Has anyone tried engraving on wax coated serving boards like these from Etu Home? Their website says: “Each of our serveware pieces are hand finished with a plant-based food-safe hard wax, composed of a carnauba and beeswax blend, built to endure the everyday wear and tear of life.”
I’m brand new to GF, but that sounds like it might just burn or melt if I tried to engrave. However it looks like maybe their logo is engraved on them?
Would love some input or advice!
Welcome to the community! Haven’t seen anything quite like that. You can always see what a search of the forum brings up. This isn’t made clear…are those made of wood? What is the white finish? Their logo could have been engraved or perhaps even just stamped into the material. Whichever way it was done, it’s a quite small area compared to what you might likely want to engrave on them. In any case, you need to find out more about what they’re made of.
I agree with @Xabbess in that there in potential concern with the white. I make my own cutting boards, and I finish them with the same type of wax blend. I’ve engraved them prior and post to finishing. the biggest issue I run into is getting any sort masking to stick to the surface when they’re waxed. The wax finish basically vaporizes, and I’ve never had any issue with that part. I’m not sure if this helps at all, I hope it did.
Sorry, I probably should have clarified. They’re solid wood underneath. Just with a food-safe wax finish to add color and a protective coating.
I imagine they might also use a CNC to engrave the logo, not a laser, but unsure.
You might want to get a piece to try. My finish for cutting boards is a mix of those waxes plus mineral oil and it does not create a surface coating that will melt as your fear. Whether I treat it before or after engraving doesn’t make an appreciable difference. (Sometimes I engrave add-ons to a board after I’ve already engraved it and finished it.)
Do you adjust your settings in any way when it’s already been coated? I’m pretty sure that the white is just a tinted wax, so if that’s the case, I’d imagine it’d be similar to your experience.
No adjustments. Just use my standard saved settings.
The white is not wax. It’s some kind of paint/stain or plasticized coating.
I did some research on the company and it seems all their colors, including this white, are truly wax. They’re big about using non-toxic, food safe materials, so they avoid paints and stains.
This is from one of their white board listings:
This serving board is made from reclaimed wood and features our signature oak slat to prevent warping. Finished with a white plant-based, food safe wax, this board can not only be used for entertaining guest with small bites but can also double as a stand-out decorative kitchen accent.
Happy to be wrong, but I’ve never seen any kind of wax finish be as opaque as that.
