I am working on engraving some leather wallets. Are there any recommendations out there on how best to clean the leather after the engraving process? Some of the designs are complex making for a lot of dark engraving. The finished product looks excellent however I am having a difficult time cleaning the leather without smearing the dark residue on the design. Thanks in advance.
Leather is tricky that way. I always engrave mine through a mask material because I haven’t be able to find a way to clean it either. I hope someone on the list has a great solution!
Maybe you are using too much power. I use a slower speed and low power and don’t have a problem with it staining nearby areas.
On some things, like wrist bands that are a harder leather I am fine, however if I try to do intricate work on softer leather, like wallets, by the time I crank up the power enough to get the design to show I start to have problems.
Guess I will just have to simplify some designs, try using a masking material, and less power. Thanks for the ideas.
One other thing you can try is to treat/coat the leather with something like Protect All or Pledge prior to engraving. Makes residue less likely to stick and easier to clean. This works with wood as well.
Try using a vacuum cleaner to vacuum the debris. That will prevent them from smearing onto the leather. Just a thought :- )
I use transfer tape and vector cut the letters or artwork first, then pick out the centers and then raster. (Hint) try using vinyl shelf paper. It sticks well and you can clean the leather before you remove the vinyl.
You may have already found a solution, but I just joined so, here goes. This may sound odd, but I rinse the leather with water and scrub with a toothbrush to remove the charred material. I am working with plain vegetable tanned leather. Just let the leather dry overnight before finishing. I’ve done about 2 dozen this way and it works for me.
The thing I found which worked best was simple blue masking tape. I tapped the entire surface of the leather, shot it with the laser, then pulled off all the big pieces of tape, then used an air hose to blow off the little bits.
You might just try reducing the power. It doesn’t take much. I have only done small leather card cases and such but don’t use a mask or require any clean up. Sometimes I pat ( not rub which causes smearing) with a paper towel if the black lasered area leaves black on the hands when touched.
I would love to see pictures of the engraved leather work. We have not gotten a laser but are still thinking.