They are really cute sometimes… Sometimes
Your first right?
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Excited for all three of you! I guess there won’t be any videos of you diving into snowdrifts this winter, though… 
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Adorable!! And, yes, it’s the first for both of us. Wish us luck!
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you can put a coat of Resolene on the front and back to seal it so it stops rubbing off. Is that a piece of English Bridle?
my two cents, if the pro model can infact be controlled at low enough power to effectively “etch” standard 20# printer paper, you shouldn’t have an issue “etching” VEGTANNED calfskin. I cannot wait to get my grubby little stained hands on my pro to see what this will do!
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I wrote that comment in Dec 2015. Since then the low power engrave settings were enabled. It’s a coincidence that I engraved a calf skin banjo head this morning for the first time. There was still room to lower the power further if I should choose.
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So, this is quite a thread but I’m not seeing what i am trying to figure out.
I have some white deerskin that I’d like to engrave It’s very soft stuff, though, not suede, and I believe it’s a split. In any case, it cuts super easily, so I got that part set. What happens when I engrave is that it’s beautiful until I touch it, then the char/ash from the engrave smears everywhere and it’s white no more.
Anyone got any tips for how to better seal the leather (pre-treated?) so I can wipe it off, or maybe a cleaning agent for after the engrave?
Also, i find that my masking material is way too sticky on this and I fear that it might stick too hard, and stretch or damage the hide. Luckily, the cut leaves almost no residue or marks, so I don’t know if masking is necessary. Maybe the process of pretreating will make the hide adhere a bit less to the transfer paper, maybe not.
One thing at a time, I guess. 
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Deerskin is typically very soft. Split leather will have a suede like texture on both sides, so if it has a suede side and a finished/grain side, then it’s not a split (did that make sense? Not sure if I explained that clearly)
Most deerskin that I’ve encountered is either chrome tan (no bueno to laser) or brain tan. The latter is fairly uncommon, and its defining qualities are a super soft texture (almost like chamois cloth), a distinct smoky smell, and a suede-like texture on both sides.
I have engraved unmasked leather with good success, and I’ve heard the same from quite a few others here. With that said, I think if your masking is really doing a number on the surface of your leather, you should be fine to skip it. Might want to test on a small scrap, just to be safe.
Probably the most important consideration in all of this: Brain tan should be safe to laser, while chrome tan is likely not a good choice due the chemicals used in the tanning process. Are you able to ask your supplier for more info about the tannage?
I think I addressed all of your questions (sorry if I skipped around a bit). Can’t promise that my answers are correct, but hopefully they lend a little insight. Good luck! 
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Thanks for the info, and yeah chrome tan stuff is apparently not great to breathe… that being said, I am pretty well vented, it’s a small piece, and this is a one-off, so I’m not too worried about it. It came from Tandy, so I am guessing it’s chrome, since they carry a ton of chrome stuff it seems.
I’m just trying to figure out how to do it without the char turning the leather grey. :-/
Hmm as for it not being a split… i thought splits were literally just split right down the middle? It would stand to reason that you’d get a “double suede” side and a “one side finished, the other not” piece out of it? IDK, I am a total leather newbie, so I’m probably wrong.
It’s thin stuff and cuts super easily is all I know. Now if I can just figure out how to keep it white… this might be a lost cause.
If only they’d sell reasonably-sized pieces of oil tanned leather, this wouldn’t be an issue. I just don’t need a whole cow, but I need more than remnants.
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Oh, right - I forgot that you said that the hide is white. I wonder if you could just lay a sheet of parchment paper on top (or vellum or some such) and hold that down with magnets? It’d give you a bit of a buffer without the sticky bits from the masking.
Just how thin is this piece? Is it possible that it’s goat or pig, rather than deerskin? Both are especially thin - even thinner than PG “thin” leather.
You’ve got the basic concept. A split is the part that’s left over after a hide has been skivved (or “split”) down to a thinner weight, but it’s not always “straight down the middle” so does not always yield two equal hides. Likewise, the finish will not be the same on both sides. FE, let’s say the natural hide is 10 oz but the customer needs a 4 oz hide for their project. The tannery/shop might skiv that down to the desired thickness for them, yielding the 4 oz top grain hide that the customer requested + the 6 oz split piece (which is now suede on both sides). “Split” leather will always be suede on both sides because the term refers to that bottom/leftover piece. The top piece with the grain would be considered a “full grain” hide.
You might check with Springfield Leather for larger pieces of oil tan. I think they’ll even custom cut to your desired size.
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I’ve cut parchment paper and what will happen is the air assist blows/sucks it up. If you’re doing nice long cuts it’s easily manageable with magnets. If you’re doing anything intricate, or something that will “free” a slice of paper, you may add flaming, swirling parchment paper to the mix. While entertaining in a, “oh my I didn’t know that could happen,” way it can also be frustrating.
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Have you tried a light spritz of quilt basting spray on the parchment paper? (Repositionable temporary adhesive spray for fabrics, not nearly as sticky as making paper)
Let it dry thoroughly before lasering - flammable fumes.
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No, I was cutting the parchment paper to line some gift boxes and tins, so I don’t care. I just put magnets in the middle. Every once in a while an edge blows up into the path and wrecks a liner, but so what: I buy it by the football field. So far none of the giftees has died, grown extra parts or turned into a zombie, but I hold out hope.
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I had a few giftees like that 
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Check out Acadia Leather. They occasionally run specials. While you said you don’t need a whole side, I picked up a whole side of oil tanned 5 oz leather for $50 shipped a few weeks back. Looks like great stuff.
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I spent a summer in Stonington, (and a bunch of time all around downeast) so I’m already into it based on name alone. Thanks!
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Here’s another company: Maverick Leather.
They are having some good deals for $2 Tuesday:
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We cut a ton of different types of leather. The smell is beyond and i do recommend a high quality mask.
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This topic predates actual Glowforges in houses by a lot of time.
So I have a large stash of leather, beautiful in journals.
Probably chrome-tanned? Origin uncertain.
I know the line, "no chrome-tanned."
I also know that you shouldn’t stick food in a laser that has been used on non-food.
I know what the friendly-neighborhood lawyers say.
I also know that its at my own risk…
But how bad is chrome-tanned leather?
Is it truly doomsday? Will it melt my electronics?
Or is it just not recommended?
How about one-offs vs. daily regular use?
Is it on the scale of no-no as Vinyl, for example?
Is there anybody who would care to share the results of an experiment with “recycled” or “leathers of unsure origins?”
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