I’m so sorry to be a pain with all of my questions! Please bear with me…
I purchased the pictured items from Hobby Lobby and would like to try engraving them. However…
I’m hoping to get my paper masking from Amazon today. Should I mask items like these?
When doing test cuts, what is a good image to use so I don’t ruin the whole thing? I’m new to using products like this and not exactly sure where to begin for custom settings. The round item says “natural acacia wood.”
I have a set of calipers as well as the “for good measure “ tool. If I have to remove the crumb tray, how do I know what to set the focus height at for the laser? If memory serves, the “for good measure “ tool is the easiest way to accomplish this?
It sounds like you should be practicing some simple stuff before attempting something you don’t want to mess up. Try a few things on scrap wood that you don’t mind wasting until you get a feel for the power and speed settings. Faster speed and lower power result in lighter engraves. Then of course slower speeds and higher power do the opposite. Start on a scrap piece with some settings around mid point and decide whether you want darker/deeper or lighter/shallower.
Any object thicker than 1/2 inch cannot be placed on the crumb tray. With the crumb tray removed the surface of your work piece must be within 1/2 inch of the laser. Use what ever you want to raise it up to that area and then use “set focus” to let the machine decide exactly where the surface lies. You don’t need to measure the thickness of anything anymore. Watch to see where the red dot shines to make sure you are actually hitting the surface of your work piece.
Paper masking is used to prevent smoke and resin from accumulating on the surface of your work. It is not a requirement at all. Any staining can be removed after the fact with a little elbow grease. For engraving, the paper mask can actually prevent you from getting sharp detail as it absorbs some of the laser energy which would otherwise contribute to the engrave.
Hope this helps.
If you’re going to do a engrave on the surface, probably not - you’ll just spend more time cleaning gooey bits of masking out of your engrave than you will cleaning soot out of it.
(If you’re cutting - probably yes, it’ll save you cleaning time.)
#6 has a test cut for you (though reading the rest are a great idea!)
I believe there are several posts in the forum regarding acacia cutting boards. Use the search function and you will be rewarded.
The surface to be engraved must be within the 1/2" focus length of the lens. Elevate your material (if necessary) to this height after removing the honeycomb tray. Utilize the set focus tool before placing your artwork.
Most users mask wood before engraving, but some simply wipe away the char or sand the material after cutting/engraving.
