Full Version: Flexible Laser Mask?
From: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#3]
19 Mar 2005
To: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#2] 19 Mar 2005
David,
The carrier sheet is what makes normal photo resists difficult to place on many wine glasses and vases. The carrier sheets I am familiar with are not elastic at all.
From: precisionlaser [#4]
20 Mar 2005
To: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#3] 20 Mar 2005
The carrier sheet needs to be stiff in order to maintain the shape of the mask...otherwise, when you apply it, it could get distorted. I think the concept of an elastic carrier runs directly contrary to its purpose.
Mark
From: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#5]
20 Mar 2005
To: ALL
Good Moring everyone,
The quest continues.
In exploring websites I found myself at Etchmasters.com ( Norm and Ruth Dobbins site). I was exploring their seminar page, and one of the classes talked about resists. One of the resists they talked about was a "liquid" resist.
From my limited perspective this would solve a great deal of problems. Has anyone heard of it?
Thanks
From: precisionlaser [#6]
20 Mar 2005
To: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#5] 20 Mar 2005
PhotoBrasive has a product called SBX Liquid Resist Emulsion that they are probably talking about. I think EtchMaster is a reseller for PhotoBrasive on some things. See http://www.photobrasive.com/sbx.html
Mark
From: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#7]
20 Mar 2005
To: ALL
Hello Everyone,
Not to rub it in, but I just got back from a whale watch in Maalaea Bay. Lots o whales and close up too......it was pretty cool, BUT what was REALLY exciting was to get home and try my experiment.
I picked up a spray can of a product called Plasti Dip. It is typically used to coat handles of tools to give them a rubber coating to give you a better grip on the tool, ( get out of the gutter boys ...{insert laugh here }....or to insulate them from electricity.
Essentially Plasti Dip is a spray on Rubber. You can spray it on as thin or thick as you want. It also comes in a liquid that you can brush on, or use a palette knife on.
I figured, what have I got to lose by trying it, so I masked off the area of the wine glass I wanted to etch, sprayed the Plasti Dip onto the glass, ( think of it as painting) then I let it dry.
The down side is the dry time. 4 hours. ( BUT what else could you be doing while it dried?).
After it dried ( ultimately five hours) I lasered it on a 25 watt, with 85% power and 35% speed. I got a very nice cut. I then blasted it and got a very nice etch. The Plasti Dip rubbed off easily with no water, and there was no blow out from the image or the tape.
Tomorrow I will call photobrasive and order some Laser Tape and talk to them about the SMG liquid.
In the meanwhile I have posted a bad picture of the result ( it is much better in person )using Plasti Dip, ( Available at your local hardware store).
Thanks
EDITED: 26 May 2005 by C_BURKE
From: JHayes55 [#8]
21 Mar 2005
To: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#7] 21 Mar 2005
Well Chuck
That is one whale of an idea. I am so proud of you!!! I have used this
Plastic Coat stuff for what it was intended for but I never dreamed of
Spray-painting it on something. You might have something here -
consider adding a harder/drying agent to help the plastic coat
dry quicker (think patent). Well as I said you are going to be big -
just remember us small folks back here when you reach the pinnacle of
success.
Joe
EDITED: 21 Mar 2005 by JHAYES55
From: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#9]
21 Mar 2005
To: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#7] 21 Mar 2005
Chuck,
As I said in my e-mail to you, this is an interesting and worthwhile concept. I like the idea.
I wonder how many glasses you can get out of one can of Plasti Dip.
What was the odor like when you lasered the PlastiDip?
I wonder if there are any toxicity issues with the lasering of this material. This would be worth confirming.
ÂÂÂÂÂ
EDITED: 21 Mar 2005 by DATAKES
From: UCONN Dave & Lynn too (DANDL48) [#10]
21 Mar 2005
To: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#7] 21 Mar 2005
Chuck,
You might want to check to see that it doesn't contain any PCB"s.
Dave
From: RickM (FLYER16612) [#11]
21 Mar 2005
To: ALL
From: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#12]
21 Mar 2005
To: RickM (FLYER16612) [#11] 21 Mar 2005
Rick,
Welcome to the forum. I will start a new thread associated with your question about your LaserPro. This question will take this thread off topic.
From: Rodney Gold (RODNEY_GOLD) [#13]
21 Mar 2005
To: RickM (FLYER16612) [#11] 21 Mar 2005
to all:
I use paper application tapes for compound curved stuff. Resists a blast very nicely (carborundum , very fine grit) , lasers real quick (you can even set the power to very low to get a brown marked test lasering without going thru) and it conforms quite nicely , rubs off in a tick when wet.
For real complex stuff we cut panels and apply them. Masking tape works well too
Nice thing about both is that the laser leaves a residue and you know you got a decent blast depth and you havent damged the resist (worn thru) as the residue clears in the blast cabinet , it's plainly visible.
To rick: Which laser did you get. I have experience with the mercury and the explorer.
From: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#14]
21 Mar 2005
To: RickM (FLYER16612) [#11] 21 Mar 2005
Hi Rick,
Welcome to EE. You will find this to be a great neighborhood, and like any community the more you get involved the more you get back. There are lots of great people here with vast experience......I have learned a lot, and made a lot of friends.....
Anyway, as to the plasti dip, there was no weeding. I simply rubbed the dip off with my thumbs when I was finished.
I blasted the glass at 35psi.
From: John (ICTJOHN) [#15]
21 Mar 2005
To: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#2] 21 Mar 2005
David,
That is what I have been looking for without any luck. I would like to laser (reverse engrave) the mask - THEN apply it to the article to be sandblasted.
I have some curved glass with a photo holder that has too much of a curve to put into my laser and keep it in focus. Let me know if you or anyone else finds a product like this.
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#16]
21 Mar 2005
To: John (ICTJOHN) [#15] 21 Mar 2005
John,
That would, without a doubt, be the hot item (laser image, then apply to substrate).
Shelf life of traditional photo-resist is very limited. The laserable mask doesn't have as finite a shelf life (if any at all).
Seems like a variation of Chuck Burke's ("Plasti-Dip") idea on a carrier, could be lased, then an adhesive (spray?) could be applied to the surface and applied to a substrate ala vinyl lettering.
Should be flexible and durable enough.
David "The Stunt Engraver" Lavaneri
DGL Engraving
Port Hueneme, CA
From: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#17]
21 Mar 2005
To: Rodney Gold (RODNEY_GOLD) [#13] 22 Mar 2005
Rodney,
Are you saying mask the glass with TAPE? Then laser and blast?
I wonder why that would not work, since we use the tape to hold the resist anyway. I think I might try just taping a glass and see what happens
From: laserman (MIKEMAC) [#18]
21 Mar 2005
To: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#17] 21 Mar 2005
Chuck,
I think the cleaning after the fact might be the reason. When tape is lasered it gets soft or mushy and then becomes hard to clean not Impossible but difficult.
From: Rodney Gold (RODNEY_GOLD) [#19]
22 Mar 2005
To: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#17] 22 Mar 2005
Yeh , we use el cheapo paper based application tape used in the vinyl sign industry or masking tape - we were told it couldnt possibly work (by one of the top USA based blasting "teachers" who shall remain nameless;) But it works a treat.
The problem is overblasting , IE you cant blast the stuff forever and a day before it wears thru , but it doesnt take a long time to know exactly when to stop (when you see the residue clear).
In a pinch there is another option , but it is not recommended.
Buy polymeric cast vinyl (very thin and flexible) which you can use to wrap over a compound surface (you can actually wrap a ball with the stuff with a hair dryer to heat it) and laser it , it releases Chlorine and this combines with moisture to form hydrochloric acid , both the gas and the acid are bad news for you and the laser but if you really need it , it works.
From: Rodney Gold (RODNEY_GOLD) [#20]
22 Mar 2005
To: laserman (MIKEMAC) [#18] 23 Mar 2005
The paper tapes dont get mushy when lasering them , and cleaning after is a snap , you just wet the glass and all the tape comes off with a light rub.
From: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#21]
22 Mar 2005
To: Rodney Gold (RODNEY_GOLD) [#19] 22 Mar 2005
Rodney,
Thanks for your tip. I will know tomorrow how well this Plasti Dip works. It worked pretty good the first time, but there were very minor flaws that I was not going to accept. ( If I won't accept them, my customer won't).
I'll let you know how it works out. If it doesn't I will try the tape idea.
This is my first job, and WHY!!!! does it have to be so frustrating. :)
Thanks
From: Rodney Gold (RODNEY_GOLD) [#22]
22 Mar 2005
To: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#21] 22 Mar 2005