Liquamask help

[Dave Tavres]

Help!

I recently bought some liquamask and for the life of me, I cannot get it to peel off! :(

On the first piece, simple plywood, I coated it pretty generously, so generously that after 30 minutes and it still wasn't dry, I used a heat gun for about 10 minutes to firm it up. I then engraved some text, painted the engraving with black acrylic paint, then expected to peel it off. Instead, I could barely get it started. When I did get it started, the mask only came off in tiny pieces. It was VERy hard to peel off tiny pieces of the mask. It didn't come off as a large piece. After picking at pieces for far too long, I finally gave up, assuming I had coated it wrong.

I tried another piece, this time slightly less thick, so it dried in 20-30 minutes. I engraved a logo and text, painted it, and had the same problem.

The third time, I tried just coating part of a bamboo cutting board and let it try. I didn't engrave or paint it - I just tried peeling it off... and had the same problem - tiny pieces, not a large piece.

What am I doing wrong? Anyone? Please? :)

[Gary Hair]

LiquaMASK works with glass, acrylic, leather, coated metal, marble, granite, plastic, clear coated wood, and much more!

This is likely to be your problem, none of what you described is coated.

[Bert Kemp]

What Gary said, you want to have 2 or 3 good coats of clear coat on and sand between coats. you want the Ply as smooth as you can get it, like glass, the the mask will peel off much easier.

[Dave Tavres]

ARGH!! Thank you guys! I apparently missed that detail in the instructions (or the instructions just weren't clear.)

Now that I look at it, (http://www.laserbits.com/downloads/d..._liquamask.pdf) it says "coated" wood... too bad they didn't make that more obvious. Even the picture of the wood in that PDF looks like plain wood

[Dave Tavres]

Oh - follow up...

Can I use something like Thompson's Water Seal? Or does the wood actually have to be 'glass' to work?

[Bert Kemp]

Water seal might work but a gloss poly I think would be better couple coats sand smooth between coats.

[Dave Tavres]

Thanks Bert...

What concerns me is the photo... this is obviously not a gloss poly coated piece of wood... That's why I'm hoping that Thompson's would work the same way - keep the Liquamask from embedding in the wood, but still be engraveable...
Capture.JPG
Does anyone out there have any other tips?

(Please, no need to be rude, just useful, helpful comments are appreciated.)

Thanks all...

[Bert Kemp]

Dave have you tried a tape mask?

[Dan Hintz]

Dave have you tried a tape mask?

This ^^^. Works in a lot more cases than people give credit for. A decent mid- to high-tac tape will hold to a lot of substrates, as well as provide a good spray mask for color-fill.

[Wolf Carter]

This explains the problem I JUST had with Liquamask... I also missed the "COATED wood" reference in the instructions. I tried a paper mask first, but it curled up slightly between coats of spray on Lazer Dark that I didn't notice and the second coat bled under. I think the next thing I'm going to try is the Polyester Rigid mask at LaserBits. Anyone have experience with THAT, or other advice?

[Bert Kemp]

Wolf any mask you use has to be on a very smooth surface also after its engraved its a good idea to seal the engraving before using the laser dark , to prevent bleeding into the material. So seal the material really well apply your masking tape, engrave then seal the engraving then apply your color. Make sure your mask is really pressed on well.
If you all ready have liquid mask you can use that just clear coat first then engrave and seal engraving.

[Kev Williams]

Leather doesn't have any 'hard' coating, I would think if this stuff stuck to smooth, bare wood that it would NEVER come off leather...?

[Bert Kemp]

Kev are you trying to mask leather? You can mask it with leather sheen or mop and glow couple or 3 coats of either one will give it a glossy smooth finish.

Leather doesn't have any 'hard' coating, I would think if this stuff stuck to smooth, bare wood that it would NEVER come off leather...?

[Kev Williams]

I'm not trying anything, I'm referring to what Gary posted up above:

LiquaMASK works with glass, acrylic,leather, coated metal, marble, granite, plastic, clear coated wood, and much more!

I engrave custom motorcycle seats, in many types of leather. I don't need to mask, but if I did, I wouldn't pre-coat it with anything, since I'm not sure what the cycle shop does with the leather after I'm done with it...

I'm just wondering why this stuff would would come off of leather in one piece, but not smooth bamboo?