Been a while since Iāve posted anything, Iām a little more active on my Instagram, so if you would like to follow me there Iāll let ya! Rayās Prints
Not that I donāt like posting here, I just feel like itās a little underwhelming not having a huge story involved, and thatās what stops me from posting because I donāt have the motivation to write out the whole story behind my latest projects haha
Anyway, I bought a couple of cheapo bamboo cutting boards from Walmart a few weeks back and theyāve been sitting on death row ever since. I did one search on the forum for some settings, decided āscrew itā and went ahead and did my own settings. I didnāt put too much thought into it; figured 1000speed full power at 340lpi would suffice, and so I set the settings for my .285" board and hit print. 38ish mins later new life was put into this decorative cutting board! The settings may have been a bit extreme as the engrave went near an 1/8th" deep, but I donāt actually intend to use the board for more than decoration/example to show off the laserās capabilities, but I think it came out stellar. I also figured what better design to test with than my personal logo!
Note: I did not mask this, not for lack of tryingā¦the masking I have refused to stick to the board, so again I had a screw it moment and just engraved directly into the bamboo. In hindsight I should have taken a pic of the before as well as the after, but it is what it is. I used 90% isopropyl alcohol and a rag to do the clean up. As you can see it cleaned up well!
Edit: Decided to add a couple more photos, as well as an update on the additions I made!
Nice! More fun, but as you said, not a board to use (at least on the etched side).
FYI, I just use an old toothbrush & wash the soot out in my sink for most materials I etch & cut (leathers, usually).
I donāt mess with the inside of the engrave usually, but the rag and alcohol go a long way. I added the glowforge name and logo and did a before and after of the results. The larger logo had much more residue, but this gives a good idea on what you can get with a little rub a dub dubšš½
I imagined going against my better judgement and thought about the results of using the etched side. I can tell you that my mental kitchen ended in chaos and children crying, so I will continue to use this as a display piece
Oooooh, yeah. Right. Well I can tell you a sure fire way is using full power and a higher lpi! May also just be the brand that weāre using is different, so whoās to say.
Nice job!
Itās pretty amazing how well these inexpensive bamboo cutting boards come out, isnāt it?
As for cleanup, I find it easier to not need to have to. I mask my boards before I cut 'em and that works great IMHO.
What masking are you using, because it seems like youāve cracked a code! Iām all for masking custom projects, but the masking I have refused to stick to the bamboo.
I just run an orbital sander with 220 grit on it. Fast to cleanup. And then I do a butcher block oil treatment (mineral oil, linseed oil & beeswax mix).
When I first got my āforge I tried regular olā beige masking tape. I got it 2" wide so I could easily mask things. Iāll tell ya, I havenāt met a material that it didnāt work great on! Iāve absolutely used it on bamboo cutting boards of all different brands without any issue.
Yeah, I was just thinking I need a good sander for another project.
You can use @Tom_Aās Howardās recommendation - itās good stuff but you can make the same for a couple of bucks. Regardless heat it up in the microwave before you apply it. The wood will absorb more.
My formula is 3 cups Mineral Oil (food grade - buy at the drugstore or supermarket) and 8 oz beeswax. Heat it in a saucepan and mix when melted. Pour it in a jar/tub/tin. If you want to use it without heating you may want to drop the beeswax in half so it stays mushier. A 50/50 mix of mineral oil & linseed oil with the beeswax is good for a harder finish but takes longer to fully set.
Both formulas are better than pure mineral oil (which is also in option) because the way/linseed oil hardens whereās mineral oil just evaporates over a long period. Howardās uses a mix of beeseax & carnuaba wax as their wax component.
I mask my boards before I cut 'em and that works great IMHO.