Need to temp mark mild sheet metal - will spray paint work as faux Cermark?

[John Blazy]

I need to mark some mild steel sheet simply for cut guidelines using cuttoff wheel. I dont want to order some cermark just for this (although now that think about it, it might be nice to have on hand anyway). Is there a shop hack method to mark steel with a laser? I was thinking black spraypaint, then lase lines on it for guidelines.

[Kev Williams]

if you just need guidelines, will blue tape work? You can lightly hit it and make it white or just vector cut lines in it, it won't hurt the steel, lots easier to remove than paint--

Another option, just lay some paper over it and lightly vector thru it. I'll leave brown line that will wash off with DNA.

[John Blazy]

Good ideas. I was even thinking of sprinkling powder coat on the steel. Seems like Cermark is a type of heat activated binder/pigment mix. I thouht of the blue tape, but didnt want the residue to gum up my grinding wheel, and figured if i solvent washed the line it would disappear. Paper is certainly easy - will try that.

IF the powder coat works, Ill post a pic. I dont want to vaporise the powder coat, so maybe take it out of focus a bit and go lightly.

[Brian Lamb]

I have been curious to hear if powder coat or even laser printer toner would work for marking metal.... both are fused by heat, which seems like it might work.

[Scott Marquez]

My day job is an outside salesman for a welding distributor. I have a shop that lays down a string line then sprays "Osborn anti spatter spray powder" it sprays as a liquid and dries as a white coating, part number 76243. It leaves a nice line that they lay their material to for welding, I'm not sure how this would laser but it might be worth a try.
Scott

[Scott Marquez]

Second idea is to create a template with about .045-050 line, which is the width of a 6" cutoff wheel. Then use your white spray paint idea.
Using my program I can create a contour line a a desired width away, I would then drop in a few "bridges" to keep it from seperating.
Food for thought.
Scott

[Gary Hair]

I dont want to vaporise the powder coat, so maybe take it out of focus a bit and go lightly.

Use low speed, low power, a long focal length lens, and a bit out of focus - all help to give you enough heat to fuse the powder without ablating it.

[Kev Williams]

You have an 80 watt Rabbit? My 80w RECI will mark metal all by itself- not real dark but good enough for a guideline-- try it!

[Paul hardy]

If all you want is layout lines, you can use a rattle can of 'dry moly lube. It's a little messy, and it doesn't give as true a black as cermark, but you can get it at amazon for about $10-12 a can.

[Dave Stevens-Vegas]

If all you want is layout lines, you can use a rattle can of 'dry moly lube. It's a little messy, and it doesn't give as true a black as cermark, but you can get it at amazon for about $10-12 a can.

+1 on that. It works well.