Results 1 to 11 of 11

Thread: 1" foam brush to apply Cermark

  1. #1

    1" foam brush to apply Cermark

    We've been discussing how to apply Cermark in the latest 'Yeti' thread- Mike Null and I (among others) mention how we like using foam brushes-

    I'm in the process of a SS ID plate job, and had to Cermark five 3" x 6" plates.
    So for fun I thought I'd set up the GoPro to record Cermarking them with a 1" foam brush: https://youtu.be/S7gp5Mtk6Oo

    Here's the finished product--
    1inchfoam.jpg

    I couldn't ask for a better coating. It's not anywhere near too thick, and there's absolutely zero metal showing thru.

    IMO spray cans or airbrushing couldn't do better.
    ========================================
    ELEVEN - rotary cutter tool machines
    FOUR - CO2 lasers
    THREE- make that FOUR now - fiber lasers
    ONE - vinyl cutter
    CASmate, Corel, Gravostyle


  2. #2
    replied
    You did what !

  3. #3
    Nice! I'm out to get some cheap foam brushes. LOL
    Epilog Legend 36EXT 75 watt
    Inexperienced rookie user

  4. #4
    and most important, the FINISHED finished product...
    1inchfoam2.jpg
    ========================================
    ELEVEN - rotary cutter tool machines
    FOUR - CO2 lasers
    THREE- make that FOUR now - fiber lasers
    ONE - vinyl cutter
    CASmate, Corel, Gravostyle


  5. #5
    My, you have a steady hand. People should take note that you did those 5 plates with just one brush load of the cermark. That demonstrates how far a bottle of cermark can stretch.

    I buy my brushes at Walmart in a 12 pack for about $0.25 each.
    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
    Dec 2010
    Location
    NW Arkansas
    Posts
    1,951
    Blog Entries
    1
    Yeah, sweet. Looks like a good engraving also. Thanks KS for posting
    Woodworking, Old Tools and Shooting
    Ray Fine RF-1390 Laser Ray Fine 20watt Fiber Laser
    SFX 50 Watt Fiber Laser
    PM2000, Delta BS, Delta sander, Powermatic 50 jointer,
    Powermatic 100-12 planer, Rockwell 15-126 radial drill press
    Rockwell 46-450 lathe, and 2 Walker Turner RA1100 radial saws
    Jet JWS18, bandsaw Carbide Create CNC, RIA 22TCM 1911s and others

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    South Elgin, IL
    Posts
    217
    Curious if you're using the water washable, alcohol thinned product? And if so, when it's dry does it easily rub off? Mine does rub off easily before engraving but after engraving the lasered parts are etched good. I'm thinking I may have thinned it too much...

    Also Kev I watched your next video and was wondering why you laser engrave with the lids open?
    Materials Conversion Specialist
    I take perfectly good large pieces of stuff & turn them into smaller pieces having dubious value

    LASER: Trotec Speedy 300 30 Watt, CNC: Shopbot PRT, Vinyl Cutter: Summa Sign Pro T750
    Old School: a tool box full of brand new sign painting brushes from the 60's


  8. #8
    Which video, the "busy at work" one where I'm running jobs on 10 machines? It's fun when that happens...

    Why I run the lasers with the lids up is simply out of convenience. I'm just in and out of them too much. The little ULS (now my BIL's machine) and my LS900 have a great exhaust setup, and draw smoke just fine with doors wide open most of the time. If I'm cutting plastic or engraving leather or bone with lots of smoke or stink, then the doors get closed. The Triumph lid is HEAVY, and until I finally mount a handle in the middle, it can't be raised with one hand because it twists and binds. But I actually close its lid most of the time because it DOESN'T have a great exhaust setup, AND it's sharing a blower with the Explorer (which I didn't have when that video was made). Cermarking cowbells doesn't produce enough smoke to worry about, and opening/closing the lid for every one of sometimes hundreds of cowbells, no thanks! Door stays open for those!
    ========================================
    ELEVEN - rotary cutter tool machines
    FOUR - CO2 lasers
    THREE- make that FOUR now - fiber lasers
    ONE - vinyl cutter
    CASmate, Corel, Gravostyle


  9. #9
    I generally engrave Cermark with the lid open. The engraving is frequently a short cycle but loaded one at a time. Raising and lowering the lid seems more trouble than it's worth.
    Mike Null

    St. Louis Laser, Inc.

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

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    South Elgin, IL
    Posts
    217
    I was thinking more of safety issues like going blind from stray laser beams when the lids are open, rather than an exhaust fume issue.
    Maybe you guys are wearing laser safety glasses while doing this...

    My Trotec laser won't fire with the lid open. Unless the safety feature has been disconnected or bypassed.
    Materials Conversion Specialist
    I take perfectly good large pieces of stuff & turn them into smaller pieces having dubious value

    LASER: Trotec Speedy 300 30 Watt, CNC: Shopbot PRT, Vinyl Cutter: Summa Sign Pro T750
    Old School: a tool box full of brand new sign painting brushes from the 60's


  11. #11
    I wear polycarb eyeglasses- not exactly 'safety' glasses but they will block any stray reflections. And if a stray reflection comes your way, even though you can't see it, you'll know it...

    A few years ago (time flies!) I was engraving some 1-1/2" diameter SS tubes in the rotary. 4 lines of text down the side. I thought instead of using the rotary, I could just engrave lines 2 & 3, then have the machine raise the table to focus lines 1 & 4. Worked great! I ran a few, and during one of them I stopped in front of the machine as it was doing line 4, as the laser was working its way down the radius...

    All of a sudden I got hit with a blast of heat square in the face. Felt like a heat gun but without any air, and that's weird... I immediately knew it was the beam reflection hitting me and I turned away...and then I smelled the burning hair...the beam ricochet burnt my mustache...

    SO, I'm very aware these days of what I'm engraving and whether or not a reflection is possible. If so, I'll generally shut the lid!

    And a few days ago I found out the fiber laser will do the exact same thing- I had an aluminum tube in the rotary to test it out, and I was standing over it and started the machine with the foot pedal. Only thing was, I forgot to get into the 'rotary mark' menu, so the rotary didn't turn, and the laser engraved across the circumference as if was flat stock. When the beam hit the downward side toward me, I got that same blast of heat. FORTUNATELY I was wearing my safety glasses that time.

    That's the odd thing about fiber lasers is they work in 'open air' with no protection, yet a fiber beam's wavelength is supposedly much worse for your eyes...

    However, this seems to be changing; I notice many ads sell machines like mine with guards now. Even Triumph does, and I've only had mine a few weeks now...

    BUT, I'd never use guard for the same reason I don't close the lid... but I DO try to be careful
    ========================================
    ELEVEN - rotary cutter tool machines
    FOUR - CO2 lasers
    THREE- make that FOUR now - fiber lasers
    ONE - vinyl cutter
    CASmate, Corel, Gravostyle


Posting Permissions

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