How to Create Stunning, Coloured, Custom Coasters with Your Laser Cutter: A Step-by-Step Guide

Рет қаралды 110,413

Күн бұрын

Amazing laser engraving ideas. Laser engraving slate coasters.
In this step-by-step guide, we'll show you how to create custom, coloured slate coasters using your laser cutter. These stunning coasters make a great addition to any home decor or make for the perfect personalized gift.
We'll take you through the entire process, from selecting the right materials and tools to designing and engraving your coasters with precision. You'll learn how to add colour to your coasters using a special masking technique that will make your coasters stand out from the rest.
Follow along as we share our expert tips and tricks for achieving professional-looking results. By the end of this video, you'll be ready to create your own custom coasters that will wow your friends and family. Get ready to elevate your crafting game with this fun and creative project!
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Below are some affiliate links. If you click on them and make any purchases I do receive a small commission.
🇺🇸US Links:
Large round cut slate ⇨ amzn.to/4cIBqxb
Small smooth slate coasters ⇨ amzn.to/4amk1Zr
Small rough cut slate coasters ⇨ amzn.to/4cP79Np
🇬🇧UK Links:
Large round cut slate ⇨ amzn.to/3xepvXA
Small smooth slate coasters ⇨ amzn.to/3W0dmAb
Small rough cut slate coasters ⇨ amzn.to/4agkfBD
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Tools needed:
laser cutter/ engraver
masking tape
duct tape (or any other strong tape)
clear lacquer
Best airbrush for the paint: amzn.to/3TKx3Jg
paint used: amzn.to/4cJpMCn
Paint thinner: amzn.to/49mvrLI

Пікірлер: 156

@thomasverga469 2 жыл бұрын

Using the second piece of tape to remove the first is BRILLIANT!, thank you for the tip.

@MARCAM 2 жыл бұрын

Very welcome :) I just wish I knew it way before making this video 😂

@bigfranksworld 7 ай бұрын

The unmasking with the duct tape is brilliant! Thanks for the video.

@MARCAM 7 ай бұрын

Thank you :) it’s saved me many hours!!

@dfortin0011 5 ай бұрын

Briliant !!!!! tape trick for the win !!! wow ty so much

@RJMachine62 2 жыл бұрын

If you shoot a quick coat of clear over the engraved mask it helps/eliminates bleeding in the pores and under the tape. Works great on wood also.

@MARCAM 2 жыл бұрын

thanks for the info :) didn't think about trying that. Will do on my next batch for sure

@ruftime 2 жыл бұрын

Exactly RJ! I also prefer vinyl transfer masking paper tape, super thin and just tacky enough😎

@craigriley8418 2 жыл бұрын

@@ruftime As far as i'm aware you shouldnt use anything vinyl for laser engraving. It gives off toxic fumes which damage both you and your machine.

@PerB_M Жыл бұрын

@@craigriley8418 he uses the masking Paper tape which is normally used for transferring vinyl letters to objects. So it's completely harmless:-)

@TachirosLament Жыл бұрын

@@MARCAM i subconsciously read that in your accent.

@ParleyPCat 2 жыл бұрын

Very cool. Thank you for sharing.

@kevinguerin2718 Жыл бұрын

This is great. Love the masking tape technique. Thanks for the video

@dfortin0011 5 ай бұрын

GAME changer TIPs !!!! WOW ty so much

@ericnefflen5746 Жыл бұрын

Brilliant! Thank you!

@walesara54 Жыл бұрын

Wow why haven't I seen this before, great method here, can't wait to try it, especially with a fellow countryman giving the tutorial. Expat here in Sweden, recently retired and have had 40w machine for about 4 years. Have loads of North Wales slate here from a recent trip home, ( to the south) and although the welsh dragon perhaps will not sell here I have to try it for myself...Thanks and Hwyl fawr!!

@MARCAM Жыл бұрын

Shwmae! Glad you enjoyed the video :) I’ve got a cupboard full of Welsh slate. Love the stuff. You never know though, I’ve seen the Welsh dragon engraved all over the world. It’s a very unique flag 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

@Blue60 3 ай бұрын

Great video good information cheers for sharing

@johnsaunders9891 Жыл бұрын

Amazing 👏 thank you 😊

@ajbahe Жыл бұрын

Awesome! Thanks for the video!

@nicholascheadle 9 ай бұрын

Really cool. Definitely gives more freedom to create to endless designs. Thanks for sharing man.

@MARCAM 9 ай бұрын

Thank you. There is an updated version on one of my newer videos and, like you said, it really is endless. I am now the owner of posh designer gold slate coasters 😂

@scottcho7064 Жыл бұрын

great video man, that was super helpful. Thank you for making it

@MARCAM Жыл бұрын

Thank you for the kind words :) And I’m glad it helped 👍🏻

@gatlinkills896 2 жыл бұрын

Great video keep it up!

@stuartwalsh4974 2 жыл бұрын

Great trick with the duct tape, many thanks

@Ricks2Cents Жыл бұрын

Looks Good!!! I’ll have to try this!!!

@MARCAM Жыл бұрын

Thank you :) it’s definitely worth a go. So easy to do and so many different options to try :)

@erikrummel6277 Жыл бұрын

That’s a good trick!!!! Thanks for t showing. Cheers 🍻

@MARCAM Жыл бұрын

Thank you :)

@globulas1 2 жыл бұрын

Very good

@pauposts 2 жыл бұрын

Cool trick with the duct tape for the weeding.

@MARCAM 2 жыл бұрын

Honestly saved me so much time.

@AllenBethea Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the demo. Nice work. I am thinking about getting a K40, but there is so much negative talk on youtube. You seem to be very productive with it.

@MARCAM Жыл бұрын

Yeah, there’s probably more negative than positive. I think as long as you use it correctly then you won’t have any problems with it. People will either forget to turn the water pump on or just can’t align them properly and blame the machine.

@JuryDutySummons Жыл бұрын

I feel like it would be a lot less faffing about if you just covered the whole surface with masking tape to start with. Great results though, thanks for this tip!

@MARCAM Жыл бұрын

Thank you. It would be a lot easier mind if I had wider tape. Trying to align two pieces without overlapping can be a bit tedious and time consuming.

@JuryDutySummons Жыл бұрын

@@MARCAM that's a fair point. They do make wider tape, but it's a bit pricey

@MARCAM Жыл бұрын

Yeah it is quite a bit more expensive and I’m a cheapskate. If I can get away with a tiny torn off bit, I will 😂

@karenturner5443 Жыл бұрын

Gorilla tape works great too

@MARCAM Жыл бұрын

I just used the cheapest duct tape I had. I’ve tried the cheap stuff with wood and didn’t work as well so maybe gorilla tape will work good for wood too

@tigerteff015 Жыл бұрын

Nice teehnique

@MARCAM Жыл бұрын

Thank you :)

@SalahMattar-zn7op Ай бұрын

Good day... my friend, I have a laser device and I want you to guide me to the power and speed required for stainless steel, aluminum and platinum. I would be grateful to you.

@MARCAM Ай бұрын

What laser do you have? Power and type?

@SalahMattar-zn7op Ай бұрын

I have DAJADJ7 and what app good for it… Thank you 🙏🏽

@MARCAM Ай бұрын

Is that a diode?

@magic_no1 2 жыл бұрын

Hi. Thanks for the video. Where do you get your coasters from? Can you buy them in bulk in the UK?

@MARCAM 2 жыл бұрын

Glad you like the video. Yes, you can purchase them in bulk in the UK. I used a store on eBay. If you google search eureka stores it should show their eBay page as one of the first links. Great value and great quality

@darrellyeo3680 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the video. What settings did you use? I tired, however, the laser did not burn through the tape. I am using Ortur laser master 2 pro and Lasergrbl for the program.

@MARCAM 2 жыл бұрын

I’d recommend trying low power (what you normally would for slate). If that’s not cutting through paper increase the power a little. Keep increasing until you get a nice clean cut of the tape.

@krisknowlton5935 2 жыл бұрын

Darell Yeo, mark your tape with a black magic marker. It will cut through with no problem. Masking tape reflects blue laser.

@Martina1192 8 ай бұрын

@@krisknowlton5935ah, that makes complete sense! I just tried something on masked wood on my 10w diode and nothing engraved. Now I know why. Thanks!! :)

@YerUncleWillie 4 ай бұрын

If you apply clear paint before you apply a colored spray paint it will fill the bleed.

@steinbierz Жыл бұрын

Great video. I was wondering if ORAMASK stencil film would work in place of masking tape? Thanks.

@MARCAM Жыл бұрын

Hi, Oramask should not be used with the laser as it made from PVC and the fumes it produces could kill you. If you were to cut the stencil out on a vinyl cutter then it should work. Would just need to make sure it's stuck down well so no paint bleeds under.

@steinbierz Жыл бұрын

@@MARCAM Thanks…makes sense. Guess I was thinking of it’s use with CNC routers, not lasers.

@MARCAM Жыл бұрын

Should be fine. As long as a cnc can cut the material for the stencil. 👍🏻

@leffep Жыл бұрын

Question, don't it leave melted glue from the tape on the area that you paint on, or does the laser manage to remove all of that? What laser and what power settings do you use?

@MARCAM Жыл бұрын

The laser removes an trace of the tape. If you find something left behind then just increase your power slightly. Can’t remember what settings I used at the time as I’ve upgraded a few things on my laser since but it’s low power and medium speed. I use a k40 too. It’s a 40w co2 laser machine 👍🏻

@TheRyanwianecki Жыл бұрын

Is it the same process for wood? I'm new to engraving, just trying to obsorb knowledge. Any help would be appreciated, thanks

@MARCAM Жыл бұрын

Unfortunately not. There’s a few more steps you need to do with wooed before hand. Otherwise, any paint bleeds into the grain. I’ve found sanding wood back, applying a clear lacquer and sanding again helps with any bleeding 👍🏻

@Jer0867 Жыл бұрын

Great video...subscribed! Also, nice to see a fellow Taff here, a nice change from all the "shouty" & flashy Yanks! Whereabouts are you based? Greetings from Llanelli! 😁👍

@MARCAM Жыл бұрын

Thank you very much :) From just around the corner in good old Caerphilly 👋

@Jer0867 Жыл бұрын

@@MARCAM Nice spot, there! Still waiting for that part of the castle wall to actually fall over once and for all! Those who know, know! Keep up the great work...love your videos! 👍

@RoninsCorner Жыл бұрын

Hey MARC, good content. One thing that I think could help improve it (which you might have done in future videos, hello future you!) is the camera for your over head shot is recording in stereo, and when you move about the room your audio follows you from side to side, which I felt jarring and hard for me to focus on your content. I am unsure your recording setup or editing but you could switch that to mono at the source or in post and fill the secondary. It mainly happened with the overhead shot, so could be that camera. Hopefully this is helpful! I look forward to trying your multi colored slate in a future project. Cheers - Ronin

@MARCAM Жыл бұрын

Hey, thanks for the heads up 👍🏻 Honestly I’ve had so much trouble with my mic setups. I’ve spent a fair bit of different mics and in this video I think it was just a crappy lapel mic plugged in to the camera. I have got nicer mics since, none I’m still really happy with though 😂. Might look into dubbing over when editing. Could help with all my audio problems 🤷‍♂️😂 Cheers.

@RoninsCorner Жыл бұрын

@@MARCAM I can understand that. Voicing over in post is my route, with camera mic on for ambient sounds. You could try a shotgun style mic. I also use Audition to try and correct any issues I run into with my audio recording. One route you could go, though I have never tried, is external sound recording and sync them after. That is where the clacker comes to use in professional settings. You got this!

@MARCAM Жыл бұрын

Thank you :) I’ll have to try different things in one of my next videos and see what works best for me 👍🏻

@Dancopymus 2 жыл бұрын

Very cool! At the beginning of the video, I was thinking that you were going to paint the slate stone with the laser burning the paint, but you only used the laser to cut out the harp design and paint between the lines with the paint; Am I right? Thanks for the video.

@MARCAM 2 жыл бұрын

Glad you liked it. You’re correct. Just cut the shape out using the laser on masking tape then just paint over

@Dancopymus 2 жыл бұрын

@@MARCAM I forgot to ask you: do you use any kind of paint (spray), glossy or matte? Thanks

@MARCAM 2 жыл бұрын

Yeah I use a glass coat before engraving and another after everything is finished (engraving and painting) 👍🏻

@brianpierrotti453 10 ай бұрын

can the blue painters tape be used instead of masking tape?

@MARCAM 10 ай бұрын

Should be fine. As far as I know it’s just a “heavier” duty type masking tape 👍🏻

@mikemcguckian6968 2 жыл бұрын

Morning MARC A.M. great little video. Can i ask where you got the air powered spray gun from? Like whats its name or model nbr and how much did it set u back?

@MARCAM 2 жыл бұрын

Hi Mike. Hope all is good. The gun I used was just a cheap one I got years ago. Probably eBay or Amazon. My air compressor is the same. Just got the cheapest at the time. You can get mini airbrush kits these days (so the gun and small compressor) for pretty cheap. For stuff like this you don’t need a lot of pressure

@mikemcguckian6968 2 жыл бұрын

@@MARCAM thanks Marc. I just got myself a lidl compressor...it had lots of stuff with it apart from a paint sprayer but i got one of those from a mate (for spraying the fence and shed etc) but wud like to complete the set so to speak with a mini paint sprayer for the slate work. Hope all is well in your neck of the woods. Keep up the good video work 😀

@MARCAM 2 жыл бұрын

I’ve recently got a small airbrush gun with the glass bottle for the liquid that clips onto the bottom. They’re dirt cheap and work great with thicker liquids. And yeah all good thanks for asking :) the weather has been kind to us here in Wales so can’t really complain 😁

@mikemcguckian6968 2 жыл бұрын

@@MARCAM yea its been not too bad here in Ireland either. Fingers crossed for a long hot summer.

@MARCAM 2 жыл бұрын

Ah nice. Let’s hope. Last few years haven’t been too bad so we are definitely due a wet summer 😭

@allanfryer5851 Жыл бұрын

The slate coasters look extremely flat. Can you give me an idea of where you purchased them from. Brilliant tutorial video.

@MARCAM Жыл бұрын

Thank you :) I get my slate from Penrhyn slate in Wales.I prefer the flat stuff. Easier to engrave all around the edges

@diemo1ov954 Жыл бұрын

Should I use sealer? Will sealers leave a mark after use? What's best sealer?

@MARCAM Жыл бұрын

You don’t always have to seal with slate, but I usually do. I just use any clear lacquer before and after

@Double0Civic Жыл бұрын

What type of paint are you using in your airbrush? I'm using cheap acrylic off amazon thats meant for airbrushes, but when I peel the tape up, it brings all the paint with it. Pulls it right out of the engravings.

@MARCAM Жыл бұрын

I think that may be because you’re spraying on too heavy. Try lighter coats. I use cheap stuff off Amazon too. I do thin mine down with a specific airbrush thinner but shouldn’t make too much of a difference. Just go 2 very light coats and should hopefully be fine. If not, try peeling off masking tape before it fully dries

@Double0Civic Жыл бұрын

@@MARCAM you’re right, I’m definitely going heavy. Orange and yellow always seem to be translucent unless they’re heavy coats. I’ll give the light coats a try and see if that help. Thank you for replying!

@Bogbrew Жыл бұрын

Having some trouble with the duct tape pulling off the little bits of tape. I am using gorilla tape and it seems to be pulling up paint as well. Is there another method that will remove the tiny bits of tape? I've seen a dental pick method, but that seems supppper tedious.

@MARCAM Жыл бұрын

I like to press down really hard with the duct tape. Generate a bit of heat when doing so to really get it to stick. If you don’t it’s pulling up paint, you may be applying too much. I’ve found too much and it can bleed under the mask and peel off in chunks sometimes.

@Bogbrew Жыл бұрын

@@MARCAM awesome, thanks for the info!

@EricKohlmann 2 жыл бұрын

Where did you source the slate coasters?

@MARCAM 2 жыл бұрын

Got them from eBay www.ebay.co.uk/str/EUREKA-STORES . Amazing Welsh slate and really cheap

@Uneasy80 2 жыл бұрын

Would this same technique work on say a wine glass?

@MARCAM 2 жыл бұрын

Never tried engraving glass but would assume so. Maybe try it in a small scrap piece of glass

@BSDLLC 9 ай бұрын

Very cool, but you should use a brayer on the masking tape after the cut to make sure it's adhered perfectly before painting, then use the brayer again when applying the duct tape. Cool process, by the way.

@brettdavison2221 2 жыл бұрын

How do you make your lettering infilled? I only manage to get outlines of lettering which looks a mess in fancy writing.

@MARCAM 2 жыл бұрын

I just made the lettering black in Inkscape and run a raster engrave with the k40 whisperer software. Should engrave anything that is black. Maybe your test has a red outline and you maybe running a cut??

@brettdavison2221 2 жыл бұрын

@@MARCAM cheers mate, how do I change settings to engrave and not cut? I can do infilled but it changes a 15 minute job to like 4 hours.

@MARCAM 2 жыл бұрын

@@brettdavison2221 are you using inkscape together with k40 whisperer? To engrave I just set text to black and in k40 whisperer I press the engrave button. Takes a lot longer as it does it from top to bottom line by line. Can mess with power and speed but won't ever be super fast with these machine

@brettdavison2221 2 жыл бұрын

@@MARCAM I use Microsoft paint first then import to inkscape with 5w laser, I can do coasters in a few minutes but only if I trace bitmap (only just started so not sure if that's right) but a door plaque is 5hrs+

@brettdavison2221 2 жыл бұрын

@@MARCAM also thanks for replying 👍

@jerseybigmike2619 Жыл бұрын

Only downside I see is the clear coat on the slate to start with. One of the advantages of slate as a coaster is that slate is hydroscopic -- ie it absorbs water (so condensation stays off table that you are protecting).

@MARCAM Жыл бұрын

Yeah it is a bit of a problem to be fair. I find they stain (things like coffee and tea) much more. But they do wipe clean okay

@jerseybigmike2619 Жыл бұрын

@@MARCAM Have you considered this. If you need to darken the slate use WD40 and wipe it in - do not use a lot. Let it dry well. Mask coaster, engrave, clear coat section to be colored, spray color over the clear coat of "special area" clear coat over the paint. This would leave the rest of the coaster hydroscopic and should still protect the paint well enough for daily use and gentle cleaning.

@MARCAM Жыл бұрын

I haven’t but I’m definitely going to try :) thanks for the info 👌🏻😁

@pintokitkat 2 жыл бұрын

Good little video, but you really need a better mic. The sound is all over the place.

@MARCAM 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks. I know what you mean. I purchased lavalier for like £40 and the quality on it is shocking. Was looking at getting something like a rode and a new camera but as it will be quite an expensive upgrade thought I’d hold out until my channel actually qualified for the YPP. At least then I can justify the cost

@CityWoodDesigns Жыл бұрын

if ya dont mind where do you get the round slate from?

@MARCAM Жыл бұрын

I get all mine from North Wales. Google penrhyn slate (there’s a few different places) 👍🏻

@CityWoodDesigns Жыл бұрын

@@MARCAM cheers dude im in ireland and have been relying on amazon and ebay but their prices have gone crazy of late

@MARCAM Жыл бұрын

Yeah I know that feeling. The market for anything for laser cutting and 3d printing have gone up so much

@CityWoodDesigns Жыл бұрын

@@MARCAM its tough even with suppliers in england iv spoken too dont seem to ship to ireland hate the thoughts of having to wait 6 - 12 weeks coming from china

@MARCAM Жыл бұрын

I’ve found stuff from China to come really quick recently. Honestly better than our own Royal Mail.

@karenturner5443 Жыл бұрын

Did you water down the paint?

@MARCAM Жыл бұрын

For this paint to work in my airbrush I used an airbrush thinner by Vallejo. Works great and anything I have left can just pour back into the pot

@karenturner5443 Жыл бұрын

Could you use rub n buff

@MARCAM Жыл бұрын

That’s a great idea!! I do have a small tube somewhere. I think as long as the masking tape holds it might work

@TheFeist77 Жыл бұрын

have you tried this with powder coat paint?

@MARCAM Жыл бұрын

Not myself. I’ve seen people do some stuff with wood and it didn’t look the best. Could be something to try in the future though 👍🏻

@Rob_65 Жыл бұрын

Not myself but I've been told powder coat does work with the CO2 laser. No air assist and low power - otherwise you'll blow or burn the powder away. As far as I understand this, you need a Tribo gun to be able to apply the powder to non metal surfaces.

@3DJapan 2 жыл бұрын

6:12 I'd use some newspaper for this part so I'm not wasting tape.

@MARCAM 2 жыл бұрын

You’re not wrong there 👍🏻

@user-bx9hy4ht7j 2 жыл бұрын

Would be nice if this would work with a fiber laser.

@MARCAM 2 жыл бұрын

I’ve never seen/ used a fibre laser before. As far as I know they do metal right? And that would be pretty cool if you could colour metals that way

@user-bx9hy4ht7j 2 жыл бұрын

@@MARCAM yea pretty much non organic materials like metal, polymer, plastic, tile and some rocks like slate and granite. When the beam is focused for things like text, I can get a nice clean cut on tape but when it’s spread out for images it doesn’t really do anything to the tape and still marks the material under it. Only way is to crank the power up and by the time you get through the tape, it’s melted and burnt. Depending on how I set my frequency, I can. Mark tan, white or gray on some plastics and slate.

@MARCAM 2 жыл бұрын

Sounds quite complex compared to a standard laser cutter then. Maybe there’s a way to do it but guessing will require some pretty specialised materials 🤷‍♂️

@user-bx9hy4ht7j 2 жыл бұрын

@@MARCAM when I first started, it was definitely overwhelming. Like most things from china, it didn’t come with an instruction manual or any help on speed/power/frequency settings or how they affect different materials. Lots of trial and even more error lol What machine are you using? Mines a 50W JPT from Mactron Technology.

@MARCAM 2 жыл бұрын

Yeah the Chinese stuff is always fun to inbox and see what’s not inside. I’ve just got a blue and white k40 mini at the mo. Would love to upgrade one day but it’s doing it’s just at the mo

@pravitjarriya4767 2 жыл бұрын

K40 is so much faster than my Glowforge

@MARCAM 2 жыл бұрын

Really? I’ve not read too much about the glow forge but not heard lots of good things. For the price they charge I thought they would be amazing

@pravitjarriya4767 2 жыл бұрын

@@MARCAM Yes at least 3 times faster for cutting comparing to Glowforge basic that I have. There are a lot of issues. First I got my machine and it doesn't cut through so they replaced me with a new one but it doesn't even cut. So I just keep the old one and play with adjustment and make it work. There are so many people regret buying it. I can pay off in a year selling at ebay and Etsy. It's not easy as they show on their advertisement. A lot of people bought the machine and so disappointed with little return they receive. I'm now buying Mira 7. God bless you and your business.

@johnathanknifton 2 жыл бұрын

Did you need to purchase a licence to sell with the branding on?

@MARCAM 2 жыл бұрын

Not for these as they were just for a mate. Probably would have to if you were to market and sell them online

@sherryleggett1612 Жыл бұрын

What happened to the bottom of Guinness?

@MARCAM Жыл бұрын

It was just a scrap coaster I messed up on originally. The final ones were done like it shows in the thumbnail :)

@paulweston8184 Жыл бұрын

It's missing half the Guinness.

@MARCAM Жыл бұрын

Aye the one I did for the video was a scrap piece I messed up 👍🏻

@icmpeko 2 жыл бұрын

Aw, Mark - if you: 1) mask; 2) laser; 3) clear coat; 4) paint, you will not have the gold color (or whatev color you're using) bleed under the tape (clear seals tape to part) 🍺🦝👍

@MARCAM 2 жыл бұрын

Cheers. I find as long as I keep the airbrush spray as minimal as possible it doesn’t bleed under the tape. But definitely good for spray paint or even with a brush 👍🏻

@jakerazmataz852 Жыл бұрын

Vid.could have been 5 min. IMO .

@mikedixonphoto Жыл бұрын

Take whatever stereo microphone you're using, and throw it in the garbage, or set it on mono if it has such a setting. The audio was so disorienting that I had to stop watching.

@MARCAM Жыл бұрын

Yeah, that microphone has long gone. I have replaced it a few times since. I would re-do the video but it’s one of my biggest sources of traffic to my channel 😫

@lantan4776 5 ай бұрын

Cope