Your First Metal Mark
Two routes to your first permanent mark on steel: the fibre way, and the marking-compound way for diode and CO2 owners. Same result category — a dog tag, a bottle opener, a labelled tool — different physics.
KitWhat you'll need
- Stainless steel blanks: dog tags, openers, business-card blanks — laser-grade, not plated mystery metal
- Route B only: laser marking spray or bonding paste
- Isopropyl alcohol and a lint-free cloth
SettingsStarting points
| Route | Machine | Speed | Power | Frequency / notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A — etch | 30 W fibre | 500–1,000 mm/s | 50–80% | 20–50 kHz |
| A — black anneal | 30 W fibre | 250–300 mm/s | 50–60% | 25–30 kHz, defocus 2–3 mm below |
| B — compound | 10 W diode | 1,000–2,000 mm/min | 100% | 1–2 passes, air assist OFF |
| B — compound | 60 W CO2 | 100–300 mm/s | 60–100% | 1 pass, air assist OFF |
StepsHow to do it
- Degrease. Alcohol and a lint-free cloth — oil means blotches.
- Fix dead flat. Galvo depth-of-field is small; compound work needs even contact too.
- Route B: coat. A thin, even, complete coat of marking spray, dried fully. Air assist OFF — it blows the compound away before it bonds.
- Test on the reverse. Frame with the red-dot preview and run a small test on the back face first.
- Run the mark. Fibre: etch or anneal per the table, without touching focus mid-run. Compound: single steady pass.
- Wash and check. Compound: warm water removes unbonded residue — what remains is the mark. Washes away entirely? Slow down 20%. Bubbled? Speed up.
MistakesWhat everyone gets wrong
- Route B with air assist on — the most common failure by far.
- Expecting depth from Route B: it's a bonded surface mark, not deep engraving.
- Marking plated or coated blanks of unknown origin.
- Fibre on shiny brass dead-flat — tilt reflective work 3–5° to protect the optics.
⚠ SafetyFibre lasers emit invisible 1064 nm light that reaches the retina — wavelength-rated goggles (OD5+ at 1064 nm) always. Marking compounds: follow the SDS, extraction on.
⤴ Level up
Pet ID tags as a product line (fibre annealing is the professional standard), personalised tools and flasks, and MOPA colour marking — frequency shifts produce blues, golds and purples on stainless.