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My husband Ernie has been using lasers for the last 30 years at his job at the GE research center. He will be retiring from GE in February. Ernie is buying an Epilog laser. We plan to engrave name badges, do photographs on metal, perhaps engrave on glassware, and engrave patterns on the knives that Ernie makes ( including the damascus steel he forges and makes into folding pocket knives and hunting and kitchen knives). He also plans to laser engrave patterns on the sheaths he makes for the non-folding knives.
Any of you that have a laser, what are you using it for? How are you promoting it?
Diane
-------------------- Balch Signs 1045 Raymond Rd Malta, NY 12020 518 885-9899 signs@balchsigns.com http://www.balchsigns.com Posts: 1695 | From: MaltaNY | Registered: Jan 2000
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I have an Epilog Laser. It is an excellent machine. It is a CO2 laser which is the most common. But the CO2 laser will not mark metal. For that you would need a YAG or fibremark laser. Or you can use a product called Cermark/Thermark which you paint on your piece and when laser fired fuses to the metal.
I have a 45 Watt machine which I use to engrave glass, cut plywood or acrylic sheet and such. What is starting to work for is engraving pens. I have a penturning club nearby and the word is getting out slowly.
There is an engraver's forum for lasers at Sawmillcreek dot Org which is a good resource.
I hope that helps.
-------------------- Real Mercier West Springfield, MA Posts: 29 | From: West Springfield, MA USA | Registered: Feb 1999
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Several ladies locally went in together and bought one...they are doing custom engraved picture frames, engraved ipods, engraved stainless steel coffee mugs, engraved cork boards and even serving trays.
-------------------- Doug Haffner Haffner Signs www.haffnersigns.com 309-338-9570 211 W. Williams Wyoming, Il 61491 Posts: 211 | From: Wyoming, Illinois | Registered: May 2010
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Should tattoos and body piercing go out of fashion, maybe you could start a new fad by engraving teeth. After all, Vampire movies seem to be in vogue these days.
-------------------- Ken Henry Henry & Henry Signs London, Ontario Canada (519) 439-1881 e-mail: kjmlhenry@rogers.com
Why do I get all those on-line offers to sell me Viagara, when the only thing hardening is my arteries ? Posts: 2684 | From: London,Ontario, Canada | Registered: Feb 1999
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We have one and use it for countless applications. I personally am not thrilled with the output of the glassware, to many varations beyone my control. We also have a Vision Max for the cylindrical items. The Vision software is very user friendly and between that and Corel Draw we can easily do just about any artwork with relative ease.
We also use the combination of the laser and the Vision to do our ADA signage. We like to use the laser to cut out the text and pictograms and then bring it over to the Vision to drill the holes for the Braille dots. A quick process but not cheap to get into. We bought the license over 10 years ago and now it's very, very expensive to purchase.
We do some photos on black granite with success. It's a steep learning curve.
Like most everything, you are only limited by your imanagation.
-------------------- Mike Berry New England Posts: 534 | From: New England | Registered: Jan 2002
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