A clear Cube with a few differences.....

[minihack]

Using the engraving setting of the laser, would it be possible to skim a surface of plastic? To remove scratches ect.

If you would ever consider cutting some parts for your fellow modders. Drop me a mail, future plans I have could really use it, to make a much cleaner mod.

Gus

Hi Gus,

Not allowed to look for business through this forum I'm afraid.

On the question of skimming plastics a laser is a bit too brutal for that. It will cut a clean edge and it can be used to engrave, but it's not really for polishing.

Polishing - can get great results on plastics using very fine grade wet and dry to remove the deepest scratches and then following up with silver polish (Brasso to you and me!). It can be very depressing using wet and dry paper to start with as you begin to think you have made a terrible mistake, but with patience and moving through the grades and then on to Brasso you can get an incredible result from what often started as a terrible job.

Sometimes though a piece is just too much effort to restore and in those cases I would then say find someone who can cut you a new piece!



I am shortly going to be looking at the properties of leather and cutting and engraving that. I just hope my workshop doesn't end up smelling of dead cow.......

 

[minihack]

We have brasso over this side of the pond too! Now granted, I grew up in Oxfordshire and actively seek it out in the U.S., but it is and will remain the greatest of silver polishes!

Big up for Brasso!

 

[minihack]

Just wanted to show the engrave quality that can be used on the perspex. Here is the little power symbol from a top panel.

engrave.jpg

Custom back panels for specific motherboards can have the different symbols for USB/Firewire etc. engraved into them and they can also be backfilled in whatever colour is wanted. What I mean by that is you can spray the reverse of the clear acrylic, then engrave, spray over the newly revealed perspex, engrave again etc. to get multi colour effects before finally cutting the needed holes.

It's a tricky operation as you need to make a jig to ensure the panel goes back in to the laser in precisely the same place between each operation, but it is possible.

Simple engraves like the one shown though are one shot operations - you just set the machine to engrave first and then to cut afterwards.

 

[minihack]

I hate you so much right now.

That looks fantastic! Funny, I was just watching this video yesterday to try and figure out whether I should get my LianLi case engraved or use an acid wash...totally reminds me of your new toy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuRS6isOS_k

Yeah, the laser can do that! I am going to practice on the case I had anodised blue - so cutting through the anodising should put the Apple logo back onto it.

I think my wife is getting fed up with me selecting random materials around the house and taking them out to laser them! I thinks she's concerned that the neighbours dog might be next in the line.....all in the interests of research of course.

By the way, I mentioned a few posts back I was doing some leather. It does engrave nicely, but cutting is pretty nasty. It cuts okay, but the smell of burnt flesh is not the best.