So to get a good dark engraving on these do I run high power high speed? Currently 19ips/24%. Just trying not to burn through a bunch to make it happen
That looks pretty good. Be aware that light wood and bamboo can give less than desirable burns.
Maybe try a second pass to darken it up. Or another layer, lower speed and lower power? 1524mm/m sounds reasonable, as does 24% power. Maybe raise the power to 30-35% to see what happens.
Be aware with that wood, it may be as dark as it is going to get. Unfortunately, you are going to have to scrap some to find out. Every variety of wood, and sometimes the same variety, can give unpredictable results.
Experiment. Practice on what you already marked.
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I engrave a variety of woods and each reacts differently. Oilier woods (exotics) will engrave with a nice, hard char layer that can be left as-is or coated to better protect. Woods like oak/cherry will get a good char, but that char is fragile and can be reduced or even removed with compressed air or brushing.
Even the depth of the etch will vary with species and among the same species, just different cuts from the tree.
Only way to get true uniformity is to backfill with paint, ink, or tinted resin. I’d suggest covering your surface with masking tape, etch as usual, then use spray paint to color the etch. You can then remove the tape and a light sanding to sharpen the edges.
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As stated above, some woods just plainly don’t like to burn dark.
That being said rotating your part 90 degrees might offer a slightly darker burn.
Going against the grain can sometimes help in lighter wood colors.
The other option is applying a good masking. Burn your logo through the masking and then apply some stain or paint.
…then peel the masking to reveal your burn
Rotating 90 degrees was a game changer! Thank you!!!
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Thanks for the masking tape tip! Does the tape need considering in your engraving settings or is it’s presence negligible?
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Negligible
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