Newbie- engraving mirrors

[denbruno_09]

I want to start up a business for engraving mirrors, glas plates and plexi. I already do photoengraving, and my customers as sometimes photos on mirrors etc. so I'm looking for a laserengraver that can do that. I have found the Laserpro Spirit very interesting, but can someone tell me how you engrave a photo onto a mirror. It very shiny and I think that the beam will reflect into the lasersource and destroy it. Am I right? You read also that you can engrave it from the back, bud how does that work. can someone explain that very clear.
regards
bruno

[Derek Kern]

There are two types of mirrors; bottom reflective and top reflective.

Bottom reflective are the type that are good for laser etching. You etch off the back side and then it shows threw on the front. You can then spray paint the back side so that you have a solid color show through. Or another idea is take a colored digital photo and print it onto mylar then engrave the same photo on the back side of the mirror and place the mylar photo so that its color shows through. You now have colored photo on mirror.

The Top reflective mirrors are ones that are used with you laser to reflect the laser beam. These are not for etching..

Use PhotoGrav 3.0 when etching photos onto mirror.

[denbruno_09]

thanks for the reply and explication.
Can you find the bottom reflect mirror in a normal company that makes mirrors, or are they specially made for laser engraving?

[Derek Kern]

These are the mirrors that you look at yourself in in your bathroom. There is nothing special about them for laser engraving, just regular old mirror that you can buy at Lowe's or Home Depot.

[denbruno_09]

maybe a stupid question, bud i looked at a mirror and at the back, there was a grey 'hardcover', no carton bud something solid. I can't imagine that you engrave that and it will show on the front. I know it is very stupid, bud I can't figure it out.
regards and thanks for the patience

[Derek Kern]

I guess I would need to see a picture. Or just take the hardcover off if you can. You want to engrave away only the thin layer of mirror on the backside.

[bisjoe]

Originally Posted by denbruno_09 thanks for the reply and explication. Can you find the bottom reflect mirror in a normal company that makes mirrors, or are they specially made for laser engraving?

The mirrors that you buy at any store are bottom reflective. Top reflective optics mirrors as used in a laser are specialized items with few manufacturers.

[muqtadir]

How we can remove the chips from an engraved glass ? Any idea please.

[Derek Kern]

Take a brown paper bag and rub it on the surface where the chips are. They will disappear!

Derek Kern

[ImanCarrot]

One point- use a face mask and change it regularly, you don't want to be breathing glass dust. Oh, and you don't want it in your eyes either!

[muqtadir]

Thanks for both the gentlemen. The chips are not around the engraved area. These are stick inside the engraved areas.

[muqtadir]

Dear Nancy

Could u tell us more about the name of the software. Can you provide this free software to us ?

Thanks.