OT: Fun With Lasers

CTMike

Burned these wine tumblers for some dear friends:

https://imgur.com/a/pi2taXF

Sorry for the hyperlink but I can’t figure out how to embed videos.

Ozzie_Isaac

Those are awesome!  How do you just burn off the coating and not damage the underlayment?

CTMike

Ozzie_Isaac said:

Those are awesome!  How do you just burn off the coating and not damage the underlayment?

The CO2 lasers I have will not engrave or mark metals (unless you apply something like Ceramark) so just find the right combination of speed, power, and focus distance and go to town. Then hit it with some LA Awesome cleaner and SS polish. Some acetone on a q-tip will remove any stubborn powder coat residue left behind. 

RRP

Ozzie_Isaac said:

Those are awesome!  How do you just burn off the coating and not damage the underlayment?

And as dummy here,,,how do you design your pattern and then transfer those instructions to your laser…or is ALL of this beyond what my feeble mind can understand? 

kl8ton

Are you burning the Yeti logo or was it already there? 😉

CTMike

RRP said:

Ozzie_Isaac said:

Those are awesome!  How do you just burn off the coating and not damage the underlayment?

And as dummy here,,,how do you design your pattern and then transfer those instructions to your laser…or is ALL of this beyond what my feeble mind can understand? 

Most of my designs are either bought from Etsy (for a couple dollars) in a vector format (.svg, .eps, etc) or screen captured from the web. Then uploaded into my laser driver software (I use LightBurn - there are a couple others). Manipulate the design as desired for sizing, placement, rotation, etc and then LightBurn converts the files to movement of the laser head on the X and Y axis (when engraving/cutting flat objects), and when to pulse the laser on and off. When burning a cylindrical device such as these, the Y axis commands are used to drive a rotary device to rotate the tumbler as the head moves along the X axis. 

CTMike

kl8ton said:

Are you burning the Yeti logo or was it already there? 😉

Not sure if that’s a serious question, I’m thinking you’re joking. 😎

If I am doing a full-wrap design (360 degrees around the circumference), I will cover the logo with aluminum HVAC tape that this type of laser can’t penetrate and just lay the design over the logo area. Peel the tape when finished and the logo is unharmed. 

lousubcap

Impressive skill set right there.  Thanks for the explanations above.

Corv

I used to work at a laser company. A sign in the lab said "Don't look into laser with remaining eye."

JohnInCarolina

Corv said:

I used to work at a laser company. A sign in the lab said "Don't look into laser with remaining eye."

There’s no lesson in the loss of a second eye.

CTMike

JohnInCarolina said:

Corv said:

I used to work at a laser company. A sign in the lab said "Don't look into laser with remaining eye."

There’s no lesson in the loss of a second eye.

Just proof of someone’s repeated stupidity. 

CTMike

A quick video of the laser tube firing.

https://imgur.com/gallery/w0KVcsc

 The tube is filled with CO2, N2, He, and water vapor in a specific ratio. To make the tube lase 25KV DC excitation is applied. 

Because of the large amount of heat generated, the tube is cooled with water from a dedicated chiller set to maintain a specific temperature band for maximum efficiency and tube life. 

JohnInCarolina

CTMike said:

A quick video of the laser tube firing.

https://imgur.com/gallery/w0KVcsc

 The tube is filled with CO2, N2, He, and water vapor in a specific ratio. To make the tube lase 25KV DC excitation is applied. 

Because of the large amount of heat generated, the tube is cooled with water from a dedicated chiller set to maintain a specific temperature band for maximum efficiency and tube life. 

Ozzie_Isaac

JohnInCarolina said:

CTMike said:

A quick video of the laser tube firing.

https://imgur.com/gallery/w0KVcsc

 The tube is filled with CO2, N2, He, and water vapor in a specific ratio. To make the tube lase 25KV DC excitation is applied. 

Because of the large amount of heat generated, the tube is cooled with water from a dedicated chiller set to maintain a specific temperature band for maximum efficiency and tube life. 

Perhaps the greatest scientific move of my generation.

JohnInCarolina

Ozzie_Isaac said:

JohnInCarolina said:

CTMike said:

A quick video of the laser tube firing.

https://imgur.com/gallery/w0KVcsc

 The tube is filled with CO2, N2, He, and water vapor in a specific ratio. To make the tube lase 25KV DC excitation is applied. 

Because of the large amount of heat generated, the tube is cooled with water from a dedicated chiller set to maintain a specific temperature band for maximum efficiency and tube life. 

Perhaps the greatest scientific move of my generation.

It’s massively underrated.   

kl8ton

CTMike said:

kl8ton said:

Are you burning the Yeti logo or was it already there? 😉

Not sure if that’s a serious question, I’m thinking you’re joking. 😎

If I am doing a full-wrap design (360 degrees around the circumference), I will cover the logo with aluminum HVAC tape that this type of laser can’t penetrate and just lay the design over the logo area. Peel the tape when finished and the logo is unharmed. 

Yeah. Joking.... Like you are producing yeti knock offs.  How's your wife's health? I can't remember if you sold your camping rig or if you were planning on going back out on the road?

CTMike

kl8ton said:

CTMike said:

kl8ton said:

Are you burning the Yeti logo or was it already there? 😉

Not sure if that’s a serious question, I’m thinking you’re joking. 😎

If I am doing a full-wrap design (360 degrees around the circumference), I will cover the logo with aluminum HVAC tape that this type of laser can’t penetrate and just lay the design over the logo area. Peel the tape when finished and the logo is unharmed. 

Yeah. Joking.... Like you are producing yeti knock offs.  How's your wife's health? I can't remember if you sold your camping rig or if you were planning on going back out on the road?

Ahh, I was too thick-headed to pick up on your joke. She’s doing ok, thanks for asking. Sold the F-450 to pay for the conversion van we needed, and the Riverstone will be going up for sale in the spring. Once that is sold we plan to buy a Newmar Class A and tow her conversion van (with wheelchair loaded inside) behind it.