The hip flask pictured here cost only $5 at the local super-jumbo-extreme-retail store on clearance, and I wanted to personalize it a bit. I have access to a laser cutter/etcher through the TechShop and thought this might be the tool for the job.
However, one of the problems with cheap, thin leather is that the dye has soaked all the way through the material. This makes most laser etching into such material difficult to see. So this Instructable details a series of novel steps on how to etch such leather to produce a high contrast design.
Materials and Tools:
- Dark dyed, cheap, thin leather
- Painter's masking tape (I used the 2" wide blue stuff, good because the lasers cut it nicely and it's not very sticky, important for later steps)
- Light colored spray paint (I used silver metallic)
- Duct Tape
- Laser cutter/etcher
- A design (preferably monochromatic, without too many gradients. Think b/w clip art or vector art)
However, one of the problems with cheap, thin leather is that the dye has soaked all the way through the material. This makes most laser etching into such material difficult to see. So this Instructable details a series of novel steps on how to etch such leather to produce a high contrast design.
Materials and Tools:
- Dark dyed, cheap, thin leather
- Painter's masking tape (I used the 2" wide blue stuff, good because the lasers cut it nicely and it's not very sticky, important for later steps)
- Light colored spray paint (I used silver metallic)
- Duct Tape
- Laser cutter/etcher
- A design (preferably monochromatic, without too many gradients. Think b/w clip art or vector art)
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Signing UpStep 1: Etch your Design
Cover the area you wish to etch with the painter's masking tape. Make sure it's adhered smoothly and try to minimize the amount of overlap between pieces of tape. Put the material into the laser etcher, and print out your design. TechShop provided the settings for their laser cutters, but these may vary depending on the machine you are using. For an Epilog 60W, I used these raster settings:
Speed: 60% (minimize wear for a smaller design)
Power: 55%
My line size is 3pt and I etched two passes at the above settings in raster mode.
Speed: 60% (minimize wear for a smaller design)
Power: 55%
My line size is 3pt and I etched two passes at the above settings in raster mode.
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Thanks for sharing!
GM