I have been trying with this method for a while have noticed a few things that yield better results. Notably using a damp paper towel inside the glass and then sealing with tape has helped tremendously. Get it soaking wet, wring it out, stuff it in and you are good to go. Also if the artwork is high resolution, notably 3K+ pixels, turning CPM to 120 and sharpness to ~65% (depending on thickness of glass) yields spectacular results. One thing I have noticed is that thinner glasses tend to flake the etched layer easier than thicker ones, likely due to volume and thermal expansion. The thinnest glasses I have done with these settings have walls of 5mm and, like I have mentioned before, turned out fantastic. The galvanizing spray is must on a 10W laser.
For all those wondering how / why they are ending up with black marks, black edges or inconsistent engraving using the same settings as our man BDB. The "white" is not actually the end product. Trust me. Take a drill and a wire bristle brush and sand off the white... you are now left with an impeccable finish.
I halved the power on my D1 Pro and got exactly the finish as you described. I tried a metal brush and the etching started flaking off completely. Tried ethanol, IPA, magic eraser, and putting them through the dishwasher. Any ideas how to get the frosted look without the black edges or totally black parts of the design?
Hey! Currently working through your Xtool D1 playlist - I'm waiting for mine to be delivered, 10w with air assist and rotary. Your videos are both informative and incredibly entertaining! Watching from the UK. Here for the rest!
I'm trying this right now as the video is playing. When painting the glass, why tape the top when you can just turn it upside down and save time and tape?
Would you share the settings you ended up using for the final result? We saw what didn't work but not what did work... thanks for taking the time to share your experience!
Hi all, i dont have a D1, but i do have a diy mill/laser cnc, your concept is great, i tryed a few different settings, at first I was disappointed with the results, but as i increased the laser intensity i got some amazing results, Im using the spaniard cold galvanized spray wich I had from a previous project. Thanks for the great share..
Loving your videos. Just beginning to laser on glass. With cold galvanising spray on colored glass what color will etch parts appear. I see how you used the invert image on the skull to get it white.
Hi isaw on your video you used a door stop to lift the rotary. When i do they my image seems off Seems not straight. How can i get my image or text straight on the glass It's killing me this engraving 😢😢. Every time the imsge seems to drop or go higher on one side.. 😕 thanks 👍👍👍
@@BuildDadBuild is it manual then to get the image straight and not dropping? It's basically you lining the laser (not crosshairs) to the rail? Even when the glass is level
I just searched (How to laser engrave on glass with xTool D1 pro.) To see what came up. Well it's an xTool blog by Winnie Li on Nov 25, 22. It has these exact video clips on the page? Some comp. Or is it considered a PLR? 🤔
Thanks for this video man! I’m looking at purchasing an xtool myself and wanted to know how to use glass in projects before I decided to buy one. This helped A TON! Just subscribed.
I've been etching glasses with my son for the last two months using vinyl and armour etch. This looks great. It seems you can get details in there that would be hard to do with a vinyl stencil. The question I have is this. Is this a faster process? It seems like the spraying and cleaning really slows things down.
@BuildDadBuild I think you misunderstood me. No worries. I'm doing a chemical etch. No lasers at the moment. I'm considering doing laser similar to how you are.
@@BuildDadBuild thanks for the reply. Just one more thing, if you could help?! Should I use the stainless steel present setting on a glass if I have used tempara paint instead of galvanised spray? Or should I go less aggressive. Many thanks again! Subscribed
I've at this for a while now and can't seem to get the outcome right. 10W diode, same settings, same spray, lacquer thinner to clean. I end up with the etching all grey/black as the 'Cold Galvanizing Compound' seems embedded in to the glass. It looks fine, but I'm shooting for the fogged glass look like Nick has here. Not sure what I'm doing wrong here!
@@BuildDadBuild Thanks for the reply. I believe I sorted this out. I had my resolution up too high. had it at 14.3 pixel/mm (~363 dpi). Reduced this to 6.7 pixel/mm (~170 dpi) and the black stopped sticking and I ended up with a nice even fog. I think the higher res was driving the microfissures deep in to the glass and drawing the paint particles in to the fissures, locking that color in to the glass permanently. I mean that is cool if the color was more consistent and I may play more with mixing the concept of high res on some part and lower res on the other to have black accents. Anyway, often we want the higher resolution for a cleaner image, but in glass etching this is not the best course of action
Love the videos, when I etch with my D1 , when to hot etching black and when I lower seems to be silvery. Maybe it's just the video but yours looks frosted. How do I get it frosted.
I need help! I'm obviously setting up my settings or something wrong, when I do text, my words are mirrored... so the word mama, comes out as amam... I've turned my test piece every different direction, flipped my text in the program... I can't get it to etch correctly... on another note, Laserbox seems to be the only way to get my RA2 to work. I can't get it to work correctly at all on LightBurn.
So how does a laser engraver deal with complex contours like an ax head? The distance from the laser is almost constantly varied… will the image distort?
Usually that means that either there was too much cold galvanized compound on it (one light coat is all you need) or I have discovered if you turn the DPI up sometimes the results aren't as good (keep it at 100) Cheers
Is there a way to have the end result be a different color? Either through the transfer material or some kind of dye that grabs onto the etched surfaces and not the unetched glass?
You can use dry moly to get darker etches. I've also heard tempera paint, but have yet to experiment with it. If you want to get fancy Enduramark is always an option. And if you want to try Enduramark out email me nick@builddadbuild.com for a promo code for 20% off... Cheers
Hi, if my engraving is 95% perfect but has a few spots where the engraved surface chips off, what is the most likely problem? Too slow or too fast engraving speed, too much engraving power (using 10W 100%), distance from laser to glass, glass quality, etc.? Thanks
I believe that it just helps absorb the energy of the laser, We use sharpies on broken diamonds to explode them at work when using a laser welder because it doesn't give the the energy a clear path. So from what I understand it just helps stop the energy of the laser from going through the glass But I am new to the laser engraver so feel free to correct me
Potential dumb question. When etching an object that is tapered like a standard pint glass, does the rolling action cause the glass to move or slide down and skew the engraving?
Not dumb. Depending on the taper you can either focus half the distance between the top most and bottom most part of the image. Or I've seen a lot of folks put a wedge under the rotary to level it out. Cheers
With my ortur rotary a pint glass will move because of it's shape. I seen a vid of people making an attachment for it using a 3d printer to keep it steady. I might look into that.
Over 1 year ago I did a video on RUclips on using cold galvanizing spray on glass & Tile and used water to wash off the mess. I run a 5.5w optical diode laser at around 60% power Glad to see you found the same results as me.
My D1 in the software doesn't have the sharpness adjustment or the cylinder working switch. Are you using a Laserbox pro software? My software isn't showing any updates. Appreciate it
Hi, I used the galvanizing compound on several attempts and each came out black and very hard to remove. I had to pick off the residue with an X-acto knife. How did you get yours to turn white and removable? 😣
Dad - what's the light deal/ electric tube up above on ceiling in the garage - is it some kind of air cleaner? Great video by the way - thanks for all you do!
You didn’t cover inverting the skull graphic or I missed it. I’m trying the same technique but I need the burn to look frost like your skull, all I get is black results……could you explain how you did it, thanks.
It’s not the paint color. You’re creating micro fractures in the glass that give you the white look. Gray or black means either too much product or improper settings. Go with light coats and run a speed and power grid.
I can’t seem to get the black char sections to go away. Using the x tool d1 with cold galvanizing compound and ra2 rotary. Everything looks great but the finer outline or smaller details get the black char. The bigger sections look great. Using 8 mm/s and 100% power. Any ideas?
@@BuildDadBuild Messed with just about everything I can think of. The finer line areas and the outside outline is still getting quite a bit of “char” black areas no matter how thin I get the CGC. Running 12 mm/s and 100% power. Could overscanning or any other setting be causing it? I can’t seem to get as clean an end result as in your videos. Thanks for all the help. I am using Lightburn FWIW
Looks like stainless steel was the best setting for this when you used it. Does that seem the case for any others you did as a great default? Or did you have to mess with these every time to used a different image?
So I’ve done this 3 times now exactly the same way you did. My images all come out black and fade pretty good when I clean them with lacquer. I noticed yours came out white and didn’t seem to fade when you cleaned them. Any suggestions would be appreciated thank you! I’ve been watching your videos you’ve already taught me a lot!
3 questions 1) does the x1 REQUIRE internet connection 2) you can prioritie software and 3rd party i.e RDworks & Lightburn 3) Last what were the final settings for the 10Watt diode
@@BuildDadBuildNIck, they WERE on the top of your head, but, they SLID OFF that good look'in bald head.... NO offense, just good fun - MY BAD 🙂 I've got my D1 10 Watt PRO kit with rotary coming as soon as I pull the trigger and your good video is priming me with the smarts to start off running.... Thanks. Hank
Nick really appreciate your videos and have learned a lot about the D1 from you. I’m having some issues with glass engraving. I’m using the cold galvanizing compound and same settings as you use. I’m getting black lines almost a gradient look to it vs the bright white you’re getting. I went to 200 lines per cm and it’s still happening. I’ve wasted a lot of glass and time trying to figure this out. Any help would be appreciated.
A couple of things 1 - of course make sure your focus is on the highest point of the glass 2 - if the glasses are tapered make sure you're mitigating that 3 - Experiment with more and/or less cold galvanizing compound I'm assuming that you have the 10watt. If you have the 5watt the settings will be different. If none of that works, drop me a line and we can troubleshoot. nick@builddadbuild.com Cheers
@@Sinistrad I ended up getting the enduramark glass etching compound. Normally do 3 coats and make sure and let it completely dry. Use 100% power and 12mm/sec. After etching I use a pick tool to scratch the etching to get the layer of compound off which reveals a nice white etch under it. Still looking for other mediums to try because enduramark is really expensive.
I’m having trouble getting laser box to sync up with my D1. Keep saying the device can’t be found. Do you have any ideas of what might be going on? Thanks.
My D1 should be here this week and I'm currently watching all of your laser videos. Great series. I'm curios why you tape the tops insted of just setting them upside down on some cardboard?
Sorry to bother you I have been trying to engraver/Etch some Whiskey glasses but for some reason it's not etching I'm using the same stuff you are but I can't seem to get it right on the Whiskey glasses The decanter came out great
Fantastic 🍺! Just received my D1 10W and the rotatry, your videos played a part on my decision. If I'm not imposing too much, in the first attempt you showed settings as 100% power/12 mm-sec, then the second time you switched to coated metal which is 100/70, is that the final or something in between? Help is appreciated brother.
If I switched to coated metal that was an error. Keep your settings at 100% @ 12mm/s Also, I've discovered that raising the DPI doesn't always result in a better engrave. Cheers
@@BuildDadBuild Thank you so much for your help, very valuable. In a wacko moment I had the power at 100%, finish the first letter then it cracked the glass at the beginning of the second letter, toning it down a little 😁.
@@BuildDadBuild Hi. I have an Ortur Laser Master with a 5W diode laser and i do find your settings of 100% power @ 12 mm/s a bit strange. Are you sure it's only 12 mm/s? I engrave glasses @ 600 mm/s if i go for 100% power. Sorry for my question but i find 12 mm/s way to slow.
@@Rui69Bernardo I think you are confused with your numbers. Nick's setting of 12mm/s = 720mm per minute. Your 600mm/s = 36,000mm per minute. It is not possible to engrave at that speed.
@@Maluk30 Hi. Yes, you are right, i got confused with the numbers. My last glass engravings were made with 90% power at 1050 mm/min. Sorry for my mistake.
I got my d1 this past week. I had a 5w ortur and when I used the CGC I just used a sos pad and water to get the coating off. Have you tried that? I did it that way to not have to use a thinner.
Your videos are freaking awesome! A couple of months ago I bought the Two Trees T-55 laser as an entry level laser. I can do wooden coasters really easily. I am hoping your video helps me with my glass! Keep up the great work!
Hey Bud, I was hoping I could search the comments to see if my question has been asked 67 times already, but no luck! How long does the Compound have to cure on the glass before putting it under the laser?
@@BuildDadBuild what problems were you running into? I have used different colors and they all engrave differently. been playing with settings. The marking paper either goes deep or it doesn't and it can chip.
Any idea how to get the powder coat off? Saw your reply regarding food safety… would like to get the material off and leave the etching. Tried about 4 different thinners, it’s definitely “magic”ed on there. :)
@@BuildDadBuild that’s what it seems like. Made the assumption since it’s a zinc product (used the cold galvanizing compound) heated. Most similar place in my brain is powder coat. Since my comment, tried a few more things: polishing wheel, wire wheel, and some picks. Thus far (for those reading) picks work best. You’re chipping off zinc oxide (effectively) so wear a respirator.
Hello sir, I am attempting to do what u are but I am using laser gbrl. I curious if u could give me some setting...if you know on how to etch like u did.
Does it etch Powder Coated Stainless Steel Tumblers? Has anyone tested that? I know spray painted works fine... just wondering if this works on Powder coated tumblers, those scratch resistant type.
Nice work! I've been etching glass for a couple of weeks now and I tend to have edges on the art look like torn paper. The edges are not smooth. In looking around, people have been saying to use a wire wheel or wire-brush. I haven't tried it yet but was wondering if this is something you do in your post production?
Can you show how to engrave an image on a wine tumbler? I'm wondering if it is possible because of the shape of the tumbler. We are planning to do some for a wedding and need some guidance. Thanks
Quick question. When you did your stainless steel & glass, using the default settings (100%power, 12 mm/Dec) Did it take almost and hour? Mine did and the image was barely 2.5x2.5”
Using my xtool d1pro 10w in a public school technology & manufacturing class. What problems did you have with paint vs galvanize? This was the first video and one of the best on etching glass. Great Job. Just know I can't use it in class without editing it a little for language. LOL
Coated metal tumblers don’t need any spray (stay tuned for that video). Stainless I have some Dry Moly coming to try (that is supposed to be what works on bare metals)
@@BuildDadBuild I have this laser coming next week with the cylinder attachment. Thickness of hard wood says 3/8. I use all the hard woods, but it didn’t go through the red oak, so what about walnut, maple and the others from 1/4 to 1/2? What did you use on the glass?
Does the final product last through dishwashers? I work at a bar and wanted to surprise the owner with a few glasses with a logo but not if it wears right off
I have been trying with this method for a while have noticed a few things that yield better results. Notably using a damp paper towel inside the glass and then sealing with tape has helped tremendously. Get it soaking wet, wring it out, stuff it in and you are good to go. Also if the artwork is high resolution, notably 3K+ pixels, turning CPM to 120 and sharpness to ~65% (depending on thickness of glass) yields spectacular results. One thing I have noticed is that thinner glasses tend to flake the etched layer easier than thicker ones, likely due to volume and thermal expansion. The thinnest glasses I have done with these settings have walls of 5mm and, like I have mentioned before, turned out fantastic. The galvanizing spray is must on a 10W laser.
Do you think this technique could work on clear acrylic? Like a square sheet
For all those wondering how / why they are ending up with black marks, black edges or inconsistent engraving using the same settings as our man BDB. The "white" is not actually the end product. Trust me. Take a drill and a wire bristle brush and sand off the white... you are now left with an impeccable finish.
i was just wondering why i have black marks and black edges on my glass. so i just like a brass wire brush and sand it off?
Key piece right here, thanks
I halved the power on my D1 Pro and got exactly the finish as you described. I tried a metal brush and the etching started flaking off completely. Tried ethanol, IPA, magic eraser, and putting them through the dishwasher. Any ideas how to get the frosted look without the black edges or totally black parts of the design?
Who cares how it works. I can come here, find people like you who explain it well enough for me to understand, and then make it happen. Nice work.
Cold galvanizing compound contains a ton of zinc, so amazing ventilation is a must because it is highly toxic.
Hey! Currently working through your Xtool D1 playlist - I'm waiting for mine to be delivered, 10w with air assist and rotary. Your videos are both informative and incredibly entertaining! Watching from the UK. Here for the rest!
Likewise Josh, mine is coming next week. 🥳
I'm trying this right now as the video is playing. When painting the glass, why tape the top when you can just turn it upside down and save time and tape?
You are smarter than me. 👍🏻
So cool to see the mistake and the fix. Noone is perfect the first time, great to see the learning process!
Right? It's the only way I learn! LOL
Cheers
I just ordered a xTool D1 with the rotary attachment and THANK YOU !! for all your help !! SUBSCRIBED !!
Awesome! Thank you.
Bought my wife a laser printer for Christmas! Can’t wait to see what she does with it!!! Thanks for doing this video!
You're welcome, brother!
Cheers
Careful, laser printer is something totally different.
@@3DJapan LoL…. Whooops…. Laser “engraver”
Would you share the settings you ended up using for the final result? We saw what didn't work but not what did work... thanks for taking the time to share your experience!
It's the preset for engraving stainless steel. I believe it's 12 mm/s at 100% power
Cheers
@@BuildDadBuild if i have the 20W model should i do this at 50% power?
@@bigtymeplayerx I have the same question!
Not sure what setting to use for the 20w.
What did you laser power and speed end up being? Thanks for the great video
Hi all, i dont have a D1, but i do have a diy mill/laser cnc, your concept is great, i tryed a few different settings, at first I was disappointed with the results, but as i increased the laser intensity i got some amazing results,
Im using the spaniard cold galvanized spray wich I had from a previous project.
Thanks for the great share..
Sure thing!
Cheers
Loving your videos. Just beginning to laser on glass. With cold galvanising spray on colored glass what color will etch parts appear. I see how you used the invert image on the skull to get it white.
I think it will etch white. But not entirely sure if that’s on all colors.
Hi isaw on your video you used a door stop to lift the rotary. When i do they my image seems off
Seems not straight. How can i get my image or text straight on the glass
It's killing me this engraving 😢😢.
Every time the imsge seems to drop or go higher on one side.. 😕 thanks 👍👍👍
You’ve got to make sure the item you are engraving is level and doesn’t slip when the rotary spins.
@@BuildDadBuild is it manual then to get the image straight and not dropping? It's basically you lining the laser (not crosshairs) to the rail? Even when the glass is level
@@dannoc1070 Make sure to check if the piece is level to the laser head. Use a square to make sure you’re in focus, etc.
Tempura paint vs. Galvanized compound? What's the difference after the engraving? Tempura is very, very easy to work with.
I don’t care to work with tempura. So personal preference?
Great video - What is the function of the paint? are other colors well too? Thank you
Paint works as a transfer agent.
Do you think that the cold galvanizing compound will work with stainless steel? Thanks in advance
Try dry moly lube.
@@BuildDadBuild thanks
I just searched (How to laser engrave on glass with xTool D1 pro.) To see what came up. Well it's an xTool blog by Winnie Li on Nov 25, 22. It has these exact video clips on the page? Some comp. Or is it considered a PLR? 🤔
xTool has asked if they can use my footage in the past.
Thanks for this video man! I’m looking at purchasing an xtool myself and wanted to know how to use glass in projects before I decided to buy one. This helped A TON! Just subscribed.
Sweet. Welcome to the Fray!
I wonder if this will work with my Chinese 50 water?
Thanks!
Thank you, brother!
Thank you. I have been trying to etch glass and now I know why I failed.
Hi, Would you need the stainless steel preset if you were using tempara paint instead of galvanised spray? Many thanks
Not sure. I've never used Tempura paint. You'd need to run a test power and speed grid.
Cheers
Broooooo! You just made my day with the Breakfast Club call out!!! Thank you for that good sir!
@@davidthierry6623 cheers homie! 🕶️ for better hallway vision.
Do you use air assist? I got good results but have noticed slight darkness from the cold galvanized compound until I chip away that area.
Yes
Hey. Very helpful videos. I'm getting burn marks on like 10% of my glass ideas how to get rid of that?
usually means you're either burning too hot or moving too slow.
@@BuildDadBuild which one would you adjust first?
I've been etching glasses with my son for the last two months using vinyl and armour etch.
This looks great. It seems you can get details in there that would be hard to do with a vinyl stencil. The question I have is this. Is this a faster process? It seems like the spraying and cleaning really slows things down.
you should NOT be laser engraving vinyl. The fumes are toxic and the exhaust is corrosive.
@BuildDadBuild I think you misunderstood me. No worries. I'm doing a chemical etch. No lasers at the moment. I'm considering doing laser similar to how you are.
Hi bdb. Would you need the honeycomb panel when doing glasses or is it just for the wood engraving? Thanks, been watching your stuff alot. !!
You do not need the honeycomb if you are using the rotary.
Cheers!
@@BuildDadBuild thanks for the reply. Just one more thing, if you could help?!
Should I use the stainless steel present setting on a glass if I have used tempara paint instead of galvanised spray? Or should I go less aggressive. Many thanks again! Subscribed
You'll need to run a speed and power test for best settings.
I've at this for a while now and can't seem to get the outcome right.
10W diode, same settings, same spray, lacquer thinner to clean.
I end up with the etching all grey/black as the 'Cold Galvanizing Compound' seems embedded in to the glass. It looks fine, but I'm shooting for the fogged glass look like Nick has here.
Not sure what I'm doing wrong here!
You're probably putting too much product on the glass.
@@BuildDadBuild Thanks for the reply.
I believe I sorted this out. I had my resolution up too high. had it at 14.3 pixel/mm (~363 dpi). Reduced this to 6.7 pixel/mm (~170 dpi) and the black stopped sticking and I ended up with a nice even fog.
I think the higher res was driving the microfissures deep in to the glass and drawing the paint particles in to the fissures, locking that color in to the glass permanently.
I mean that is cool if the color was more consistent and I may play more with mixing the concept of high res on some part and lower res on the other to have black accents.
Anyway, often we want the higher resolution for a cleaner image, but in glass etching this is not the best course of action
Love the videos, when I etch with my D1 , when to hot etching black and when I lower seems to be silvery. Maybe it's just the video but yours looks frosted. How do I get it frosted.
You are probably using too much product.
Thanks for this, I'm going to try it. Have you etched using any acrylic materials?
Yes
So do you want the white flakes then sand it off? Or did I cut too hot and need to turn back power so it doesn’t flake?
The flakes are from the product, not the glass.
@@BuildDadBuild so I need different glass more than likely?
@@chaddhaddox9523 No. Those aren't glass flakes...its residule from the spray you're using.
@@BuildDadBuild I went and bought the cold compound. Much better
So laser Grbl settings for my 10w atomstack should be 100% at 720 speed. I'm about to try this. 🤞
The setting worked amazingly well. What paint thinner did you use to take off the galvanized compound? I am having a hard time removing it
I use lacquer thinner
At least you got instructions. My eSun3D cleaning filament came with zero instructions, just rolled up filament in a bag.
I need help! I'm obviously setting up my settings or something wrong, when I do text, my words are mirrored... so the word mama, comes out as amam... I've turned my test piece every different direction, flipped my text in the program... I can't get it to etch correctly... on another note, Laserbox seems to be the only way to get my RA2 to work. I can't get it to work correctly at all on LightBurn.
The motor of the rotary should be closer to the start button.
Question how long should it take to etch glass with 20W xtool laser using light burn and should image be changed to bit map?
Depends on how complex the image is.
I doubt you’ll see this but the etching spray I’m using makes my images black on glass, what are you using that makes it white??
If it's going black you are burning the compound.
So how does a laser engraver deal with complex contours like an ax head? The distance from the laser is almost constantly varied… will the image distort?
Diodes need a flat surface. A CO2 with a larger lens could probably handle it.
just followed these exact directions. any suggestions if some of the coating in the laser etched wiped away when cleaning it off ?
Usually that means that either there was too much cold galvanized compound on it (one light coat is all you need) or I have discovered if you turn the DPI up sometimes the results aren't as good (keep it at 100)
Cheers
@@BuildDadBuild thank you! ill give it a try
So, the second skull was Stainless, 100% and 12mm/s. Correct? Thanks!
Is the glassware still safe to drink from after spraying this stuff on it and then hitting it with paint thinner...? Thanks for the video!
Yes. Just make sure everything has been cleaned off. You can also run it through the dishwasher.
will this work on champagne glasses. and how could you color fill ?
Yes. No color fill.
Is there a way to have the end result be a different color? Either through the transfer material or some kind of dye that grabs onto the etched surfaces and not the unetched glass?
Laser marking spray.
Can you use that cold galv compound to engrave stainless to get darker marks?
You can use dry moly to get darker etches. I've also heard tempera paint, but have yet to experiment with it. If you want to get fancy Enduramark is always an option. And if you want to try Enduramark out email me nick@builddadbuild.com for a promo code for 20% off...
Cheers
Hi, if my engraving is 95% perfect but has a few spots where the engraved surface chips off, what is the most likely problem? Too slow or too fast engraving speed, too much engraving power (using 10W 100%), distance from laser to glass, glass quality, etc.? Thanks
Normally that means your spray coat wasn’t totally even.
I believe that it just helps absorb the energy of the laser, We use sharpies on broken diamonds to explode them at work when using a laser welder because it doesn't give the the energy a clear path. So from what I understand it just helps stop the energy of the laser from going through the glass
But I am new to the laser engraver so feel free to correct me
Potential dumb question. When etching an object that is tapered like a standard pint glass, does the rolling action cause the glass to move or slide down and skew the engraving?
Not dumb. Depending on the taper you can either focus half the distance between the top most and bottom most part of the image. Or I've seen a lot of folks put a wedge under the rotary to level it out.
Cheers
@@BuildDadBuild Awesome and thank you. I got my wife the Xtool for christmas so I'm learning how to use it.
@@BuildDadBuild I'd love to see a couple demos of that if you have the free time.
With my ortur rotary a pint glass will move because of it's shape. I seen a vid of people making an attachment for it using a 3d printer to keep it steady. I might look into that.
@@mrfreak64 I just use a rubber door stop and prop up the glass. I'm posting a video on it next week.
Cheers
Hi, I was wondering if you you know how to use the ir module to clean rust? If so do you have a Step-by-step video on how to go about doing it?
I don’t. I think it would take quite a while. Normally those machines have a fan shaped beam
If buying a 1st laser which would you recommend between the Xtool or the Ortur pro? I am trying to decide which one to buy.
xTool. Out of all the lasers in the shop, the xTool is the one I go to to get things done.
Cheers
What Power/Speed settings did you use for the one that came out perfect?
I think it was the stainless steel settings. It will vary from laser to laser.
How do you clean off the Cold Galvanizing Compound?
Lacquer Thinner.
Hey Nick thanks for the solid video, what's the speed/power for the good skull?thx
100% power / 9mm/s
Cheers
Over 1 year ago I did a video on RUclips on using cold galvanizing spray on glass & Tile and used water to wash off the mess. I run a 5.5w optical diode laser at around 60% power Glad to see you found the same results as me.
Yeah, I was surprised that you can wash it off with water!
Cheers
@@BuildDadBuild Probably washes off because the glass is not porous enough for it to adhere to it.
So does the "Zinc-Rich" spray produce zinc fumes as well? Any risk of "zinc flu" even with ventilation?
Always have proper ventilation. If you are worried about zinc flu try a marking spray like Enduramark
My D1 in the software doesn't have the sharpness adjustment or the cylinder working switch. Are you using a Laserbox pro software? My software isn't showing any updates. Appreciate it
I shot this using their old software. It has been updated since then.
@@BuildDadBuild appreciate it Sir!!!
Trying to figure out exactly what metals can be used with this laser? I am getting the 20 watt version. I'm curious about zinc alloy... Thanks!
Haven't tried with Zinc.
Does is have to be Cold Galvanizing Compound Spray or can it be just regular spray paint?
I have heard of folks having similar results with other paints. I just haven't tried it myself.
Cheers
Hi, I used the galvanizing compound on several attempts and each came out black and very hard to remove. I had to pick off the residue with an X-acto knife. How did you get yours to turn white and removable? 😣
It sounds like you might be applying too little or too much. Or possibly running your power too high.
Cheers
Dad - what's the light deal/ electric tube up above on ceiling in the garage - is it some kind of air cleaner? Great video by the way - thanks for all you do!
No. It’s just a LED garage light fixture.
amzn.to/3Hd1y6d
You didn’t cover inverting the skull graphic or I missed it. I’m trying the same technique but I need the burn to look frost like your skull, all I get is black results……could you explain how you did it, thanks.
I didn't invert it. And black results usually means you are using too much product or burning too hot.
Cheers
So the paint is gray but the end product is white? How did this happen? I tried it and it ended up gray/black.
It’s not the paint color. You’re creating micro fractures in the glass that give you the white look. Gray or black means either too much product or improper settings. Go with light coats and run a speed and power grid.
I can’t seem to get the black char sections to go away. Using the x tool d1 with cold galvanizing compound and ra2 rotary. Everything looks great but the finer outline or smaller details get the black char. The bigger sections look great. Using 8 mm/s and 100% power. Any ideas?
Usually means you are either using too much CGC or using too much power or too slow a speed and charging the CGC
@@BuildDadBuild Messed with just about everything I can think of. The finer line areas and the outside outline is still getting quite a bit of “char” black areas no matter how thin I get the CGC. Running 12 mm/s and 100% power. Could overscanning or any other setting be causing it? I can’t seem to get as clean an end result as in your videos. Thanks for all the help. I am using Lightburn FWIW
@@chriswendt7105 send me a pic of the issue. Nick@builddadbuild.com
Looks like stainless steel was the best setting for this when you used it. Does that seem the case for any others you did as a great default? Or did you have to mess with these every time to used a different image?
Hi mate, would this machine cut into shot glasses too?? Thanks mate
It will mark glass
So I’ve done this 3 times now exactly the same way you did. My images all come out black and fade pretty good when I clean them with lacquer. I noticed yours came out white and didn’t seem to fade when you cleaned them. Any suggestions would be appreciated thank you! I’ve been watching your videos you’ve already taught me a lot!
If it's flaking off that usually means you're spraying it too much.
Cheers
I figured out I was using the wrong setting. I was using coated metal instead of stainless
3 questions
1) does the x1 REQUIRE internet connection
2) you can prioritie software and 3rd party i.e RDworks & Lightburn
3) Last what were the final settings for the 10Watt diode
1)No
2)Lightburn
3) Said them in the video
Cheers!
Love your videos! Could this be donr with the Xtool P2? Do you know the settings?
Yes. I don’t know settings off the top of my head.
@@BuildDadBuildNIck, they WERE on the top of your head, but, they SLID OFF that good look'in bald head.... NO offense, just good fun - MY BAD 🙂 I've got my D1 10 Watt PRO kit with rotary coming as soon as I pull the trigger and your good video is priming me with the smarts to start off running.... Thanks. Hank
Nick really appreciate your videos and have learned a lot about the D1 from you. I’m having some issues with glass engraving. I’m using the cold galvanizing compound and same settings as you use. I’m getting black lines almost a gradient look to it vs the bright white you’re getting. I went to 200 lines per cm and it’s still happening. I’ve wasted a lot of glass and time trying to figure this out. Any help would be appreciated.
A couple of things
1 - of course make sure your focus is on the highest point of the glass
2 - if the glasses are tapered make sure you're mitigating that
3 - Experiment with more and/or less cold galvanizing compound
I'm assuming that you have the 10watt. If you have the 5watt the settings will be different.
If none of that works, drop me a line and we can troubleshoot. nick@builddadbuild.com
Cheers
Ever figure this out?
@@Sinistrad I ended up getting the enduramark glass etching compound. Normally do 3 coats and make sure and let it completely dry. Use 100% power and 12mm/sec. After etching I use a pick tool to scratch the etching to get the layer of compound off which reveals a nice white etch under it.
Still looking for other mediums to try because enduramark is really expensive.
I’m having trouble getting laser box to sync up with my D1. Keep saying the device can’t be found. Do you have any ideas of what might be going on? Thanks.
Check your COMs. Check your cables. Check all connections.
@@BuildDadBuild thanks. The other software works but laser box doesn’t. I.l keep working at it
My D1 should be here this week and I'm currently watching all of your laser videos. Great series. I'm curios why you tape the tops insted of just setting them upside down on some cardboard?
because I'm dumb and just never thought of that. LOL
I've actually started doing that since I made this video.
Cheers
Sorry to bother you I have been trying to engraver/Etch some Whiskey glasses but for some reason it's not etching I'm using the same stuff you are but I can't seem to get it right on the Whiskey glasses The decanter came out great
Fantastic 🍺! Just received my D1 10W and the rotatry, your videos played a part on my decision. If I'm not imposing too much, in the first attempt you showed settings as 100% power/12 mm-sec, then the second time you switched to coated metal which is 100/70, is that the final or something in between? Help is appreciated brother.
If I switched to coated metal that was an error. Keep your settings at 100% @ 12mm/s
Also, I've discovered that raising the DPI doesn't always result in a better engrave.
Cheers
@@BuildDadBuild Thank you so much for your help, very valuable. In a wacko moment I had the power at 100%, finish the first letter then it cracked the glass at the beginning of the second letter, toning it down a little 😁.
@@BuildDadBuild Hi. I have an Ortur Laser Master with a 5W diode laser and i do find your settings of 100% power @ 12 mm/s a bit strange. Are you sure it's only 12 mm/s? I engrave glasses @ 600 mm/s if i go for 100% power.
Sorry for my question but i find 12 mm/s way to slow.
@@Rui69Bernardo I think you are confused with your numbers.
Nick's setting of 12mm/s = 720mm per minute.
Your 600mm/s = 36,000mm per minute.
It is not possible to engrave at that speed.
@@Maluk30 Hi. Yes, you are right, i got confused with the numbers. My last glass engravings were made with 90% power at 1050 mm/min. Sorry for my mistake.
I cant get mine to make a scratch on a glass bottle. Do you have to use the compound solution?
Yes. Diode lasers can not etch anything clear without a transfer agent.
@@BuildDadBuild Preciate it!!
Does anyone know if I can use cold galvanize corrosion inhibitor? I can't find the cold galvanizing compound spray anywhere where I liv :(
Check farm supply stores, boat stores and auto parts stores for Cold Galvanizing Compound.
Cheers
im using Xtool creative space with my D1 are those same settings?
I got my d1 this past week. I had a 5w ortur and when I used the CGC I just used a sos pad and water to get the coating off. Have you tried that? I did it that way to not have to use a thinner.
I have been told you can scrub it off. I had lacquer thinner handy, so I used that.
Cheers
Going to try these settings to do some Glencarin Whiskey glasses.
Your videos are freaking awesome! A couple of months ago I bought the Two Trees T-55 laser as an entry level laser. I can do wooden coasters really easily. I am hoping your video helps me with my glass! Keep up the great work!
Do you know if Xtool D1 10W can engrave on plaster?
No idea...
Hey Bud, I was hoping I could search the comments to see if my question has been asked 67 times already, but no luck! How long does the Compound have to cure on the glass before putting it under the laser?
Like 30 minutes to an hour depending on temp and humidity...
@@BuildDadBuild Thank you sir!
Anyway you have or can do a video using marking paper?
Don’t have one. Haven’t had much luck with glass and marking paper.
@@BuildDadBuild what problems were you running into? I have used different colors and they all engrave differently. been playing with settings. The marking paper either goes deep or it doesn't and it can chip.
Any idea how to get the powder coat off? Saw your reply regarding food safety… would like to get the material off and leave the etching. Tried about 4 different thinners, it’s definitely “magic”ed on there. :)
Powder coated glass?
@@BuildDadBuild that’s what it seems like. Made the assumption since it’s a zinc product (used the cold galvanizing compound) heated. Most similar place in my brain is powder coat. Since my comment, tried a few more things: polishing wheel, wire wheel, and some picks. Thus far (for those reading) picks work best. You’re chipping off zinc oxide (effectively) so wear a respirator.
Hello sir, I am attempting to do what u are but I am using laser gbrl. I curious if u could give me some setting...if you know on how to etch like u did.
Hey Eric!
I think the settings were 100%, 12mm/s
Cheers
Any chance you would want to a Bourbon / Whiskey Glencarin for us bourbon drinkers?
What are the settings for the 20 watt😊
Haven’t done this with the 20W…yet. Stay tuned.
Does it etch Powder Coated Stainless Steel Tumblers? Has anyone tested that? I know spray painted works fine... just wondering if this works on Powder coated tumblers, those scratch resistant type.
Yes
Noice!! I've got a wedding client I'm working with and your video (plus the cheap test glasses) for the etched look did the trick my man! You rock!😎
Awesome! Thank you!
Nice work! I've been etching glass for a couple of weeks now and I tend to have edges on the art look like torn paper. The edges are not smooth. In looking around, people have been saying to use a wire wheel or wire-brush. I haven't tried it yet but was wondering if this is something you do in your post production?
I haven't really had that problem. I stick with my melamine sponges!
Can you show how to engrave an image on a wine tumbler? I'm wondering if it is possible because of the shape of the tumbler. We are planning to do some for a wedding and need some guidance. Thanks
It is possible. And stay tuned it's on the list!
Cheers
Quick question. When you did your stainless steel & glass, using the default settings (100%power, 12 mm/Dec) Did it take almost and hour? Mine did and the image was barely 2.5x2.5”
More like 30 minutes...
Cheers
Depends on how dense your image is. I have a monogram 40mm x80mm. When scored it takes 10 minutes. When etched it takes 40.
What did you clean the glass with first ??
Lacquer thinner. But you can use any kind of cleaner. The LT was just closest!
Cheers
@@BuildDadBuild Thank you, your vids are GREAT!
Using my xtool d1pro 10w in a public school technology & manufacturing class. What problems did you have with paint vs galvanize? This was the first video and one of the best on etching glass. Great Job. Just know I can't use it in class without editing it a little for language. LOL
LOL. I have yet to use paint, just the CGC. But, stay tuned.
Question if I paint clear acrylic can I cut it with my xtool?
No
@@BuildDadBuild thanks. I am a little sad. I wanted to make acrylic earrings. Well I won't be able to use clear acrylic. Thanks again.
@@BuildDadBuild here's another question- what is I put tape on both side? TIA
What color is replacing gray?
Hi there. Have you tried engraving acrylic with this xtool machine? Thanks!
Yes I have. I show an example in this video!
Cheers
What type of spray is for etching the glass and for steel tumblers? I didn’t hear you say 🥴
Coated metal tumblers don’t need any spray (stay tuned for that video). Stainless I have some Dry Moly coming to try (that is supposed to be what works on bare metals)
@@BuildDadBuild I have this laser coming next week with the cylinder attachment. Thickness of hard wood says 3/8. I use all the hard woods, but it didn’t go through the red oak, so what about walnut, maple and the others from 1/4 to 1/2? What did you use on the glass?
Off topic 😂 where did u get the Jason mask on the wall 🎉
I carved it. 👍🏻👍🏻
@@BuildDadBuild Very Nice...
Have you tried to engrave clear acrylic by use that spray?
I have not. But I think trying to remove the paint afterwards would be an issue.
Cheers
Just finished watching, great video.
Maybe I missed it, did you actually specify the final settings? Did you slow down the speed and keep it at 100%?
If I'm recalling correctly it's 12 mm/s @ 100% power
@@BuildDadBuild That was your first setting for the skull was there a change in the setting to get it right the second time? Thanks
Does the final product last through dishwashers? I work at a bar and wanted to surprise the owner with a few glasses with a logo but not if it wears right off
I have washed that one at least a dozen times and it appears to be holding up!
Cheers