So I tried your technique with a 5.5 W diode laser and embossing powder for paper crafts and it worked too😊 thank you for the inspiration to give it a try
Would you share the settings you used with your 5.5 Watt diode laser? I have a 5.5 watt diode laser also and it would give me a nice starting point. Thank you in advance!
@@djjohnny8149 Settings: 2.800 to 3.000 speed and 20% power. I‘ve tried different embossing powders and achieved the best results with crafts & co powder. Just make sure to clean the laser afterwards🙂
Being a former printer for 30 years, I been looking for something I can do on my own that I could be good at. This could be it, thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience. Best Wishes, Tim
I watched this video then bought some small jars of powder paint. Just finished my first trial. It came out great. I did 2 coats and it filled nicely. Although 1 coat was good, 2 coats covered the wood grain better. I'll be trying a multi-color design next. Thanks for the video!
Howdy pard' For the record I've watched a few of your videos and genuinely appreciate your 'brand' of sharing the information you do with us heathens. And you do a fine job of speaking in a non-condescending tone as well. Kudos for that. Your technique share in this video is one I've already brain-bashed a wee bit myself...you just did the precursor work for me and again, that is appreciated. As a now retired Architect/Engineer it is my curse to pick apart techniques. And the only critique I have of your methods are the physical contact with the project whilst drawing the "hard card" across the face of the piece. That is the only primary weakness in your methodology. You were obviously adept at doing so but it would be so easy for the piece to move ever so slightly. For me personally that's not an issue because I secure my pieces down using a woodworking technique I'm used to using but others should be wary of that ever so slight direct contact. It also appears that the colourization shrinks down below the surface (which is good) allowing for top coating the final piece. MANY thanks for taking the time to share this with the rest of us and confirm my theory at the same time....because of your efforts, I will be Subscribing!
This is really a fantastic idea. Much like Tim below, I'm a former screen printer of 20+ years, and screen printing is an area where you have to improvize with materials and inks, invent jigs for different objects etc. Still, although I've bought a number of powder coat paints and the gun you described accurately enough, and that I do have a K40 laser, I never thought of trying this, and I can't wait to try it. I'm really happy I stumbled upon your clip, thanks! I liked it and subscribed, don't want to miss the next idea:)
This channel is growing because of your innovation. I have been researching lasers and was looking to find a way to make leather patches with color. So hopefully this will work on leather. If so then I'm all in!
Thank You for the support, I did mention I tried it on leather and my results where not that spectacular, but maybe you can keep tinkering with this process as a starting point and get it the way you want. Good Luck.!
@@LaserEngraving911 I'm going to try creating a leather emboss/deboss die, stamping the leather with a press, filling the debossed area with powder coat and then trying a melt run with the laser. Could export the die file as SVG and then invert it for the color melt.
but not many will listen to that type of warning, even when this guy even says at start he is not a expert.. too bad he showing to use laser when theres a easier way
@@kenthomas4479He's showing what people can do with a laser that people already have. How else would you do this without paint using a laser cutter? Without using a blowtorch and sanding
Have you tried using the "print and cut" option in lightburn? Would allow taking project out of laser, apply powder and then returning to laser. I have an xTool D1 and will attempt this process. As previously noted could be an issue with the fan in the laser head. Will see. Thanks though, like the process.
So very cool! Thank you also for talking about what DIDN'T work, namely leather. I was hoping you found a way to make that happen, but if YOU can't do it, I know i can't! 😂 I enjoyed this video!
This is absolutely the best engraving idea I have seen yet!! I am new to the engraving world and am also an Epilog user as well!! Thanks so much and look forward to more great info from you --- thank you :)))
I'm jumping into engraving as hobby, maybe side business, and your sample pack is perfect for experimenting! It's on the way! Thanks for doing that. I used to run a graphics studio plus did screen print production for a while, and I'm looking forward to getting back into production.
Awesome! Just tried a test piece and it worked great after a bit of trial. Going out to get some more colors tomorrow! Thanks so much for the video. And yes, like you said below - NO air. I normally have about 4psi on with air 'off' just to keep the lens clear but even that was enough to blow the powder away.
@@LaserEngraving911 Been playing with the technique all afternoon, just realized if you defocus the laser by a few millimeters, the powder coat looks much nicer. I only have jet black to play with right now but the defocused test looks much better than all my other ones.
@@colleenkidd956 With the powder coat, you’re not really engraving. Normally the air is to keep fine particles, smoke, and other debris out of the nozzle to keep it clean. Once you get to the powder coat, the laser power is meant to be so low, you’re not engraving, but just melting the powder paint. There shouldn’t be any debris whatsoever, so in this case it should be safe.
If you are concerned about movement, you could always take a queue from us CNC engravers and use some of that blue masking tape, CA glue and accelerator to make double sided tape. This way you'd have a simple hold down that won't get in the way and it easy to remove when you are done.
@@LaserEngraving911 You put one piece of blue tape down on your bed and one piece of blue tape on your material. The CA (super) glue you add a line our two on the tape you placed on the bed, away from the edges so it doesn't squeeze out. On the tape on your material you spray the activator. On most material the activator doesn't leave any residue but always test first. Then you line up your material over the tape on your bed and press down. The activator and CA glue react in a few seconds and bond together. It is surprisingly strong for just being masking tape. When you are done, a little force to pull away and the tape will let go off the bed or the material first and then you peel off the other. Most painter's and masking tapes leave little to no residue unlike other double sided tapes.
I second this hold down method. I use the tape hold down method for both cnc carving and laser engraving. I haven't tried the powder coat filling yet but it looks like it's a great option to doing epoxy inlays. Thanks for the idea. I wonder how cerakote would work. 🤔 that would open yet another possibility, perhaps even be the answer to filling metal since they have some that require low or not heat.
That is great. I experimented with this a few months ago and had some success with white tile. Your technique here should make this much easier and better. Oh, the powdered paint sticks very well to tile. I will try working with acrylic next. Thanks for the tips and instructions.
Very interested in knowing how this does on acrylic. I'm going through various infill techniques for acrylic a nd most of them just don't work that well. Some require too much time/labour to get a good result.
@@kennuimuffins2426 This one works pretty good, I also like masking and using acrylic paint for filling acrylic, I have a video on that way too. Thanks!
Thank you for your videos I bought a xtool s1 for the kids this will open their creativity can't wait for the delivery Jan 10th and upload videos of the kids using it Cheers Dave
Hey, cool technique. Thanks for sharing. I've tried on leather before and works well, also on painted MDF. Tip: You can apply the powder without the first engrave and the melting plastic bonds to the surface.
I decided I wanted to build cribbage boards in my garage and have been trying to figure out a cool way to make colorful tracks. This video solidified my decision to buy a 10W diode laser which I just got all set up... Super excited to give this a go! Thank you!
How did that diode work out for you? I ask because the diode lasers have a cooling fan that usually blows down into the subject you are lasering, so I am worried that the poweder will blow out of the engravings.
Ok guys, this method works with Creality 10W laser module. I made speed/ power test grid and it seems that the effect looks better on higher power/ higher speed. I guess it’s because of higher penetration
Super idea! I'm waiting on my sample paint to arrive and I will be video taping the process. I will be using a 15W Diode laser so my results will be unique. I will post a link to it once it's done (successful or not).
I have the Atomstack x7 Pro, and I would think the cooling fan on to of the head might provide enough draft to give issues on blowing the powder out. Certainly worth a try though.
So I have an Ortur Master 2, 15W engraver. I've been 'experimenting' with the powder coating paint I bought from you...(I'm going to need to order more soon). I managed to find a perfect solution to the cooling fan 'issue', which I figured out from the start. I'm in the process of recording video of my process and I'll be providing a link back to this video so others can buy your paint samples and begin their journey into painting by powder. Once I get my videos done, I'll launch my RU-vid channel starting with this process. Thank you for sharing!
In my desperate time of need, you've really inspired me, we have tried all the other methods and laser dark (it never fails to "bleed") I've sent your top 10 reasons laser engraver business fails and this one to my partner. We have really struggled to keep going, between life events that have happened and not making enough money to keep the business going, to the lack of feeling the spark again
Thanks Ashley! That is really nice to hear, Im glad I could be some inspiration, and thank you for sharing your truth! We must learn form all our mistakes to get better at whatever it is that we do! I've had my share! and those mistakes have made me a better engraver over time!
@LaserEngraving911 you're welcome, and thank you for replying! In an attempt to get more awareness of our company, I made a RU-vid channel a few days ago! One video so far, which was actually made and intended more for social media 😅 if you are interested, Urban Heart Designs. Whether you che k it out or not, I really appreciate your reply to my comment 😊😁
Awesome idea. I cannot wait to try. One question. Do you turn your air off when doing the powder part? Otherwise would the air flow blowe the powder out? Thanks
Nice! I think I'll try running job 1 to engrave recess as normal (with air assist on) and then run job 2 (same art) w/ color mapping in the Epilog driver turned ON: set with the 13%p/90s/400dpi (or equiv for your machine) and UNCHECK air assist... 💗🐰👍
That’s pretty amazing! I wonder if embossing powder would work as well?? It’s used for papercrafting usually and you use heat to melt it. Hmmm…might have to give it a try! Great video! Thanks for sharing!
Yes, it does work. I have been doing it with my diode laser for a couple of years - the hard part is finding the right settings via trial and error, different colors required different settings as well (at least for diode lasers)
I do powder coating on equipment I build. It’s a great way to protect the surface. I have a bad habit of buying new colors. I must have over 100 by now. By the way, generally, mixing colors doesn’t work well for normal coating for several reasons. I’m thinking of buying a laser engraver. Not for pro use though, just to engrave parts and such. You can fill metal with powder. The metal can be sprayed on the surface, and removed as you do it. Then can be placed in the oven, or heated from the front on a low air setting and around a 600 degree setting on the hot air gun. Wave it back and forth about three inches away from the surface for several minutes after it melts. That heats the metal too. I engrave mechanically and so get a deep cut, around 0.03”. I don’t know how deeply the low power engravers would engrave. But you can paint on the surface just by coating it with powder, using the laser to melt it, remove the excess and then heat as I said above. That works. I’m looking forward to trying this.
I assume you need to turn the air assist off to keep from blowing the powder around, have you had any issues with the focal lens after doing this? Just a bit worried that the fumes from the paint melting may deposit on the lens.
@@LaserEngraving911 I tried to turn off my air assist in the layers section of lightburn and it still blows the powder coating out of the engraving. Any suggestions?
@@melissahumes4912 if you have a Mira you have to disconnect the air hose it constantly blows. Not sure what laser you have, but still not getting good results trying to melt the powder myself
Hmmm, as long as the laser power your using only melts the powder coat paint and doesn't burn the glitter it should work I would think. What a cool Idea!
Hello I was wondering since your not heating the paint will it eventually fall out or fade away down the line? I received a post from a gentleman who believes it’s gonna be messy in the end. Here is his message to me: I do powder and ceramic coatings for a living and that video was honestly hard to watch. There’s virtually no way to get lasting results from this method (aside from luck) as the substrate has to reach the cure temperature of the powder to get a bond. All powders have a specific gel/cure temperature and there’s no way to regulate that with a laser. Not trying to be a downer because you can get it to melt and look cool. Just want to advise folks to be careful selling projects like this because when an under or over cured powder fails, you will have some unhappy customers.
@@mattlikewise9431 I would say that even though your friend who sent you this has much more experience with coating metals , he does not have experience first hand with this process, and has not tried it himself most likely and is comparing the process for coating metals with this process, which is a different substrate, and used for a complete different purpose than coating metal parts, this process is a way to add long lasting color to your engrave on wood and acylic, not metal, and the things you will most likely color will not be used in the same way that powder coated metal items will be used, so the need to cure like you do on metal is mute. The melted paint stay in the engraving just fine for this purpose and does not flake out, or fade away like your fellow assumes. Unless you run your laser too hot and burn it up. Hope that helps answer your questions, and I hope you get a chance to try this method and see for your self what I mean. Good Luck!
Very cool. I've been curious about the longevity of just this method. (application into wood). I've been mostly curious about different finishes and their interactions with the final "powder coat". I wonder if there would be any loss of adhesion with an oil finish vs a water based finish. IDK ... Perhaps a pull test? Haha. Keep up the great work man!
I am getting my laser tomorrow and for the last week i have spent hours on my graphics program designing test plates for all sorts of stuff, like depth cut on XXX wood vs speed and power engraving tones, so and so on, with this one Im gonna need another few, I think its abt 30 test plates by now, lol.
Your drawing of the powder coat paint-gun made me laugh so hard I almost fell of my chair!! 😀 very funny, but the idea is awesome! Will definitely use this idea somewhere...
I have been trying a LIGHT application of Spray 77 (3M) adhesive, then sprinkle powder coat thru a stretched cotton filter media where I want the color. This is for images, have to be artistic! Working several images of Mandelbrot sequences and so far great results. Clean completed burn(s) w/ Mr Clean magic eraser and light water, then air compressor.
You mentioned in your conclusion unsuccessful with metal, did you use a power coating gun to apply the powder? Hey, thanks for the video, this technique is excellent and simple.
Great idea! It struck me when I saw this that you could do a sort of laser version of silkscreen printing on metal. Using a normal powder coat gun, coat a piece of metal, then use the laser to selectively cure the powder to produce the desired 'print'. The excess powder could be brushed off for reuse. I came across this video looking for laser cut polyimide (heat resistant) stencils to produce lettering using powder coating. However this method looks easier. A couple of points to note however. 1. Powder coat plastics are usually thermoset, rather than thermoplastic. I.e. when they melt and fuse together, they undergo a polymerisation reaction which sets them solid. Heating them again does not melt them. Thermoplastics can be melted again. The other point is that powder coat paints take time to properly cure. The manufacturer's data will normally specify a range of temperatures that it needs to be 'cooked' at. The time is usually around 10 minutes. 2. Using the laser going as fast as you show may melt the powder, but it might not cure it. Depending on the powder type (polyester or epoxy are common) acetone can be used to test whether the powder is cured. Acetone will not affect properly cured powder coat (although some epoxy type are soluble in acetone even when set), but uncured powder coat is soluble in acetone.
The laser wont bond it to the metal. Cool Idea though, yes correct on the curing, the laser does not cure the powder, to do that you would have to place your object in the oven, which is dicey depending on what the object is you engraving. a piece of wood probly ok, someone's jewelry box prob not ok. Im glad my video got you thinking in new creative ways! Thank you for commenting.!
Good demo video We tried this in our shop about 10 yrs ago but majority of our customers dealt with metal parts and never tried with wood. We had iffy success but nothing worth pursuing so of course busy with other projects so got forgotten. Good video you did.👍
Great idea! I do some diy powder coating and some laser engraving, too. I look forward to try it for myself thanks to your video! Best wishes from Germany 🇩🇪
@LaserEngraving911 Not really considering the lack of funds I have and the fact that in my area loans and such are nigh impossible to get for anything but a new vehicle or house.
Oh wow man thanks alot. You just made me look stupid for buying a $60,000 UV printer to do the same thing (sorta, there are other use cases but for this process...I like your organic approach better). We just discovered your channel today so I'm just perusing. We're on our 2nd Fuson Pro, 36X48, and we like your insight, Keep it up dude!
So all over my Powder I purchased (from Eastwood) there are explosion warnings...sparks and all. Do you think it's ok for use in a laser? Is that just a warning....;-)
Hey dude! You give me a very brilliant idea! I've been figuring out the way to "print" color with my laser and you come up with this. And you know what.... I will even try multiple color in one design. Thanks a lot!
Hi! I enjoyed your great video about engraving with powdercoat paint! Great job! Does it work with 'special' paints too, like metallic or chrome effect paint ?
Not so sure about that, however if you choose to do that make sure that every little speck of powder outside of your intended color area is cleaned off first, because unlike the using the laser to melt, your heat gun will melt everything on the surface and inside the engraved area, and you cannot get a precise as the laser can when melting. Unless you want little spots of powder coating paint melted all around your intended area, I would stick with the laser to melt it.
This amazing idea might actually save us from buying or outsourcing for UV printing! I can’t wait till I try that on acrylic. Thank you sir for sharing this with us.
Great idea and a great video to explore a new adventure. I recently came across your videos and they are very informative, so now I am a subscriber. I will purchase the sample and begin my exploration. One question, if you mix the powder, does it maintain its own color or does it blend together? Thanks again!
