The Woodturning Forum - Woodturner's Resource

Bruce Kamp Active Member Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 230	Laser engraving for bowls Nov 16^th, 2017 at 12:12pm Has anyone had any experience with using a laser on bowls? I think the flat bottom might be a good target but I am thinking about finding some way to apply a laser to the sides. Thanks
Back to top	IP Logged

Frank Padden Active Member Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 109 Hudson Massachusetts USA Gender: Nova 16"	Re: Laser engraving for bowls Reply #1 - Nov 16^th, 2017 at 7:13pm I have all my bowls laser engraved. I've only tried it on the bottom, but I can ask if it can be done on the sides.
Back to top	IP Logged

Bruce Kamp Active Member Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 230	Re: Laser engraving for bowls Reply #2 - Nov 16^th, 2017 at 7:22pm Frank, Thank you. I am thinking about putting designs on the sides. Lots more complicated I know. Just wonder if it can be done.
Back to top	IP Logged

Jennifer Hasan Active Member Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 232 Beacon, ny New York USA	Re: Laser engraving for bowls Reply #3 - Nov 19^th, 2017 at 4:18pm I would really like to know if anyone has any suggestions. Lots of folks engrave flat items but I would love to be able to engrave round items. Jenn
Back to top	IP Logged

chris lawrence Senior Member Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 380 JACKSON New Jersey USA	Re: Laser engraving for bowls Reply #4 - Nov 19^th, 2017 at 11:19pm You would need an laser engraver with a rotary axis. look it up on youtube to see examples but i bet they are not cheap.
Back to top	Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!! You need to or IP Logged

Frank Padden Active Member Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 109 Hudson Massachusetts USA Gender: Nova 16"	Re: Laser engraving for bowls Reply #5 - Nov 20^th, 2017 at 8:21pm Bruce, i talked to my engraver about laser engraving on the side of a bowl. He said it can be done but it's difficult to do. You have to start off with photo-ready artwork for your design.The circumference of the bowl is a major factor. I guess there's not many people who will do it. I hope this helps.
Back to top	IP Logged

Bruce Kamp Active Member Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 230	Re: Laser engraving for bowls Reply #6 - Nov 21^st, 2017 at 11:20am Thank you for checking Frank.
Back to top	IP Logged

Arlin Eastman Senior Member Offline Born in the USA Posts: 466 Council Bluffs Iowa USA Gender: PM3520B	Re: Laser engraving for bowls Reply #7 - Dec 17^th, 2017 at 7:31pm Bruce I have been looking at handheld lasers lately and they go from $60 to $250 but all of them cut at least 1/8" and some up to 5/8". If everyone would like a link I will try and find where I put it.
Back to top	It is always the right time; To do the right thing IP Logged

Al Wasser WR Addict Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 626 Pueblo West, CO Colorado USA Gender: Robust American Beauty	Re: Laser engraving for bowls Reply #8 - Dec 18^th, 2017 at 10:16am Several yrs ago I turned a baseball bat for a grandson. I had it engraved with his name, etc. I don't know what tool the guy used but it looked great and the letters were not cut deep.
Back to top	IP Logged

Tom Coghill WR Addict Offline Turning, when I am done with my chores. Posts: 1,128 The Villages Florida USA Gender: Oneway 2436, 3 HP 220V, now with Stainless Ways	Re: Laser engraving for bowls Reply #9 - Dec 18^th, 2017 at 10:42am What tools does one use / suggest for this?
Back to top	IP Logged

Ralph Fahringer WR Addict Offline I'm the "Burly" Man!! Posts: 1,629 Ellsworth Maine USA Gender: PM3520b	Re: Laser engraving for bowls Reply #10 - Dec 18^th, 2017 at 12:58pm This might work:
Back to top	Originality is the art of concealing your source. IP Logged

Ben Goeller

Active Member

Offline

WR Rocks!

Posts: 229

Re: Laser engraving for bowls
Reply #11 - Jan 30^th, 2018 at 12:42pm

This just arrived yesterday so I haven’t had much chance to play with this new toy. It’s been my intention to find some good way of putting my logo on the bottom of my basket illusions. I figured I would give laser engraving a try and found something I think will work very well.
On most lasers the piece being engraved moves and the laser stays stationary. Because I wanted to engrave directly onto my baskets I knew that wouldn’t work so I found this little gem. The laser moves independently and since there is no bottom , with a little imagination on how to position the piece to engrave, just about anything is possible.
First - It’s very inexpensive, I got this 1500w one for only $89. Only after I had already ordered it did I see that they had another 2000w that was only $109. If I had noticed it I defiantly would have got with the most powerful.
Second- It was very simple to set up and use. Like I said I just got it yesterday and only first started playing with it this morning and within ½ hour I was engraving my first piece.
However- It’s extremely SLOW!! But if you just set it up and push start I guess it really doesn’t matter how long it takes right.
If you look at the pictures I provided you can see the some of the first pieces I was playing around with. The real dark BDG is 100 percent settings. The lighter BDG was lasered on paint and not as dark, but it can always be lasered again as long as you don’t move anything, and make it darker. I was reading some of the posts on this site and noticed people asking if something could be lasered onto the “side” of a bowl. I didn’t have a big bowl laying around but I did have a shallow one that I didn’t mind practicing on and that’s the brown bowl with a BDG engraved onto the side.
Also from reading the directions if you are extremely careful and patient you can move the laser from the beginning spot of your design to the end of your design and make a continues laser design if you were so inclined.

Back to top

IP Logged

chris lawrence Senior Member Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 380 JACKSON New Jersey USA	Re: Laser engraving for bowls Reply #12 - Jan 30^th, 2018 at 5:23pm Where did you get it and whats the max size area it can engrave? I picked up one for doing pens were the laser moves side to side and the bed moves forward and backward. I make 2 inch disks out of the same type wood and cut a recess in the bottom to glue the disks into. This one would cutout that step.
Back to top	Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!! You need to or IP Logged

Ben Goeller

Active Member

Offline

WR Rocks!

Posts: 229

Re: Laser engraving for bowls
Reply #13 - Jan 30^th, 2018 at 6:00pm

chris lawrence wrote on Jan 30^th, 2018 at 5:23pm:

Where did you get it and whats the max size area it can engrave?

I got at Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!! You need to

or

. I have noticed the prices change quite often. I got mine on sale at $89 and the 2000w was $109 but last time I checked in it was $99 and $129. The area for engraving is up to 3 inches give or take.

Back to top

IP Logged

Jeff Vanden Boogart

WR Addict

Offline

WR Rocks!

Posts: 921

Rural Green Bay
Wisconsin
USA
Gender: male

PM 3520

Re: Laser engraving for bowls
Reply #14 - Jan 31^st, 2018 at 10:17am

Ben, from my experience with lasers in a machine shop, the distance between the laser and the work will be your biggest issue. Small designs on the side of a larger diameter bowl should go nicely. The more you go "off the side" of something round, the more the distance will change and the more the shape of the laser spot will change and distort. Like chris said, a rotary axis would be the ideal set-up.

Back to top

IP Logged