Laser Hack: Powder Coating Color Fill

In this all-new laser hack, discover how to color fill using powder coating for a unique look of your finished products. All you need is the powder and your laser!
Download the design files: www.troteclaser.com/static/po...
Join us right here for the latest hack, and be sure to like and subscribe to our channel for more fun and practical videos!
Want even more information on laser engraving and cutting? Check out our Tips and Tricks page: bit.ly/TrotecTipsandTricks
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[@rfrhoad]

I've tried all of these suggestions and find that a simple heat gun on a low setting is far easier and better result. Even does white perfectly. Cheers!

[@CreateHubTips]

Did you clean any powder that did not belong in the design before doing the heat gun alternative?

[@thenightninja13]

@@CreateHubTips You can probably use a masking tape over the top to achieve a clean surface.

[@havocproltd]

@@thenightninja13 masking is essential! but i use the heat gun as well.

[@RobertLugg]

What is your complete flow?

[@hdsignworks]

Truly amazing. I do a ton of powder coating, now incorporating into laser work would be awesome.

[@JamesBryant01]

Thanks Dave! I bought some of those powders too. I watched one guy explain how he did it, but your video explains a whole heck of a lot better. Bravo

[@jonnygreen2418]

Wow Dave that's amazing, will have to try it in my showroom!

[@undinezoeger3237]

Apparently you’ve read my mind. I just engraved a walnut butcherblock and the contrast was so low that I was going to try and find material on how to paint fill. I’ll try the powder and see. Thank you Dave!

[@flyzeyefab]

Very cool. Thanks for sharing!

[@Twisted_stitches_leather]

This is great. Will have to give it a try.

[@DanaSews]

This is genius! I bought a bunch of those powders as soon as your video ended and can’t WAIT to try it! This is a fantastic and thorough tutorial; thank you for this!

[@user-rv6xz5mg9g]

Hi Dana! Is there a result of working with the powder?

[@CutItOutWithUs]

@@user-rv6xz5mg9g I should have mentioned that we launched a separate KZbin channel for our laser stuff.

[@dawnbreaker84]

Great hack. ❤

[@frankligas2249]

Thanks for the video. Just found your channel. Love your content. Just got into lasers at the MakerSpaceCharlotte. I found a was to get full color laser engraved images without powder coating. Hope to stop by your Atlanta location sometime. Perhaps this summer.

[@user-vn4yw8dt3m]

was asking chatgpt just days ago if you could apply powder coating with a laser. the answer was that its not common and would lead to bad results etc etc. Glad you're proving it wrong! :D

[@davidstevens2577]

You Know it! Thank you for tuning into our Channel!

[@DayvidSlice]

That's cool. I'm gonna try this with my laserpecker 1. It might be too weak. But worth a try

[@guynotes777]

Great idea, but for future videos, it would be great to actually include the link to products in your notes. Kind of hard to scan a QR code when I'm viewing on my phone. I did find the powder, many thanks

[@davidstevens2577]

Thank you for the advice; I will make sure to include links for future videos moving forward in addition to the QR code links!

[@kraftservis8959]

Excellent ⭐️☝️❤️

[@nicklong434]

THIS LOOKS AWESOME!!! We have 40w Speedy 100. Any way to get some initial parameters in order to save time and materials??? Also come I didn't notice where you purchased this magic dust from?

[@kevinkidderphotographer]

Outstanding!

[@silviaborgers4105]

how beautiful. I quess this kind of results can also be tried with embossing powders... who are normally be melted with a heatgun??? If i set the power low and the speed slow??

[@TrotecLaser]

We have not tried embossing powders, but this may work if they work the same way.

[@clarkstevens2711]

I played with this quite a few years ago and I had moderate success now I will probably go back and try it again after watching this

[@constantinosschinas4503]

Just use a heatgun to melt the paint.

[@jakerazmataz852]

So much easier if you use a heat gun on low, or a heat source like the broiler or toaster oven. Lightly sand when done.

[@davidstevens2577]

Using a laser offers a significant advantage over a heat gun or oven based on extensive testing because it delivers heat precisely where it's required, enabling controlled melting of the coating at a specific location. On the other hand, a heat gun might inadvertently fuse any leftover or residual powder coating onto the product surface. This is because the squeegee is not always fully effective in removing all of the powder coating, which could potentially compromise the final look of the product. This principle also applies when the product is placed in an oven post-laser process. Any residual powder coating can be easily wiped off the surface as it was not subjected to heat, ensuring a cleaner finish. Moreover, regardless of the heat gun's fan speed, even on low, it tends to blow out the powder coating from the engraving, creating an undesirable mess. Therefore, using a laser proves to be more effective and efficient for this effect.

[@user-rv6xz5mg9g]

Hello David! a few questions. 1. What is the optimal engraving depth on acrylic? 2. Is the initial engraving also 125 dpi?

[@davidstevens2577]

The depth engraved into acrylic is determined by you, depending on the effect/look you want; I will typically etch to a depth of around 0.03" for a nice-looking color fill. Use the standard settings for the engraving with a DPI set to 500 DPI.

[@rjkirkes73]

Hi! This looks so fun!!? Do you know if it will work with diod lasers?

[@davidstevens2577]

This should be possible with a diode laser, but the parameters would need to be dialed in.

[@sfs7641]

Hi Dave thank you for the hack! Can we do this on Speedy100 30w machine? And would you recommend this method on synthetic leather?

[@TrotecLaser]

Yes, this process will work on a Speedy 100, 30-watt laser; however, the engrave settings will need to be dialed in; I suggest starting around 12-15% power leaving all the other settings the same as shown in the video. As for synthetic leather, I am unsure if this will work because of the material flexibility, as I have not tried it, but it may be worth a try to be sure!

[@CorporateAdvocate]

This is great Dave! Can this be done with a Trotec speedy 100?

[@davidstevens2577]

Absolutely!

[@lesbianwars]

So cool, now i know how to do it. Do i need a fiber laser to engrave acrylicglas like you? How much Watt does your laser have?

[@TrotecLaser]

This is completed with a standard C02 laser. We make laser systems that range from 30 watts to 400 watts, but this application was made with an 80-watt.

[@jasonkrueger196]

Hey Dave really great hack! I have a Speedy 400, do you think something like this would be possible using aluminum?

[@jasonkrueger196]

Sorry, I have the Speedy 400 flex 120w

[@Dino-ir4or]

Yes... good question. Does this work on aluminium too?

[@DanaSews]

Hi Laser Dave! We had a chance to experiment with these powders today but have not had much success. We have a 100 watt CO2 laser; we started with your suggested settings understanding that there would be some needed adjustments given the wattage differential. We ended up with a small fire (totally contained) and began ratcheting the power down from there. 8 hours later we still didn’t get a result as good as yours. Our laser wasn’t outputting consistently running it at 1% so we had to put the Z axis, ultimately, after MANY gyrations, at a two inch offset with 3% power and 60 LPI. Essentially, we haven’t yet found a combination of settings using a 100 watt laser that will render a result that is fully baked into the wood without a lot of the char coming through the powder coating. We did second and third passes on some of our tests but they easily chipped off of the wood. If you have any suggestions we’d love to hear them!

[@davidstevens2577]

Are you utilizing a Trotec laser for this task? The parameters provided here have been specifically optimized for Trotec lasers. If you happen to be using a different brand, I regret to inform you that I cannot guarantee the effectiveness of this process, nor can I offer assistance with parameters, as my expertise primarily lies with Trotec lasers.

[@CutItOutWithUs]

@@davidstevens2577 Hi! No, we aren’t using a Trotec laser. My husband built the Rezo 1390 100 watt laser. We were inspired by the beautiful finish you achieved. I appreciate you taking the time to respond; we have had some much improved results using a heat gun for the melt rather than the laser.

[@lasersandbeyond]

@@CutItOutWithUs or you could just heat it up with a $15 heat gun from harbor freight, or anywhere, and achieve a better result than wasting life on your laser tube doing it. ;-) Takes way less time too.

[@justfilming]

The thing about heat gun is that you heat up some of the excess powder around the engraving with the laser it only touches the engrave section

[@lasersandbeyond]

@@justfilming sands right off in a few seconds.

[@jarradmcdonald2895]

Or, save the wear on your laser along with the risk of misalignment and just use a heat gun to melt the powder 👌. Then you can lightly sand the face to get rid of any PC that's not in the engraved cavity

[@undinezoeger3237]

Hello Laser Dave, I tried this yesterday (though the Pearl White didn’t work too well on the walnut butcherblock). However, I don’t have the Powder Coat Melt Hack in my Trotec settings. I just bought it 1.5months ago. How can I get those settings? I did try to set up the same as you showed in the video but the blue line with the Mark setting didn’t really work.

[@davidstevens2577]

Settings are in the video link; here is a link on how to install the parameters onto your Trotec: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJ3UqKmtmNeIoJo

[@deborahzorn7549]

I use the Trotec Speedy 300 80w laser at the public library. Should we be concerned about the powder paint clogging the nozzle and/or damaging or adhering to the lens? Thank you!

[@TrotecLaser]

This will not be an issue as long as the system has the correct exhaust system.

[@deborahzorn7549]

Thank you, David, for the informative video! 1. Should air-assist be turned off when melting the color? 2. I don’t see you wearing a mask in the video, but I read elsewhere, ”Make sure you are wearing a respirator! The dust is so fine and the fumes of the melting plastic are highly toxic.” Is this statement true? Would this prohibit me from using the Pro-Tec powders at the public library with their Trotec Speedy 300 80 watt laser? Thank you!

[@TrotecLaser]

Yes, the air needs to be turned off as stated in the video, and no respirator is needed because you will not be “Spraying” the powder onto the material; that is how it is traditionally used (Thus the warnings), and the particles in that form would be dangerous to breathe, this process does not put the powder in the air, you will only be placing the powder into the engraving as shown in the video. You will then use the laser or a heat gun to melt it.

[@williamhbynumiii5269]

Can you tell me what a good melts setting would work with the XTool D1 pro 20W? I've been trying to figure it out, but haven't gotten a good outcome yet.

[@TrotecLaser]

Sorry, we are unfamiliar with this brand and cannot provide you with any settings. Keep Trying. It should work, or contact some user forums to see if anyone has tried this on an X-Tool. Good luck!

[@hansendk3695]

Hi Dave. What happens if you don't do the engraving before applying the powder? Wouldn't that work just as well, if you could lay out the powder in an even thickness?

[@davidstevens2577]

Interesting concept. I cannot see why this would not work, but this is not something that I have tried.

[@hansendk3695]

@@davidstevens2577 Maybe the "pre-engraving" is needed to get crisp lines (?). BTW: Really enjoying your videos. Thanks 😊

[@MKA667]

Can I use toner as my powder? Toner refill bottles can be quite cheap.

[@TrotecLaser]

We have not tried this; this may be possible, but testing would be recommended.

[@benp7328]

Might work, but colours are what you might call "limited", and good luck finding white 😂

[@briannatrulove-dubrall254]

I am very new to laser engraving, we use a speedy 100 and still learning so I am sure there is a setting somewhere I am missing. I found a power setting that works but my issue is when the laser engraved it changes speeds depending on how large the area is it’s engraving ( we found this out on an acrylic project where some letters were engraved with different lvls in them as there were others in the same line that were shorter ) but when it speeds up it burns the powder. But if I do the photo setting which goes The whole size of the engraver ( which I don’t know if that’s because my file size is set to the whole engraver plate or it’s just how it works ) the whole process is too slow ( only tried 50 speed so far and plan to test more ) so it won’t actually melt the product at all. Still very new, what am I doing wrong?

[@TrotecLaser]

Please contact our sales, support, or applications team to help you with these details, or visit www.mytrotec.com for our customer portal, which has access to training and support.

[@CharlotteMartin-pi7ny]

Hello Dave, would this also work in a fiber laser? And what would the setting be be for a speedy 400 CO2

[@davidstevens2577]

This process will not work with a fiber laser at all, and I have not configured any settings for a Speedy 400, but if you are running an 80-watt laser on a speedy 400, the only change would be the engraving speed would be 4% since that machine engraves at a higher total rate.

[@jgrimmy1]

Why wouldn't it work with a fiber laser?@@davidstevens2577

[@artteam8030]

hi dave im having some trouble with trying to line my text back up to do the color fill after i already engraved it

[@TrotecLaser]

For this to work, you have to place the material tight against the rulers. If the product or material is not tight and taken out and put back in, it will not align back up; even a few thousand of an inch will show up.

[@angelawestfield]

Was so excited to try this with my speedy 360 but the powder coating didn’t melt and so the powder did not stay in the engraved part , any tips?

[@TrotecLaser]

The brand and color you use can make a huge difference; make sure to test with Black and also make sure you engrave deep enough into the materials so there is enough powder coating in the engraving; you can also engrave it out and place it in the powder coating and wipe the surface clean then use a heat gun to melt the powder coating in place of the out of focus laser.

[@amywood590]

Dave, do you think this would work with a 40 watt Speedy 300? If so, would you suggest higher power and/or slower speed than what you found to work with the 80 watt Trotec?

[@davidstevens2577]

Just double the power used on the 80-watt in the video, leaving everything else the same; that should get you close!

[@amywood590]

@@davidstevens2577Thank you!

[@user-rv6xz5mg9g]

Hello David! a few questions. 1. What is the optimal engraving depth on acrylic? 2. Is the initial engraving also 125 dpi?

[@Stephanbitterwolf]

I've heard it is much easier to use a hot air gun. Do the engraving, fill it with the powder, and then use the hot air to melt it. It's much faster.

[@davidstevens2577]

Using a laser offers a significant advantage over a heat gun because it delivers heat precisely where required, enabling controlled coating melting at a specific location. On the other hand, a heat gun might inadvertently fuse any leftover or residual powder coating onto the product surface. This is because the squeegee is not always fully effective in removing all of the powder coating, which could compromise the product's final look. This principle applies when the product is placed in an oven post-laser process. Any residual powder coating can be easily wiped off the surface as it was not subjected to heat, ensuring a cleaner finish. Moreover, regardless of the heat gun's fan speed, even on low, it tends to blow out the powder coating from the engraving, creating an undesirable mess. Therefore, using a laser proves to be more effective and efficient.

[@lasersandbeyond]

You are correct, and it looks better. If you really wanted to, you could then laser engrave the outline for that effect after you're done heating it with the heat gun, that is the only thing making this "precise" is the outline, I mean how precisely can you really fill a void with one method over another? lol My heat gun on low never blows the powder around. Hold the gun about 8 inches up for the first few seconds until it starts to melt, then move closer. Sand the wood when done, easy cleanup. A laser is not more efficient at all, if we are using the word efficient as it is defined. lol I put the powder in my engravings all the time and it comes out looking way better than what was in the video and does not have bubbles in it either. And I did not waste any hours on my laser tube doing it. :-)

[@user-km3ze7dr9c]

Is there a similar process for stainless steel?

[@davidstevens2577]

Sorry, this would not work because a C02 laser will not produce depth in steel, but this laser length is needed to melt the powder coating.

[@constantinosschinas4503]

Heatgun!

[@snarkheart]

Has anyone tried this with embossing powder from stamp/card making supplies?I have a whole mess of THAT on hand!

[@sannyassi73]

I kinda like the heatgun method better- much faster and I feel like the results are better.

[@TrotecLaser]

Whatever process works best for you, there is no wrong way if it works!

[@caribguy2007]

Mask and paint seems easier especially on simple artwork

[@TrotecLaser]

Other methods will, of course, work with this but will produce a completely different look. This is an "Inlay" tutorial. Remember, exceptional quality yields exceptional returns!

[@kempaswe4022]

Why not use a heatgun with the fan on low speed? Its faster and easier to melt the powder that way

[@davidstevens2577]

Using a laser offers a significant advantage over a heat gun because it delivers heat precisely where it's required, enabling controlled melting of the coating at a specific location. On the other hand, a heat gun might inadvertently fuse any leftover or residual powder coating onto the product surface. This is because the squeegee is not always fully effective in removing all of the powder coating, which could potentially compromise the final look of the product. This principle also applies when the product is placed in an oven post-laser process. Any residual powder coating can be easily wiped off the surface as it was not subjected to heat, ensuring a cleaner finish. Moreover, regardless of the heat gun's fan speed, even on low, it tends to blow out the powder coating from the engraving, creating an undesirable mess. Therefore, using a laser proves to be more effective and efficient.

[@michaelenglund]

I use normal paint and sand the exsessive paint away,

[@wendypellegrin6265]

Can this process be done with a 10w diode laser?

[@davidstevens2577]

This should be possible with a 10-watt diode laser, but the parameters would need to be dialed in.

[@RichardGunther]

I tried translating this for my XTool M1 diode engraver, and it didn't go well. Ended up burning deeper. Would love to know if anyone gets the settings for this figured out for my device!

[@fightfree6780]

how about leather?

[@TrotecLaser]

We have not tried this with leather, but since this is flexible, it may work. Give it a try!

[@user-zq6pj5jo8j]

Now if i only had $30,000 for one of your Co2 lasers...

[@jeffbine5600]

Can this work on firearms?

[@TrotecLaser]

If you can produce depth into a material, this process will work.

[@jeffbine5600]

Thanks

[@that70s_gamer96]

Or you can just use a heat gun

[@TrotecLaser]

A laser offers a significant advantage over a heat gun because it delivers heat precisely where required, enabling controlled coating melting at a specific location. On the other hand, a heat gun might inadvertently fuse any leftover or residual powder coating onto the product surface. This is because the squeegee is not fully effective in removing all of the powder coating from the surface, which could compromise the product's final look. Because the laser fuses the powder only where needed, any residual powder coating can be easily wiped off the surface as it was not subjected to heat, ensuring a cleaner finish. Moreover, regardless of the heat gun's fan speed, it can blow out the powder coating from the engraving, creating an undesirable mess even on low. Therefore, using a laser proves to be more effective and efficient.

[@IS2P2pI]

@@TrotecLasernow, hear me out.. what if one was to cover his material with transfer tape, do the engraving but leave the tape over the unengraved portions and then add powder coat and use a heat gun instead of a laser and then remove all the rest of the tape, leave the tape on the other parts should prevent the powder coat from “overspraying/overflowing” into any unwanted areas?

[@HeavenLeeMadeOnEtsy]

I have a closet full of powder coating powder. How do I sell an organ to buy myself a Trotec 300? M'KAYTHNX lo