Question for current laser users - Stamping Material

Everything Else
1

Hi experienced laser users!

I was just wondering if any of you have ever tried laser-etching stamping material, either rubber or clear polymer (which I think is polyurethane). This is one of the big uses I plan for my machine but it is difficult to find examples, especially comparing laser-etched stamps with other methods of preparation (photopolymer for instance). I can get pretty good detail in my photopolymer stamps and I’d love to know if similar results can be expected from the laser-etched.

Thanks!

2

You can read about rubber stamps here

and here
Making Clear (aryclic) Stamps

Lots of good info

10 Likes
3

Thanks! Yes, some good info there and I’m pretty confident it will work in the GF as there is supply and experience out there. What I can’t seem to find is a comparison between photopolymer and laser-etched in terms of quality and achieveable detail. Especially visual comparisons of stamped images. Any experience, laser users?

1 Like
4

I know i can do them on my 25 and 30wt lasers so I would expect the glowforge could handle it easily.

2 Likes
5

I would love to see photos of your stamps and the images you make from them! Are you happy with the quality?

6

Lol havent actually done them…I just know that its capable because theres a setting for it :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:.
I DO know that it can be messy and leaves alot of residue.

5 Likes
7

Haha, see, that’s the problem I’m having, finding anyone who actually has done it. Oh well, I’ll post my results sometime in December or so. :wink:

5 Likes
8

I might be persuaded to get some material and try…lol

2 Likes
9

Well I’m thinking of ordering some of both types. If I do I’d be glad to send you some samples to try!

3 Likes
10

I’ve got a Flux 3D printer that has a laser module. I tried doing a rubber stamp with some success and some failure. It’s a few hundred times less powerful but the lazer burnt and melt the rubber. It didn’t look like much had been removed till i washed the surface with a solvent, which removed the melted material. The main problem that I noticed is getting small details isn’t possible. I’m hoping this is because of the Flux lazer module. It has to very slowly across the rubber to etch it, since it’s such a low power lazer, in doing so I think it heats up the area around what it’s etching, destroying the detail. I’m going to try etching a wood block piece, which is made of stiffer material. Hoping it gives more detail.

P.S. The smell is absolutely horrible.

1 Like
11

Thanks for the info! I do know that they make a low-odor rubber for stamp making, which hopefully was not the one you used. The stamp making supplier I’m planning to use (http://www.rubberstampmaterials.com/laserengravablerubberandpolymer.aspx) does supply settings suggestions for various wattages of lasers, so I’m hoping to not have too much trouble.

1 Like
12

I’d like to know what you end up with. I have a Flux myself but I haven’t really had time to play with it.

13

I’ll keep you updated. I’ll be curious to see what you think of the Flux printer. I might have returned it to be honest if it wasn’t for GF’s delay. I haven’t gotten around to 3d printing anything. It doesn’t seem like a amateur friendly printer and I have no previous experience with 3d printing.

14

Thanks for the link.

Definitely not a low-odor one. Was going to place an order yesterday till I noticed shipping was 50% of the cost of one item. I’ll wait a bit to maybe place a larger order.

1 Like