Is a Kamar Varnish spray coating safe to laser?

I’m using alcohol ink to color PG bass and Acrylic - I want to seal is with KAMAR Varnish before I laser - is this safe for GF and me? Thx!

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You need to download the MSDS (safety data sheet) and see what it contains.

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I would experiment with the ink, some alcohols are no problem, some will destroy the acrylic.

The ink seems to be ok - and cuts clean if I re-mask the painted side. Would like to be able to seal it before cutting.

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thx, eflyguy.
Any red flags that I should be looking for? I know chloride is one…

Acrylic spray might be the easiest.

Do you recommend a specific brand?

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PG Basswood already has a finish, as it were. Are you thinking of an outdoor application?

Not outdoor - but want to seal the ink

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Ahh, I see.

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I have used several and did not notice a difference.

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I’ve used numerous varnishes with no issue. That said, I’ve never used it on acrylic.

The SDS won’t tell you a ton on this because it’s primarily focused around the product as an aerosol. Once it dries, it’s completely different.

Any particular reason to not just seal it after?

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Thx! Lot’s of layered pieces - would be annoying to seal separately:(

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I use kamar to seal watercolor on primed plywood. It doesn’t seem to fully cure, as in, when I store the wood puzzle pieces together, they stick a tad bit when you take them out. Other than that, I find that painting it, masking it, lasering it, then removing the masking and spraying the varnish was the best method for me to get good results. Otherwise the masking sticks a bit after it is heated with the laser, and tends to pull the varnish off. Very not cool.

As for sealing the acrylic and alcohol ink, there is no need. I can wash my alcohol ink-dyed acrylic puzzle pieces with soap and water, and they are fine. Obviously don’t wash with alcohol or hand sanitizer though! I don’t mask the dyed acrylic when cutting, either.

Can’t wait to see what neat thing you are coming up with!

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Thanks, Jamely!
The ‘sticky’ info is good to know. I’m still working on my design :slight_smile:

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Making scraps for experimenting would be the way to go. Reality is always more accurate than presumption.

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For those asking all the questions and suggesting other options, I’ll just say… The Kamar finish is specifically recommended for alcohol inks as it doesn’t cause them to bleed like other finishes. Alcohol ink experts recommend that paired with a UV spray to help with light-fastness.

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Thx, Christy and to everyone else who has responded! What a helpful group!

My greatest concern is that the Kamar varnish is laser safe

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