Help. Diode laser engraving through mask

Community Laser Talk
1

Hi All,

I am about at my wits end trying to learn how to engrave wood through a mask/transfer tape. I am using the Elegoo Phecda 20 watt. The mask I bought is the tapeman 12" roll I have seen in so many youtube videos on this subject. I have run numerous materials tests, tweaked air flow from off, to barely a stream to full blow. Small script like text does not even burn the tape away. Larger bolds and block fonts will burn the tape away. However, both leave scorch residue under the tape. I even decided to go buy a couple rolls of different brands of normal masking tape with the same results. Speeds have been from 5000 mm/m up to just shy of 10k mm/m. Power settings ranging from 50 to 100. I even played around with constant power on and off. All tests were done at 1 pass. Oh, line interval was always at 0.1000 mm. Can anyone give me some direction on what I am missing here. Please!

Thanks!
Travis

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2

Try masking with blue painters tape.

3

I am not questioning you at all here lol. More of a trying to learn kind of question. I thought using the blue variety was bad because it is a diode laser and emits a blue laser. Doesn’t the blue tape absorb most of the energy? I can see that being beneficial in the sense it might burn off all the tape, but does it leave a good engrave, or is it more superficial?

Thanks a lot for any information!