Laser etching my SS gear

[Ulfhedinn]

Can anyone recommend a place in the Inland Empire that can laser etch my Stainless steel gear. I wanna put my initials on some of my gear. <backplate for example> Went to a place recommend to me in Redlands and was told that there laser wasn't hot enough.

Thanks!

[b1gcountry]

I don't know, but you could probably acid etch it yourself at home.

http://www.wikihow.com/Acid-Etch-Steel

Tom

[TobinGeorge]

Can anyone recommend a place in the Inland Empire that can laser etch my Stainless steel gear. I wanna put my initials on some of my gear. <backplate for example> Went to a place recommend to me in Redlands and was told that there laser wasn't hot enough.

Thanks!

You need a fairly high power CO2 lazar and a LMM pretreat. Many job shops don't have these. Additionally SS can be hard to mark, and the results can be disappointing, making many job shops reluctant.

Tobin

[Ulfhedinn]

thanks for the info. There is a Dive company in Britan that does an excellant job on this. Once I saw the pics online I thought it would be a great idea. The few shops I have been to told me they didnt not have a powerful enough lazer.

"the search continues"

I have the artistic ability of a box of sand so If I tried to etch it with acid I am sure I would create quite a mess.

[gsk3]

All I'm asking for are giant sharks...with laser beams* strapped to their foreheads.

* Capable of etching SS.

[AlanReeves]

For laser engraving stainless steel, one of the best solutions is to use a Fiber laser. Most of what is available at local shops are CO2 lasers which do great engraving many materials but does not work with bare metals due to the wavelength of the laser.

Fiber lasers have a wavelength 1/10th of the CO2. The shorter wavelength makes it great for bare metals but pretty much unusable for many other materials including wood. Plus, a Fiber laser will actually remove the metal.

A CO2 laser will work but it needs a marking compound. Basically, there is a spray/tape/paint that you can put on stainless steel and when hit with a laser, it leave a bonded, permanent mark. One of the most popular brands is CerMark (http://www.cermarc.com/). On that site, you can see a few examples.

My suggestion is to find someone with a Fiber laser since it will actually remove some metal and in my opinion, leave a more permanent mark. I'm sure you can find someone local but if not, In A Flash Laser(http://inaflashlaser.com) in Virginia has a Fiber laser and can do the work or answer questions you have. They do mostly iPad engraving, but will do custom stuff.

[Ulfhedinn]

For laser engraving stainless steel, one of the best solutions is to use a Fiber laser. Most of what is available at local shops are CO2 lasers which do great engraving many materials but does not work with bare metals due to the wavelength of the laser.

Fiber lasers have a wavelength 1/10th of the CO2. The shorter wavelength makes it great for bare metals but pretty much unusable for many other materials including wood. Plus, a Fiber laser will actually remove the metal.

A CO2 laser will work but it needs a marking compound. Basically, there is a spray/tape/paint that you can put on stainless steel and when hit with a laser, it leave a bonded, permanent mark. One of the most popular brands is CerMark (http://www.cermarc.com/). On that site, you can see a few examples.

My suggestion is to find someone with a Fiber laser since it will actually remove some metal and in my opinion, leave a more permanent mark. I'm sure you can find someone local but if not, In A Flash Laser(http://inaflashlaser.com) in Virginia has a Fiber laser and can do the work or answer questions you have. They do mostly iPad engraving, but will do custom stuff.

Thanks Alan
I will take a look at the IN A Flash if I am unable to locate a local shop.

[b1gcountry]

I've got a really nice laser pointer if you wanna try that