@Yuusuf_Sallahuddin_Y The lube only transfers whatever the laser is outputting to the surface. In this case the molybdenum reacts to the laser etching a gun metal gray color into the material, a shade of the color of the lube. The reaction occurs as a constant that is dictated by the power and speed settings of the machine. The Cermark is different in that it’s a ceramic binder instead of molybdenum. That is one of the reasons they can bind different colors into the solution.
The least expensive I’ve found for a cona of Cermark is about $80, still substantially more than the lube. For those that are doing more than just occasional engraving the Cermark concentrate is a better value than the spray.
@dstevens_lv Thanks for sharing that dstevens. I suppose it’s a matter of what is your intention weighed up against price. The moly lube method seems a good balance for just creating a monotone marking on the steel. I’ll have to look into the Cermark stuff a bit more to see results from it.
@Yuusuf_Sallahuddin_Y …I’m in the process of rastering a much bigger piece using the moly…@dstevens_lv is right but cermark is also 80 to 100 a can for every color you want…you can still only use one color at a time no matter what you are rastering…well unless you’re doing abstract art…lol.
@Scott_Thorne When you say you can only use 1 colour at a time, is that because you will get them mixed up or the application of them will be difficult? I imagine cutting a stencil with some cardstock/ply/acrylic first would assist in the application of the different colours in different areas, meaning you could possibly do multiple colours in one go. But, at 80 to 100 per can, seems a bit steep. Might be okay if you were doing it for some art exhibition or a customer willing to pay for all the cans, but other than that the moly seems to be the way to go.
@Yuusuf_Sallahuddin_Y …if you were using different color cermark sprays…it send it would be difficult to get the placement right.
My local store was out of crv but had another brand of “moly oil” for $5. It sprays clear and does not give the same effect. It did leave a faint image but it wiped of with a towel.
I’ll have to pick up some crc next trip