How to Improve Leather Engraving?

Hello, laser engraving fans! Have you ever found yourself staring at a beautifully engraved leather, only to be frustrated by unexpected burns, uneven cuts, or surface finishes that are unclean and difficult to clean? If this is what's happening, you are not alone. There are many creative individuals have been bothered by these problems. But don't worry, there is a way to address these problems and improve the quality of your leather engraving job. The following is an example of making a key tag to show how to better laser engraving leather.

Equipment Used:
- Start with the right tools. For this project, a 20W laser engraver equipped with Air Assist is used. It could be the ATOMSTACK A20, SCULPFUN SF A9 20W model, Creality Falcon2, etc. This piece of equipment is necessary, providing precision and consistency essential for detailed work on leather.

Leather Type and Preparation:
- 2.5mm thick vegetable tan leather is the material chosen in making key tag.
- Before engraving, the leather is fully soaked until saturated.
By fully saturating the leather through soaking, the generation and adherence of charring during the engraving process are reduced. This protects the work piece from being ruined and the subsequent challenging task of cleaning.

Engraving Settings:
- The engraving is carried out at 135mm/second with 50% power, using a cross-hatched pattern with alternating passes on the X and Y axes.

Cutting Settings:
- Cutting settings are different from engraving. A slower speed of 5mm/second at 100% power allows for clean, accurate cuts, crucial for the overall appearance and quality of the key tags.

Post-Processing:
- After engraving and cutting, the leather is re-soaked and you need to use a soft tooth brush to scrub away the charring. When the charring is all removed, the next step is to dry it.
- Once it is completely dry, use a leather bevel to round the edge and then apply a wax coating on it.

Final Enhancements:
- Adding a 6mm eyelet to the key tag ensures the durability of the hole for the keyring attachment.
The method has now been shared, and you are free to use it. The same strategies and settings can be used to make leather bookmarks. So, grab your tools and start crafting!
At Creatorally, we promise objective and authentic information. Subscribe to Creatorally to get timely access to updates. Email us at rollandberry2020@gmail.com. with your preferences so that we can tailor our upcoming content to your interests. let us encourage each other on this lovely path of craftsmanship.