How to proper colorfill engraved acrylic

[zoefie]

Hi, i've been trying to find the most effective and easy way to create a nice colorfilled engraving, but so far i'm not all to enthousiastic about the results i get.

When for example i engrave a number "2" of 30mm high at 254 dpi the engraved surface is not very smooth. When i fill this engraved area with a thin layer of paint the "un-smoothyness" stay's visible through the paint.

I tried to engrave deeper in the acrylic but that didn't do the trick either.
When i try to fill it with acrylic paint it's almost impossible to avoid the paint to spoil on the area's which should stay the original color.

I've tried al kinds of settings, various speeds, powersettings, different dpi settings, masking tape ( takes forever to remove if you engrave a lot of small letters).

I've tried different kinds of acrylic both cast and extruded.

So i'm hoping someone in the zone can give me some hint's on how to approach this.

Ferry.....

[Tweakie]

Ferry,

If you mask with paper 'transfer tape', the stuff used by sign-makers to transfer vinyl lettering signs, this stuff has water soluble adhesive and can be removed easily by soaking, after filling the lettering using the acrylic paint.
It is available in all widths (I use 300mm and 150mm).

Tweakie.

[Frantic Fab]

hello,

I am Garrett Gordon, i work for a custom fabrication company called masterpiece models. please check us out at Masterpiece Models
as for your little dilema, the problem lies in your paint! acrylic is a hydroscopic material which poses a number of little tiny problems for simple fabrication purposes. we use this process alot in a number of jobs.

heres what you need to do, ditch the paint! your going to want to obtain a 2 part polyurethane based resin or epoxy and a compatable tint! now its very very important you do not use a solvent based epoxy if you go that way. the bonus is its available at home depot and local hardware stores. i would reccommend 5 minute epoxy brand. all you do is mix it up with the tint (b side) then mix together and pour into your engraved art. you can use this method to fill flush with the surface or coat your art and sand smooth in the grooves. either way let it fully cure sand any scratches down to at least 600grit on the acrylic and quickly run a propane flame across the surface and POW! crystal clear with a colored artistic fill! enjoy

if you have any more questions or comments feel free to contact me anytime at garrett.gordon@masterpiecemodels.com

Masterpiece Models
7907 ne St. johns rd.
Vancouver WA, 98665
(360)256-1488
"What Can We Build For You?"

[zoefie]

@tweakie :

Sounds good! do you perhaps have a link for a web-shop where they sell it.
I've been looking over here in the Netherlands.
But i couldn't find anyone who has water-soluble transfertape


@frantic fab :

Thank you for the detailed instructions, although i think tweakie's method is faster, it will definitly be worth a try. Especially when i need a very hard "fill"

How do you "pour" it in the engraving, do you really mean pour, or do you use some kind of syringe?

Ferry.....

[Frantic Fab]

Ferry,

no problem! we specalize in every type of plastic there is just about, so if you ever have any questions i would be more than happy to give free advice while i am searching for work.

and pouring would only apply to a cavity large enough to justify this. however, with the epoxy or the urethane resins you do actually have a bond between the material and filler. this will ensure longevity under many circumstances. again the fact that acrylic is hydroscopic, moisture frequently poses problems where weather is a variable.

it sounds like the acrylic paint will suffice for your project. but if you are looking for something to fill the high low in your engraved art, so everything looks smooth and shiny. the epoxy or urethane provides the best results. you could mask off the finished acrylic and then actually brush on or use a syringe. now if your not looking to fill the void completely heres a fun trick that will save a bunch of time. as the epoxy or resin begins to coagulate and kick off, you can come back with a fine brush or paper towel, and brush over your design with a solution called "Bestine" this is a special cleaning solution that acts as a solvent to epoxy and resin but NOT the acrylic. this lets you brush out a nice shiny smooth finish. we use this method for skinning special parts.

just a few more ideas to hold on to this WILL give you the ability to fill small cavities or the valleys created by your toolpaths. if you ever decide to try any of this out i can get you a list of vendors where these materials and many more very very useful for acrylics!

[mechcanoer]

When I engrave on plexy glass, I run a #2 center drill with a .030" ball nose endmill right behind it. I engrave on the back side so that the color looks smooth from the front.

[Tweakie]

Sounds good! do you perhaps have a link for a web-shop where they sell it. I've been looking over here in the Netherlands. But i couldn't find anyone who has water-soluble transfertape

Ferry,

It's only the adhesive that's water soluble the paper part just rubs off. Your best bet would, I think, be to contact a vinyl sign-maker and find out where he gets his supplies. I have always bought mine via ebay but it is a few years since I bought the last lot so I have no links.

Tweakie.

[twehr]

Originally Posted by Tweakie Ferry, If you mask with paper 'transfer tape', the stuff used by sign-makers to transfer vinyl lettering signs, this stuff has water soluble adhesive and can be removed easily by soaking, after filling the lettering using the acrylic paint. It is available in all widths (I use 300mm and 150mm). Tweakie.

Tweakie,

Is this what you mean by paper transfer tape?

14" GT PAPER TRANSFER TAPE - H & H Sign Supply, Inc

[Tweakie]

Ferry,

That sounds exactly the opposite to the stuff I use.

edit; posted the wrong link here - I will try and locate the right stuff


Tweakie.

[slipslider]

i'm making some graduated dials for my mill,

since i don't have engraving capability,

in ACAD i draw the graduations and print on paper to scale,

then cut and past to the back side of pre machined

1/4" thick acrylic 3.25" dia.

200 grads , same as bridgeport dial

this will then be backed up by an alum. disk.

in stead of paper i may try printing to mylar

or some other more durable material.

[zoefie]

@ Tweakie :

Oke i'll await it! I've been in contact with a " vinyl signmaker" and maybe i can visit his shop this week, perhaps he can help me.
He wasn't sure if the adhesive used on the tape's he has are water-soluble, as a fact he stated that most of the transfer-tapes he used are "water-proof"

Anyway thank you very much for your efforts so far.

Ferry......

[diecutter]

zoefie, For what it's worth, here are some quick and dirty methods I use.
First, if possible cut your designs from vector art which has smaller file size, cuts much cleaner, and can be easily scaled.

Cast acrylic cuts way better than extruded and has virtually none of the melting or gumming that is so common with extruded sheet.

I use something similar to this for paint masking Oracal 631 Matte Black Removable Vinyl 12" x 300" Roll - eBay (item 350417352670 end time Dec-01-10 21:48:18 PST)

Acrylic and oil paint both works for filling letters if the color does not need to be even with the top of the sheet. I paint fill, then wipe the surface with a damp rag stretched over a flat block (for acrylic), or phone book pages dampened with solvent (for oil paint).

Paint fill is especially striking when the acrylic is applied to letters cut into the back of the sheet; it looks like true 3-D lettering and has a glossy surface as mentioned in an earlier post.