Clean glass
Before starting laser etching it is very important to make sure the glass is clean and free of oil. You can use a mild detergent or soap to remove any residue from the glass surface. Be sure to keep water out of your laser cutter when cleaning it - this could damage its components!
Masking tape or painter's tape
Once you have removed all visible dirt and grime from the glass, cover any areas that do not need to be etched with masking tape or paint tape so they cannot be accidentally etched away during the glass laser engraving process.
If there are any sharp corners or edges, when stacked together when assembled after etching has been successfully completed, the parts may overlap each other without damaging anything else around them by overlapping to another part; just use scissors to cut them beforehand Cut off so that no damage can occur in the subsequent stacking process when the multiple parts are assembled together, the parts are first etched individually and then put together again.
Use the correct settings
When you are carving glass, it is important to use the correct settings for your glass carver. The best way to do this is to start with a low power setting and slowly increase until you reach a level that works for your material. If you use too much power or don't adjust the settings properly before starting the project, the glass may crack or break in the process - we don't want that!
Adjusting laser power is not just about finding out what works best; it can also help prevent accidents while using the laser. If too much energy hits one area of the glass at the same time, there could be some issues with the melting point being exceeded off the line - which could lead to some serious safety issues down the line if left unchecked.
Finishing work
After etching the glass, it's time to polish it. This will help smooth out any rough edges and give your design a nice finish.
Next, a protective coat is applied to keep the etch from fading over time. If you want to preserve your etched design for years without fading or wearing out, use a UV curable resin coating. If not, acrylic varnish will work just as well - but remember, it won't protect against water damage!
Laser etched wine glass with swivel axis
The rotary axis is an important part of any CNC machine because it allows you to move parts around in three dimensions while keeping them stationary at all other points in space (X Y Z). In this case, we used a laser engraver with a rotating attachment to rotate our wine glasses around their vertical axis while keeping them vertically (Y) stationary in the CO2 laser engraver. For fiber laser machines, you will need a 3-jaw swivel axis.