Even with an air pump, there will still be black edges, but a coat of paint can cover the original color.
I feel that placing a layer of gauze or something similar on the spray paint could help achieve a more natural gradient effect.
I tested a new engraving process on metal cards today. I use metal cards as the base material, spray a full coat of black paint on the surface, then blast off the paint layer with a laser to carve patterns.
I ran into plenty of troubles during the test, let me talk about all my failed attempts!
My original idea was to stick masking tape around four sides of the card as a cover, so the carved pattern would stay perfectly centered.
My first trial was a total flop. I didn’t use the card outline as a positioning reference, so the exposed carved area turned out crooked. Also, I’m not familiar with spray painting. I ripped the tape off right after spraying. The fresh black paint peeled off together with the tape, and the first card was totally ruined.
I learned my lesson in the second test and avoided peeling the paint off, but positioning was still tricky. Vertical alignment was fine, yet there was around 1mm horizontal offset. Besides, my laser speed setting was too high; I need to slow it down further to fully reveal the golden metal underneath.
Anyone who’s tried this laser & spray paint craft? I’ve got two questions to ask you guys:
1. How long do I need to wait after spraying before removing masking tape to prevent paint peeling?
2. Do you have any handy tricks to center metal cards accurately?
Feel free to share your practical experience in the comments, I’m looking forward to your advice!
I found some materials at home and used soft magnets, which made positioning a bit easier. However, the magnets aren't very strong, so the object still moves. Next time, I'll try using a strong magnet or holes cut into a wooden board for positioning.
Every carving session is exhausting; finding the right spot is driving me crazy. Does anyone have any good methods for quickly finding the right spot, using the existing conditions without a camera?
The position was set well today, quite centered, but it's still slightly to the upper right. Is there any way to adjust it?
The title and the first sentence are slightly misaligned, but the rest are fine.
This time I used Carverall's JL9 to carve Zoro from One Piece. I think the effect is pretty good. Are there any areas that need improvement?
I'm getting a bit tired of choosing what materials to carve lately. Besides wood and cork, what else can diodes be carved?
Now, use a small piece of iron to test
I was mainly testing detail engraving, but the final result ended up looking way better than I expected. The whole thing has a nice warm, cozy feel once it's put together.
Machine settings:
20W diode laser
100% power
150 mm/min
Would probably tweak a few things next time, but I'm pretty happy with this test.
I've started experimenting with this splicing, cutting, and laser engraving technique, and it seems pretty good. I'd like to ask where everyone finds their files—which websites? Besides Esty...
I have an image that I want to carve and then cut out. How do I set the image and mode? Since I only have a mobile phone, can I only operate it using a computer?
I happened to see someone sculpting clothes before, so I tried it out. I used the Carverall JL9 sculpting tool, However, the carving speed needs to be very fast; I used 25,000 mm/min, and it can only be done with pure cotton clothing. The cost is also quite high. You can try it, although I don't recommend it.