Fabricate panels with a LASER

[GoingForGold]

Hi there!
I'm pretty new to this cockpit building thing and I'm still planning my cockpit. At the moment I'm thinking about how to make the panels. I'm lucky to have access to a 40W CO2 LASER and a 3D printer. However, I 'm not sure how to make nice, backlightable panels with the LASER. because I'm not experienced with this piece of equipment.
1. Since it should be backlighted, its pretty clear that I have to use acrylic. But clear acrylic with a thin white coat of color, or white acrylic, or...?
2. How do I make the text etc. visible? Can I "laser-away" the greyish-blue color? Or can I apply a masking, laser the text and spray the rest with the greyish color? or...

Thank you for all ideas!

[SimSupervisor]

Paint acrylic, then etch it with LASER.

[hyamesto]

Paint acrylic, then etch it with LASER.

I can add the following advice:
Find an acrylic vendor, talk about your necessity, and question him about the best-type acrylic for your project. There are clear acrylic, but some are translucent (like "frosted glass") maybe better to diffuse the light, or semi-translucent white too.
There are too, 2 layers acrylic, (example: black on front, with white underside. When you etch it with laser, the white part is visible over the black part.
Maybe you can find a Black or grey/transparent 2 layers, ready to etch, and you can forget the paint.
If you are a fanatic of type "No, i want the real panel colour..." , you can use vinyl mask (cut with the laser too) but you need first make the complete cut of the piece in transparent or translucent acrylic, stick the mask, paint and retire the mask, but sometimes, if the mask is not applied correctly and you are late to retire it, some of the paint will go with the mask too, or the paint will go inside the mask.


Regards.
Horacio.

[GoingForGold]

Hi!

I am back from some testing. However, I did not manage to produce satisfyable results. And somehow, I cant find any advise/tutorials on the web about how to laser/etch spraypaint from acrylic.
Is there anyone with experience here? My main problem is that either I am using too less power and nothing happens, or I use too much and the color "melts" and there are horrible edges.
I use acrylic spray paint, maybe thats wrong? Any other idea? The panels are made of PMMA acrylic.
Has anyone tried screen printing? That would also be an option for me.

[iwik]

Have a read here and I am sure John will help.
http://www.mycockpit.org/forums/showthread.php?t=29220
and here.
http://www.cockpitbuilders.com/community/index.php?topic=2107.0;nowap
Les

[John_B]

Hi goingforgold

Was it you that sent a private message to me?
I got it in my email but it is not in the private message inbox so I am not sure who wrote it...you/he left his real name with no nickname.:D
If it is reply to this and I will send you my email.

John

[GoingForGold]

Haha, yeah it was me! :)

[John_B]

LOL cool

Happy to help you....
I sent you a PM with my email...

John

[jonesthesoftware]

Hi
Just like to add..
Acrylic paint dries from the inside out. So spray thin coats, dry each coat with an infra red heater.Spray enough coats to get the opacity. Leave finished result for at least 2 weeks before engraving. Hard paint gives crisper edge to engraving. Spray clear matt laquer AFTER engraving as laquer melts from heat of laser.
regards
geoff

[John_B]

When I do certain panels 737 overhead panels I let the grey (RAL 7011 cellulose) dry overnight .I the cover it with masking and cut the mask with the laser...then spray acrylic ( light grey) over the top leave for 1 hour (ish...touch dry) peel off my masking and then engrave...I guess we all have differing ways to our results.

When doing the normal front panels (with sprayed edges) again ..short drying times ...cut the panel... remove from laser, leaving the outline sheet in place for registration,..... spray sufficient paint to cover all edges and obtain opacity leave until touch dry (***note***handle carefully though or you WILL get fingerprints).. re-insert to cut frame and engrave.... great results.

I do no use lacquer as I have the right amount I need to give it a tough enough finish into the spray mix....that might just be the car re-finisher (from years ago) in me !

As long as you exceed the 'flash off' point off the paint all will be well. Before that you have the paint scorch/burn in places and of course risk a fire....but that's all part of the fun surely???????:evil:

John

[m0ng00se]

Hi
Just like to add..
Acrylic paint dries from the inside out. So spray thin coats, dry each coat with an infra red heater.Spray enough coats to get the opacity. Leave finished result for at least 2 weeks before engraving.

two weeks, wow, I haven't got the patience for that, but I'm going to try it thanks ;)

[John_B]

two weeks, wow, I haven't got the patience for that, but I'm going to try it thanks ;)

I make these panels all day long now ...trust me just let the paint 'flash off' plus a bit of time...for cellulose 20 or so mins is fine.

Boeing build the whole dam plane in 2 weeks LOL ..(ok there are a few of them!)

:D

John

[jonesthesoftware]

I make these panels all day long now ...trust me just let the paint 'flash off' plus a bit of time...for cellulose 20 or so mins is fine.

Boeing build the whole dam plane in 2 weeks LOL ..(ok there are a few of them!)

:D

John
My post was aimed at using cheap water based paint with no solvents. Yes i agree cellulose or synthetics will flash off and dry quickly. Strangely enough you can only buy water based paints in the county i live in. The local council gave banned cellulose, 2 pack, basecoat etc, yet if i go outside the area i can still buy them?
Regards

[John_B]

My post was aimed at using cheap water based paint with no solvents. Yes i agree cellulose or synthetics will flash off and dry quickly. Strangely enough you can only buy water based paints in the county i live in. The local council gave banned cellulose, 2 pack, basecoat etc, yet if i go outside the area i can still buy them?
Regards

Heya Jonesthesoftware

How strange?
I have often used standard emulsion (buy it as a tester from B+Q if they have them over there) it dries within the hour though the finish is not as tough unless ya seal it after.

Ebay sells celly paints in an spray can maybe you can get around the rules that way? mind you they do work out expensive @ around £17 a can!

I have a car refinishing supplier two mins from me and can get it all (horrible, nasty, 2 pack included).

John

[jonesthesoftware]

Heya Jonesthesoftware

How strange?
I have often used standard emulsion (buy it as a tester from B+Q if they have them over there) it dries within the hour though the finish is not as tough unless ya seal it after.

Ebay sells celly paints in an spray can maybe you can get around the rules that way? mind you they do work out expensive @ around £17 a can!

I have a car refinishing supplier two mins from me and can get it all (horrible, nasty, 2 pack included).

John
Hi John
strange indeed. The council is Rhondda Cynon Taff(lets name and shame!). At first I thought the supplier was kidding when he said he couldn't sell me solvent based stuff.

I force dry the emulsion with an infra red heater but I have found that the longer I leave it the harder it becomes and I get a crisper engraving after 2 weeks-ish
I am using the B&Q paint as I took apiece of real 767 brown and had it colour matched in matt emulsion, Looks pretty good too.

I use the emulsion mostly because of the colour match but it's so easy to clean up and the overspray is so heavy you don't get clouds of paint in your garage workshop. I went to an auto paint supplier previously and had 1 litre of water based car paint colour matched at £46 and I thought it was rubbish as it never seemed to dry and was soft to touch. It also required a top coat of clear laquer.
It was simpler and cheaper to use B&Q emulsion and coat it with rattle cans of matt clear laquer from ebay.
regards
geoff

[John_B]

Oh Geoff that's insane! is there a punishment for driving somewhere you can get it then using it??

Yeah the b n q stuff does work /..I buy 1ltr cellulose for about £17 or so but at the moment do not have my spray shop (as we are hoping to move soon so most is boxed away.)
I find with "softer" paint I get a nicer edge as it kind of heals on the very edge

I made these today for a guy left them for around 40 mins (this cheap satin black is magic.)

hmm I uploaded a picture but heaven knows where its gone LOL


Ho hum

John

[Flight Sim Parts]

White Acrlic, Spray RAL 7011 paint, Allow to dry then imput into the laser and it will etch the text leaving the white background of the plastic to show through!

edit,
Sand with some fine sandpaper and use plastic primer!

[Flight Sim Parts]

Hi John
strange indeed. The council is Rhondda Cynon Taff(lets name and shame!). At first I thought the supplier was kidding when he said he couldn't sell me solvent based stuff.

I force dry the emulsion with an infra red heater but I have found that the longer I leave it the harder it becomes and I get a crisper engraving after 2 weeks-ish
I am using the B&Q paint as I took apiece of real 767 brown and had it colour matched in matt emulsion, Looks pretty good too.

I use the emulsion mostly because of the colour match but it's so easy to clean up and the overspray is so heavy you don't get clouds of paint in your garage workshop. I went to an auto paint supplier previously and had 1 litre of water based car paint colour matched at £46 and I thought it was rubbish as it never seemed to dry and was soft to touch. It also required a top coat of clear laquer.
It was simpler and cheaper to use B&Q emulsion and coat it with rattle cans of matt clear laquer from ebay.
regards
geoff

I'm from Cwmbran and use cellulose! Move down here haha! :)

[budman9mm]

I'm late to the discussion here, but on the topic of painting the acrylic panels...I mix my own and it comes out looking quite good imo every time. I use Liquitex Basics Acrylic Titanium White and Mars Black and add a very small amount of the blue (I don't have the exact name handy) and match it by eye to my previous batch (you can find color samples and use those too). I also add some paint adhesion medium to help it bond with the acrylic a little better. I then apply with an airbrush in thin coats until bright light no longer bleeds through. I've had no trouble engraving or cutting after an overnight drying and even less. At first it can be a little susceptible to nicks or scratches, but it becomes pretty resistant after a week or so, so I'm just careful with it until then.

Hope this helps someone. If you already have the airbrush, then it is a lot cheaper. YMMV