Engraving newbie here! I wanted to create suncatchers from the old lids of candles, but no matter the speed/power settings nothing engraves the glass. I made sure the laser was focused. It burns into wood and paper just fine, but zero effect whatsoever on glass. 
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A diode laser will not engrave glass, the beam will just shine through. I have never tried it, but some people have had some limited success by coating the glass with a dark paint then engraving, removing the paint afterwards
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@Mooseuk Hmm that’s new info to me… the product description definitely says it will engrave glass??
Are you using black glass? That’s what is shown in that photo and may be one of the few colors that has a chance of working. Anything clear or translucent to visible light doesn’t have much chance.
@Hank The glass pictured isn’t black, it just has a black paper behind it so you can see the words. If you zoom in you can see the words also overlap whatever pink thing is in the background.
Gee, I dunno. I zoomed way in and it doesn’t look etched at all to me. It looks like words photoshopped over a background. It has none of the frosted appearance I’ve come to expect from etched glass.
It’s a low-res screenshot off of a product description I wouldn’t think it would be super easy to tell. What I’m saying is the product description where I purchased it says it engraves on glass. If they’re inaccurately marketing it I’m annoyed.
Please keep us posted how you get on. Try some dark colors, black, red, colors that give maximum absorption to blue light.
I can guarantee you are not going to etch clear glass with it unless it’s got some kind of coating to absorb the energy and transfer it to the glass.
looks like a mirror to me, you can remove the backside of the mirror and paint the removed bit to make it readable.
Welcome in the laser world. With your laser you can only do clear glass when you paint it first. Have a look at the Norton white tile method which could be applied to clear glass too.
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Hmm. it does look it might be a mirror. LOL.
I’ve done quite a few mirrors with CO2.
But removing a coating from glass with a diode laser isn’t the same as etching glass with a diode laser…
Is that what Ortur means when they claim it “etches glass” ?
I do not see they claim that, they say glass is available, whatever they mean with that
no matther what you feel the description says, it is a fact that this wavelength will pass through clear glass without leaving a mark. If you want to mark clear glass you need tricks or another laser with another wavelength.
You’re right. It makes no claim to “etch glass”, it just says “glass”. So I guess removing any kind of coating from glass qualifies.
I’m new myself so I will certainly defer to the experts on here.
That said, there are a few YouTube videos I have seen about Ortur LM2s and glass. Some use the paint/engrave/wash off method. Another, if I recall correctly, actually placed a metal sheet under the glass to be engraved. The heat on the metal (might have been coated with a primer to avoid random reflection of light) was enough to emboss the glass. Of course, YMMV, but it’s worth a shot to see if anything meets your expectations.
Here’s one I just found searching for “ortur laser master 2 glass etching” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0sBeAsHyNQ
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To engrave glas I know two ways. The first is to paint the glas with black paint and engrave it. Then remove the paint with a thinner. The second way ist to cover the glas with a self-adhesive tape (Malerkrepp - Kreppklebeband - Krepp - Kreppband - Breiten und Mengen nach Wahl | eBay) .
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My wife is a glass artist so I am very interested in etching and cutting. I have a small 5W laser. I have found a couple things.
I have tried glass of all sorts of colors, only the very darkest colors will etch or cut. I have used a piece of window glass for a hold-down when cutting paper. No effect on the glass-shoots right through it. I have not tried coating the glass as some have suggested.
My wife has a process where she squishes glass down to a 16th inch. I can cut and etch that if it is a dark color. You may need something to keep the glass cool or it fractures. I put a single drop of dish soap (viscosity) in a cup of water and using an eyedropper keep a puddle of water on top of the glass for evaporation cooling again the laser shoots right through it…
Next is to go for a much bigger laser.
Sounds like it’s time to ask the vendor exactly what they mean by “glass” being an “available material”.
I have etched/engraved glass several ways. Using a sprayer put a thin coat of black tempera paint on one side of the glass. Put the glass paint side down on a white tile. Focus the beam on a pc of paper folded once (2 layers thick) and then run your laser at about 500mm/min at 100%, this will engrave it pretty good. I usually will do two passes.
The other way is to just put a pc of MDF under the glass and shoot it. It doesn’t work very well but does work. The MDF burns and the heat transfers to the glass and etches it. The black tempera paint works very well and washes off easily with water.
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You can “settle” with the smallest CO2 laser you can find, the wavelength is the big game changer.
If you work a lot with glass, acrylic, and mirrors and do not want to spend a lot of money and time on paint / transfer spray or tape and want fast and nice products, then a CO2 laser is the right choice.