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Slightly odd as their website specifically says it won't:

https://omtechlaser.com/collections/marking-spray/products/metal-laser-marking-spray-usb-pw01-01?variant=40376681332801

It might be worth an email to their customer service directly to get the correct answer.  The folks that answer questions on Amazon often aren't the same people doing tech support from the company.  It'd be a bummer to spend $40, just to have it not be useful.

Good call. I wrote them an email.

Not to be too pedantic, but the language on the product page is "not recommended" which is rather noncommittal on the surface. If they didn't want hobbyists using it, they might've done better (or I would, anyway) to completely ward them off.  But from my jaded marketing experience eyes, money is money, I suppose.


Anyway, hopefully they'll be able give me a more insightful answer (and perhaps reconcile the differences on the Q&A).

Yep.  If you're willing to roll the dice, it's only $40.  Hardly life-ruining money.

I was just trying to give you a heads up because I've seen marking spray/paint not work all that well on a 30W CO2 laser, so I'd probably ask a few questions, that's all.

I use Enduramark with a CO2.  I'm not sure how it would work with Diode.  Laser marking spray always seems to be pricey stuff, regardless of what engraver it works with.

Do you have ventilation setup?  It's always important, but even more so with an open frame like that.  You really don't want to breath in pulverized powder coat or acrylic fumes.

I was looking at the various brands and most only support higher power and non-diode lasers, but Omtech (the company's Amazon seller page) answered in the affirmative they their stuff works on aluminum with 5W output lasers. 100% output and a slower speed obviously required; definitely will have to experiment with it.

Oh yeah, I hear you on the ventilation there no way I'm going to do anything non-wood until my setup arrives. Even the small amount of wood engraving was terrible enough. Wore a respirator, but still my eyes got a bit irritated from the smoke; used a box fan on the open garage, but even then I know it's not ideal. I've got an enclosure, filtration, and extraction fan en route; should be here today. And a better pair of eyewear. I know the green "crap" they ship with these hobby jobbies might be enough to avoid litigation, but I bought ones certified for the wavelength of my laser and beyond.

My engraver took forever to arrive and I just neglected to pull the trigger on everything else until I had it in hand and it worked properly.

It's the LU2-4-SF (short focus) module, which had the best power to detail ratio in my budget, so no real cutting for now, which suits me fine. The nice thing is the modules are easy to swap out. Apparently Ortur makes a 10W optical one now. Oh but I love watching how fast those industrial fiber lasers work!

Super exciting! I started looking into lasers after my last water slide decal debacle...definitely need to keep saving my pennies.

Oh for sure, I've put this off for a year, making sure I really was serious about one, and not least of all budget.

One hair brained thought I had was off there's any chance of multi coat etching. Where I can stack several colors and then only etch away the topmost coat on some parts. Probably won't work, but nothing ventured and all that.

Slightly odd as their website specifically says it won't:

https://omtechlaser.com/collections/marking-spray/products/metal-laser-marking-spray-usb-pw01-01?variant=40376681332801

It might be worth an email to their customer service directly to get the correct answer.  The folks that answer questions on Amazon often aren't the same people doing tech support from the company.  It'd be a bummer to spend $40, just to have it not be useful.

Noice!
I can't recall the name of the product but there is an paste like compound you can laser onto/through on bare aluminum that will etch it on lasers that wouldn't be powerful enough otherwise. I've seen others use a condiment, that I also can't recall. Mustard I think?
Excited to see where you go with it.

Lol mustard? Okay now I have to search that (or whatever condiment) and try that.

I was chatting with Gordo and there's also this laser marking paint, one brand of which will work on these diode lasers. The other brands need CO2 or fiber high power pro stuff. Paint's not cheap like $40 for a paltry can of the stuff.

I'm definitely excited to see what kinds of mischief I can get up to with it

I use Enduramark with a CO2.  I'm not sure how it would work with Diode.  Laser marking spray always seems to be pricey stuff, regardless of what engraver it works with.

Do you have ventilation setup?  It's always important, but even more so with an open frame like that.  You really don't want to breath in pulverized powder coat or acrylic fumes.

Right on, Jimi!

[double]

$10 is roughly what it costs to ship a small box state to state within the US.  The fact that Tayda can ship internationally for that is mindbogglingly cheap.

I don't know all of the details and how it's applied across the globe, but the big two (UPS and FedEx) are essentially subsidized on importation of shipments to the US. Having traded almost identically sized parcels (dimensions and weight), I was paying nearly double to send mine to the UK.

To go on a mild tangent, I do wonder whether this subsidy practice is a direct cause as to why US outgoing international, and even our domestic, rates are so flippin ridiculous since The Varus™. Mid-late 2020 I sent a large item weighing approximately 40 lbs (with packing materials) coast to coast for about $80. Try doing that now.

There are a lot of reasons for increases.  The debacle with port deliveries and subsequent skyrocketing of container shipment costs forced a lot of folks to use air shipment and heavier demand never helps with prices.  The cost of gas also played a role in the spike.

But the freight inequity of outgoing vs incoming existed long before 2020.

$10 is frankly not terrible when you're getting goods from Thailand into the US

JLCPCB rates that aren't the super slow ones START at $20. For a parcel smaller than most of my Tayda orders, it's incredibly lame for one small blue box. That or wait several weeks. Those options have started drying up on their checkout section even.

$10 is roughly what it costs to ship a small box state to state within the US.  The fact that Tayda can ship internationally for that is mindbogglingly cheap.

Thanks guys, I really appreciate it. Not something I thought was possible at 51, but here we are. I'm going to take time to decompress and enjoy playing again, before I start shopping for jobs.


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It's cool to take a break and relax for a bit, but make sure to keep your head in the clouds.




;-)

Right on Jimi.

You monster

Better?

All I see is a couple handsome bastids with possibly enlarged heads.

"Check out the big brains on Forrest and Brian."

I was going through my Imgur album and I found one of my favorite photos of Culturejam and Madbean.

I could never quite keep up with their amazing sense of fashion.

The first time I had a guitar where there was too much treble (also a G&L), I wasn't quite sure I liked it at first.  Once I got used to the idea that the tone pot didn't always have to be on 10, I found it pretty damn useful.

Yeah, I can see some upsides. Still breaking it in. Luckily, there are almost no aftermarket pickup options, so I'm pretty much just going to have to get used to it.

You could always 3D print a giant pickup cover to fit a standard single coil if you get desperate.  ;-)

The first time I had a guitar where there was too much treble (also a G&L), I wasn't quite sure I liked it at first.  Once I got used to the idea that the tone pot didn't always have to be on 10, I found it pretty damn useful.

I think it should be a secondary bypass control labeled "Ejection Seat."

That's a LOT nicer than my old Kramer Striker.  My first guitar was the single humbucker Striker.  My particular one was pretty terrible.  A true woodchipper grade instrument.  But not all Strikers were like that.