Why I'm Not Using Borax on Laser Engravings

I have found a method to make darker engravings without using Borax or any other surface prep on the wood. You can check the new video out here: • Stop Using Borax on La...
I have released a new video testing the suggestions I received on this video. You can watch the new video here: • Borax Laser Engravings...
I've seen lots of videos about using Borax to make your laser engravings darker and I decided to test it out for myself. In this video I run a couple experiments to find out if Borax works like everyone says. I also take a risk trying to engrave a cutting board with my tiny 3018 laser.
Big Box Store Lumber Cutting Board Video: • Video
Cheapest CNC on Amazon Playlist: • Cheapest CNC On Amazon
If you buy something through my links below I may get a small share of the sale.
Since releasing this video I have upgraded to an Ortur diode laser setup. Below are the items I recommend if you're thinking of buying a laser engraver.
Ortur Laser Master Pro 2 Laser Engraver: amzn.to/3eiEOp7
Ortur Laser Master Pro 2 Enclosure: amzn.to/3zhYqSf
Ortir Laser Head Focus Controller: amzn.to/3MgycUZ
Borax: amzn.to/3fJEccs (shown but not used)
OD 6 Laser Safety Glasses - amzn.to/3VcHEN9
Stylish Black Duck Tape: amzn.to/3Eu3ohn
Disclaimer: The content presented in this video is for entertainment purposes only. The information provided is not intended to substitute or replace professional advice, and viewers should not rely solely on the information presented in this video. Viewers should always do their own research and consult with professionals in the appropriate fields before making any decisions based on the information presented. The creator of this video does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information presented in this video.
#laser #laserengraving #noborax

[@FlyingCluck]

Before pulling your blue tape off, add a layer or duct tape over the blue tape. Adhere it well then remove the duct tape and it will take all the little blue pieces with it. WINNING!

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Thanks for the comment and the idea!

[@ashfox2012]

Nearly spat my tea out when I saw the “not drugs” sign on the bag of borax… thanks for the informative vid bud keep it up you’ve gained a sub and like

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Thanks for the sub and the like! Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@codybaker2135]

Mix 5oz of boiling hot water with 1tbsp of borax. Lightly spray your project (no need to soak it.) Then work it in using a foam brush, going with the grain. Then seal it. I don't have air assist either, and haven't had a single issue. Side note, always rinse out the bottle when you're done, or the borax will start to crystalize in the tube.

[@thinkniiji]

Informative vid! Thanks

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Glad it was helpful!

[@okin8949]

I recently tried to engrave with my diode laser using borax on wood and i decided to spray the wood with clearcoat after applying the borax. Works pretty well - much more darker engravings and almost no black smearing afterwards. Fixed it with another layer of clearcoat. No tape needed then.

[@LetsMakeAThing]

I've done a couple follow up videos since this one. The next one in the series I used clear coat to seal it in and it doesn't smear like you said. Then I found a better method to get darker engravings with no Borax or other chemicals that I've been using ever since.

[@johnkingery403]

What is that method? Thanks@@LetsMakeAThing

[@jackhelm9852]

I have recently discovered this and ran into the exact same issues you did with the soot. Other videos do not run into or do not address this. So I am thankful you showed that I was not alone on this. I am not ready to completely give up on it yet because I do love the affect. One thing I was looking at trying is that several other vids showed mixing the borax in a water that was scalding hot. Since that helps it dissolve more completely I am not sure if that will mean it soaks into the wood more evenly and maybe the soot is the dried chemical just sitting on top of the wood that is getting burned? Air assist did not help much, it just blew the soot and caused the smudge in the same direction the air was blowing. I may try the masking tape ide you had and then clear coat before pulling the tape up. And I also wondered about the borax on food surface when I saw you do this but I have seen others do it, they used vinegar to clean out the soot and clean away any of the residual borax before sealing with oil. Not sure if that makes it food safe or not but they seemed to think it would.

[@LetsMakeAThing]

In the follow up video to this one I did more experimenting. I used boiling water and made sure all the borax was dissolved. It made no difference. In terms of food safe, considering borax is banned in Europe as a toxic chemical I'm not convinced that simply using vinegar to clean it up makes it food safe.

[@davidtomasetti8520]

Thanks for the video. I think one of the issues that you are having with the soot is that you don’t have the air assist option to blow the smoke away as it’s being created. (That also helps efficiency by clearing the path for the laser beam to get to the wood) Also it may be a good idea to use store bought masking paper ( I know I hate spending the money too) and wiping it down before removing the paper. One more little possibly helpful item is I have found that the product Greased Lightning spray does a fantastic job of cleaning all laser related soot and mess.

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Thanks for the comment! I have already tested all of the things you mentioned in a follow up video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gpCylKiphaeigMk

[@davidtomasetti8520]

@@LetsMakeAThing I just finished watching that one, thanks. I just discovered the use of borax for engraving but I have used it when melting metals to pull impurities out. it forms into a glass like substance at the surface, I was assuming that the borax in the wood while engraving was absorbing the soot as it was melted and creating little glass globs which were embedded in the wood fiber. Possibly it's not as embedded as I imagined. Thanks again for your response

[@LetsMakeAThing]

I also use borax as flux for metal (silver) casting! The only reason I ended up testing borax on laser engravings is because I had a giant bag of it sitting around from casting. You can get darker engravings without using Borax and I highly recommend doing it without Borax to avoid all the problems I talked about in the videos. You can check out the method here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aXrUe3-ooMSZbMU

[@robertprice9052]

Good video. I use borax. I have a much older 2.8W laser and it does a good job, but its very slow. I use a tbl spoon to a cup of water dissolved. I brush it on in long smooth strokes and overlap about half. After I engrave the wood I spray it with a coat of poly and let it dry. Do a finish sand and recoat for a shire. I use this when I do plaques and art work. For me its about speed. With borx I can run much faster. I have ordered a 30W quad four laser so hopefully I want need the borax step to finish projects quickly.

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Thank you! Let me know how you like the 30W laser!

[@biagiocozza8875]

Great video, you got that right, the borax makes just too much soot, and it does not come out as nice as just lasered wood

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Thank you for watching!

[@richardpogue4959]

I’ve seen others use vinegar on a rag to clean up after engraving with the Borax seems to clean up well

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Thanks for sharing!

[@joshuas3424]

Informative video. I’ve seen your other 2 that address borax but I’m convinced that not using borax is the way to go. I’ve tried it, looks amazing but the one caveat I’ve ran into is no one shows what happens after the engraving, it just smears. At least from what I saw. Many videos will show how to add the borax and the result after but they don’t show how to post process the wood. I’ve tried, put clear coat on and still.. soot smear. Slower etch, high power.. clear coat.. still soot smear. So, loos great but, at least to me, not practical. Oh and you’ve just a new subscriber!

[@LetsMakeAThing]

This was the first video about Borax I made and discovered the issues with it. I did the video about Borax engravings that don't smear and tested all the "solutions" that everyone suggests which none worked. Then I found the method for darker engraving without Borax and made that video. Since then I've used that method and get great results without needing Borax or other chemicals. Thanks for the sub!

[@LetsMakeAThing]

New video with a method to get darker engravings without using Borax. You can check out the new video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aXrUe3-ooMSZbMU If you have any tips or suggestions for using Borax with a laser engraver let me know! Full Cheapest CNC on Amazon playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLQngVtY5RMJZsNCxXqRH2dsOETDiQZmfU

[@deanwilliams8724]

So.... Have you thought about vac-brushing vs wiping Bro??

[@tonywright4361]

How about you clean off the soot first with white vinegar, or a short bristle brush and a vacuum, then peal the tape

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Thanks for the idea. I'm not using Borax anymore as I've found a better way to get darker engravings no Borax, no mess. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aXrUe3-ooMSZbMU

[@TheKennyHack]

not sure of the power of your laser but with my Ortur LM2 Pro 20w and Borax. I run 9000mm/min and around %40 power. So I'd say you're going way too slow. you'll burn deeper but way over burn the image. also, hand brush the surface after it dries to remove excess Borax and reduce some soot. Perfect power and speed settings it will be black but very little soot. If making a cutting board use baking soda instead of Borax and it will still be food safe. I wipe it down begore and afterward with butcher board cream. it will lose some of the darker black soot but condition the board.

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Thanks for the advice! In the video I was using a 5.5 watt laser on my cheap CNC. I have since purchased a 5.5 watt Ortur LM2P and done some testing on that. I tried running at 40% power at 3000mm/min and didn't feel that the engraving was dark enough even with the borax. I will definitely try the baking soda as all of my engravings are for cutting boards!

[@baththief6318]

9000! I'm gonna have to try that. I've been running 4000 and scared to go above that. I just learned the borax trick and it seems amazing so far. I just hit it with some spray shellac and it doesn't have any soot at all. But my pieces are just for show so I don't know if it'll rub off black over time.

[@CoolshrimpModz]

What if you, engrave, brush paint in design, sand surface then clear coat?

[@LetsMakeAThing]

You can do that as well. I have a video on the channel where I did an engrave and then painted the fill. kzbin.info/www/bejne/o6vQZo17bLJlZs0

[@lt81s]

Did you turn down your power with the borax. I found d it takes alot less power

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Thanks for the tip! What percentage power do you use with Borax versus when not using borax?

[@lt81s]

@@LetsMakeAThing when I run 70 without the borax I run 40 with. I have a s6pro

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Awesome. I will give that a try. Thanks for the info!

[@TimOHea]

You need Air assist!!!! My laser engravings on cutting boards using Borax look great!!!

[@LetsMakeAThing]

I'll give it a try!

[@MrJimpurvis]

But after I clean it lightens again

[@LetsMakeAThing]

That's the issue I was talking about in my video. Borax makes engravings darker because it creates soot. In order to keep the engraving dark you have to seal the soot in with some kind of permanent finish. If you don't seal it first, the soot comes off when you clean the piece.

[@krisknowlton5935]

@@LetsMakeAThing I sprits it with a fine mist of water after I engrave. That flows the soot down into the burn keeping a nice dark finish on the engraving. I have more success using an air assist also. Some people like the darker engraving and some don't.

[@LetsMakeAThing]

@@krisknowlton5935 I added an air assist to my laser and tested it again, still the same result even with air assist. I was contacted by someone with more experience who said the issue is that borax doesn't work well with diode lasers. If you watch Laser Engraving 911's video about borax you can see that on a CO2 laser right after it's finished he wipes across it and nothing comes off. So I am inclined to think Borax does work better for CO2 than diodes.

[@Kmscity_ja]

What is Air assist?

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Air assist uses an air pump to blow a small stream of air onto the material you are engraving/cutting. It's more helpful with cutting as it reduces flame ups when cutting wood or other flammable material.

[@michaelenglund]

I think you can have less power on the borax area. Getting the black without excess sot.

[@LetsMakeAThing]

I've heard some other people say that as well. I have stopped using borax and haven't bothered to test it though.

[@michaelenglund]

@@LetsMakeAThing I will. Was hard to get in Sweden.

[@shannonadams439]

What other thing can you use besides borax then

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Check out my newer video here where I show how to get darker engravings without Borax or any other chemicals: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aXrUe3-ooMSZbMU

[@TheDragonfarter]

Why Is Borax Illegal In The UK? Borax is illegal to sell in the UK - it is no longer available to the general public in the UK, the EU, America and an increasing number of other countries globally. On the 18th of June 2010, borax was classified as a “substance of very high concern (SVHC)” by the European Chemicals Agency. This was prompted by studies that suggested the chemical may be toxic to reproductive health. The presumed “safe limit” for boron exposure in adults is 10 mg of boron per day, although this amount can still harm unborn children. However, borax’s risk to human health was deemed too high by lawmakers and it has remained a banned substance since 2010. Many people associate the term borax with “20 Mule Team Borax”, a popular brand of household cleaning powder founded in 1883. The product’s name refers to the teams of mules and horses that carried borax away from Californian mines. Consuming, inhaling or absorbing borax via the skin can lead to death; common symptoms of borax and boric acid poisoning are nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Thanks for sharing!

[@elpresley]

I does't use borax, simoly because its not available in Germany

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Thanks for the info! I didn't know borax wasn't available in Germany!

[@richardmoore9319]

I just watched a video by "Laser Engraving 911" where he engraves a piece of basswood treated with a 1:10 borax solution .. he rubs his fingers across the surface afterward and there is no visible smudging.. wonder what gives? The only differences I can think of are 1) he's using a softwood and you're using hardwood (but I saw the same smudging using basswood) 2) he soaked the wood with Borax a lot more than you did 3) his art was more of a half-tone bitmap, where your logo had bigger solid black areas 4) he's using a CO2 laser and we're using diode lasers, but I can't imagine that mattering. It's puzzling.. I'm going to watch more videos to see if anyone else gets smudging, or is it all a conspiracy to support "Big Borax".. lol

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Thanks for the insights! I really appreciate your comment. I've been testing other suggestions and still get smudging no matter what I do. The only thing I haven't tried is using a softwood. Maybe I'll throw a piece of pine in the laser and see if it makes a difference.

[@richardmoore9319]

@@LetsMakeAThing it's worth a test, but I don't have a lot of confidence that's the problem. I'm wondering if it might be more of a power thing? i.e. need to dial down the power to the minimum so no soot happens? IDK.. seems like if soot is happening due to over-burning, you'd still have a solid dark color on the charred wood itself, rather than the paler marks we're seeing. It would be helpful to know *why* or *how* borax is making the engraving darker.. is it absorbing the laser energy better so the wood is getting hotter, or is it a chemical reaction? I have yet to see anyone explain this.

[@LetsMakeAThing]

I did some testing yesterday dialing the power down to half of what I use without Borax based on a tip from another commenter. I still had issues with smearing at half power. My initial thought was that the Borax was acting as an oxidizer making the laser hotter as it vaporized the wood. However, I'm not so sure because I feel like the wood should be charred and stay black as if it had been torched. Since the soot is wiping off I think it might be a chemical reaction form the Borax. I'm still not sure how it creates black soot but I believe the darkness is from the soot of Borax and not the wood being charred darker. Which matches what we are seeing with wiping the darkness off the wood after engraving. If the Borax solution was actually making the wood darker (more charred) it shouldn't wipe off like it does. I am working on a follow up video testing the ideas and tips I've seen in the comments along with other places online. If I do discover anything that makes a huge difference I will share in that video.

[@laserfalcon]

We never had success with using borax

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Thanks for the comment, it makes me glad to know I'm not the only one!

[@dh1ao]

Borax is prohibited in germany, just for info :)

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Thanks for the info! I had no idea it wasn't available in Germany.

[@tunnelblick1440]

Nur für den Otto normal Verbraucher, mit Gewerbeschein kannst du Borax kaufen

[@dh1ao]

@@tunnelblick1440 Ah ok

[@zmeczoneoczyjackaopor3612]

BORAX FOR PHOTOS

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Borax is great for photos because you can seal it in no problem. What I talked about in the video was using Borax on foor surfaces such as cutting boards. You can't seal it in because most finishes that will properly seal the Borax are not food safe.

[@thinkniiji]

use duct tape to get your masking tape off

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Thanks for the tip! Appreciate it!

[@MuntheDane]

Not drugs, lol. I don’t like the soot either.

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Glad you liked the joke! I'll be honest, the dark black from using borax does look nice, but it's just not worth the hassle.

[@MakewithJake]

not drugs! lol

[@LetsMakeAThing]

I was always told to label my chemicals but they never said how I had to label them...

[@rickjohansen3081]

Poplar cutting board? No thanks

[@LetsMakeAThing]

It was a board I made as a test, that's why I made the joke about sending it to a family member, so they wouldn't complain about how bad it was.