood Like BB. Did you find out if it was a pvc base or not ????

[Art Swander]

I've used the gen chem stuff, actually have some kicking around here somewhere. It is not PVC Based. It will not work on unfinished wood, it doesn't come off. The wood has to have clear coat on it.

[Bert Kemp]

Thanks I might give it a try, do you think its worth it?

[Art Swander]

I'll be totally honest with you, I have used both the General Chemicals stuff, and the Laserbits stuff. It is very similar, except that I have found the laserbits stuff dries a little faster, and comes off the project easier after engraving. I like both, but my preference now is the stuff from laserbits, besides which they are local and I can just run down and pick it up. A trick that I have been using, if I get a small area, like the inside of a letter, where either wont lift off easily, I use the corner of a credit card and it comes right off. I use paper transfer tape for vinyl as an engraving mask, and it doesn't seem to work as well as the liquids, but will work on unfinished products where the liquid will not. Cost difference in the 2 is not much. My recommendation would be to order the small bottle of each and give them both a shot. Depending on what you are working on, one may suit your needs better than the other. The biggest thing to remember, you want to get a nice solid coating of either one on the material, then let it dry completely.

As an example, I order Walnut boards, that I cut into different sized plaques, edge route, finish and turn into plaques. I personally like the looks of a solid board over the cheap options available from suppliers. Once my poly coat is finished on the plaque, I apply a nice coating of the liquid mask on the plaque and let it dry. That does 2 things, it allows it plenty of time to dry, they say 20 minutes, but I have always found it to be a little longer, and also protects it while it is in storage. I have pre-coated them a year or more in advance with no issues.

The biggest thing to remember is to get a nice even coat. What I do is pour the liquid mask into a bowl that has a well sealing top, and use a disposable foam brush to apply the coating using long smooth strokes. You want to make sure that you have no large blobs of the coating on the piece. It doesn't have to be perfectly level, as the product will self level when it is drying.

Honestly, like ammonia for cleaning plaque plates, or acrylic polish for cleaning up finished awards, I have figured that it is just one of those items that I have to have in the shop at all times. The brand is not as much of a difference as ensuring you have a nice coating of the material on the product, and not too thin. I have tried in the past to put it on as thin as possible, and while it still works, it is a pain in the to get off the product. I try to insure that I get a coating on there about the same thickness as a piece of printer paper. A little thicker coating will not make a difference on the engraving, but sure makes it easier to get off.

[Dan Hintz]

I'll be totally honest with you, I have used both the General Chemicals stuff, and the Laserbits stuff. It is very similar, except that I have found the laserbits stuff dries a little faster, and comes off the project easier after engraving.

But it's the same stuff... Gen Chem (or LB) slaps a different label on the same container.