Nikos69

OP is clearly a spammer.

Dwight, I was not targeting you, just showing your new BFF how you wanted to engrave bare buckles in one sentence and you referred to CO2 machine in the next sentence. And for Bert, you also explained that CO2 "won’t engrave bare metal". Hypocrite much? Shouldn’t be casting stones brother.

It was clearly implied so please keep your ignorant condescending attacks to yourself. First sentence he mentions engraving metal. Second sentence, he mentions the $400 Ebay machines which are CO2.

FYI... a CO2 laser cannot engrave metal -- you will need a fiber laser for that. The CO2 laser can remove powder coating and anodization to reveal the silver base color. You can also using a marking spray to get a black mark on various, uncoated metals. Edit: just noticed this answered above. As for software, it depends on which machine you purchase and most will be compatible with Lightburn. There are tons of videos on Youtube that will show you how to prep your image for engraving.

Be careful with lasered stitch holes since they will have soot transfer over to the thread. You will have to clean out the holes which is a pain. I resorted to have the laser mark the stitch holes with the same spacing as my irons.

You started this thread over 2 years ago and you're still researching?

Do NOT soak or dampen the leather. Ask your supplier for sample pieces of leather that he uses for the wallets so you can run a speed / power test on them. This way you'll find out the correct laser settings for his finished products.

I use a low tack crepe tape mask (found on Amazon) which doesn't leave a glue residue behind when removed. Since it's low tack, make sure it's first applied very well to the leather surface by rubbing it -- fingers, bone folder, microfiber rag, etc. Laser settings are just enough to remove / cut through the crepe mask cleanly. I'm not looking for a deep engrave because the paint looks better when on the grain. The crepe mask may come loose at few places while airbrushing... just pay attention and press it back when it does. I reduce the paint and apply multiple coats to build up the pigments slowly. Too much paint applied quickly will result in a tacky finish.

With a laser, you can cut to exact dimensions since the pieces should mate up perfectly if they’re designed correctly. If the stitch holes are vectored, I don"t even need to use glue.

I've seen people make stamps using 1/4" acrylic with good results. Every laser machine is different so the engraving parameters are not going to be much help. You're better off doing a test swatch -- this way, you'll see which settings on your machine will give you the best results.

Google image search for royalty free, black & white vector designs or you can also buy various designs from places like Etsy for a good price.

My usual routine is to dye first (lighter colors to get more contrast), then engrave and finish last with bag kote or resolene. This is my routine for making patches. Haven’t tried antiquing a laser project, but I would try a test piece that is dyed and resisted first. Have the laser engrave, and burn away the resist which should hopefully create mask to allow the engraving to absorb the antique and wipe away from unwanted areas. For color filled projects, I apply masking tape (vinyl free) to my project, engrave, airbrush and then apply a finish.

Etsy brings in the most sales and that's because my Shopify site is only a couple months old. Shopify has brought in a handful of sales on its own but I've been using it more to sell custom requested items to people on Instagram and avoid the Etsy fees. Etsy has its good and bad points but I'm frustrated with their BS policies which hurts the true artisans and helps the vendors that sell mass produced items as "handmade".

IG: NikosLeather / site: NikosLeather.com

I make custom cigar cutter cases that get worn daily that are dyed black with Fiebing’s Pro and some are accented with Angelus acrylic paints. I used to get the streaks until I started applying multiple thin coats to build up the color and finish with resolene. I haven’t had a problem with chipping. I also airbrush various products with custom colors instead of the limited hues I get with dyes and doing multiple light coats definitely works better than a thicker coat. Same goes for painting the edges with Angelus paints…. multiple light coats with sanding in between and top off with an acrylic finish.