BikeMike's White Tile Method

Well, after 2 solid days or working with and tweaking Ron’s method I got frustrated.
This morning I put on my thinking cap (took hours to find it. Life is more fun without it) and came up with a new method. I would like to get @JohnJohn to decide if this should be a new topic or continue with this one.
Anyway, the first pic is the best I could get with Ron’s method.
The second pic is my method. First try, no tweaking. Very close to Ron’s, mix but a few differences.

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Ron has the First Post,

I’d be happy to split this off, or you can make a duplicate post to start a new thread and link it to and from here.

I’m recommending cross-links because it’s nice to have context for why we make changes in technique. What works in someone’s garage in the summer might not work in a cellar or a shed in the winter. Different power levels, different speeds, different engravers, different lenses - It’s amazing how much variability can happen with laser engravers.

Some processes are very sensitive to slight changes in materials, and humidity.

There isn’t really a ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way - and most innovation involves someone claiming, “That won’t work.”

Looks great… feel free to make a new thread and share your technique.

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OK, not sure on that cross-linking, so I will post it here and let you decide if it should even be split up.

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Ok, here is my take on the new tile engraving method.
I have seen people having trouble getting the mix right and having problems keeping it mixed evenly.
I thought about what already has titanium dioxide in it. PAINT! Why don’t we use it and why is it never really black??
We don’t use it because it is toxic and cleanup is even worse. In the winter, you sure are not going to do any of that in a closed area. Shop or house. And I think the TI02 content is to low.
So, here is my new method that is kind of close to Ron’s but not really, sort of.

Pour 100ml of acrylic craft paint, (cheap at any dollar store or walmart) into a container after mixing very well. Non toxic and cleans up very easy with water
Then in another container put in 25ml water
Now mix in 2 1/4 teaspoons (us) titanium dioxide and mix very well.
While stirring the paint, slowly add the water and TI02 mix.
after that I used a 3D printed mini paint mixer from thingiverse to mix very well.
I use a 1 inch foam brush and it flows out and smoothes the thicker areas.

I have not tried an air brush yet, but it would have to be thinned out with water.
On my first try with that mixture, I got a nice black. May have to turn the power down a bit.
10w diode I used 1500/70. Probably try 1500/55 or 60 next one.

My mini paint mixer for a cordless drill.

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I decided I better try an image with this method and I must say. First time I have had a tile fail by being too black!
The lighter lines in the middle is look like they burnt through the stuff. Don’t know why since it is lighter, but there it is.

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I tried using White Acrylic artists paint but without extra TiO2 as I didn’t like the smell of the burning PVA. This was back in September and it worked really well. I have intended to give it another go with some added TiO2 to see if it improved the results even more but I just haven’t got around to it. It looks like you’ve had the same idea! :wink:
Here’s the paint i used.

And here’s the result I got:

Pretty much the same paint I am using. I have great ventilation so I don’t smell anything.
If you try my mix, run a test grid or turn the power down from say 70 to 50.
I am getting fantastic resolution, just need the power setting dialed in.

Yes, I should have posted this as well:

This is the test grid from my Ortur LaserMaster 2 Pro.

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This is a better photo:

I have changed the mixture in the original post. There was more titanium dioxide than needed.
Still running tests and will update as I go.

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Do you have a weight for the TiO2?

1.5 teaspoons would be 7.5ml…dry volume?

The only way I’ve dealt with this is via weight… teaspoons depend on how it well it’s packed…

:smiley_cat:

Not yet. When I get all my tweaking done I will do that.

AND hope no one sees me putting a fine white powder on a scale! :innocent:

As long as your not examining it from a nose length… :rofl:


Ordered some titainium white paint… the posted link to Amazon showed it being sold out…

Found this source at Amazon. Hope it’s the same thing.

:smiley_cat:

Now that would all depend if I remembered my glasses! :crazy_face:

I found massive variations in densities quoted online but during my previous experimenting I came up with a density of 0.76g/cm3 for the TiO2 powder I’ve got. YMMV but it might be of help.

Just to mess with Jack I am going to make the mix a bong of paint, crack pipe of water and a nickel bag of TI02. :rofl:

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Better post a photo :face_with_spiral_eyes:

:smiley_cat:

Better yet, I will get a video of me mixing it on the front porch of my house and the aftermath.
If I can’t get it posted in time, just watch America’s most wanted.

White spray paint (and perhaps most shades close to white) has titanium dioxide in it. That’s what makes it very white. The acrylic white paint most likely has titanium it as well. Straight up white sunscreen also has titanium in it as one of its main ingredients. I wouldn’t be surprised if you could use it on white tile, if one could apply it in a smooth layer.

I checked the SDS sheets for white craft paint and it does have it in it. But is is very low. Much less that the rustolium pain.