Laser Safe Leather: "Almost" Everything You Need to Know
This is Part 1 of a series of blogs we will be creating to help Leather Crafters learn the ropes of safely and effectively combining the use of a c02 Laser with Leather. Carla and I (Rob) have been running Noctide Leather for about 1 year as of now and have gained alot of self taught knowledge in this area during that time.
Intro
Part 1 of this series will be primarily focused on what types of Leather are safe to use with a c02 Laser, precautions that should be taken and the added maintenance requirements of your laser due to processing leather.
Our goal with these guides is to reduce the problems you are likely to encounter while pursuing this corner of the dark arts.
~Continue at your own risk 😈
Is it "Safe" to Put Leather in my c02 Laser?
If you are reading this guide you have probably already seen a lot of the conflicting information regarding the safety of cutting and etching "Leather" in your shiny new c02 Laser. Hanging by a thread about to buy a bunch of leather to make some awesome Leather Goods but not just quiet ready to make that leap.
That is where we were about a year ago, there was not a lot information on the topic and we had to do extensive research to figure out what the go "really" was. The concern is that the way some Leathers are tanned use chemicals and metals that can react and create highly corrosive and potentially fatal gasses.
To keep the answer simple there is a few things you should look out for when buying Leather for your c02 Laser.
The safest Leather to use is 100% Vegetable Tan Leather eg. Badalassi Carlo - Pueblo.
Do not use Chrome Tan or Combination Tan leather where the company does not disclose the tanning method used.
If you are going to use synthetic leather make sure you buy it from a trusted laser focused supplier and make sure it does not contain PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) or PU (Polyurethane)
What Should I Be Prepared for When Using My c02 Laser with Leather?
Up in smoke
Being prepared when working with Leather in your Laser is crucial, you probably don't want your laser in your house or venting the smoke into your next door neighbours kitchen window. 😂 You will want to make sure you have adequate ventilation where your laser is used and to make sure you don't upset Bev and Trev next door, get in contact with your local council and figure out the local requirements of venting fumes from your laser.
If you have the funds there is a lot of filtration options that should negate a lot of the problems the smell of burning flesh would cause. There are a lot of great options available, Koenig is a great retailer in Australia and their selection of Fume Extractors would be a great place to start.
A great investment to help with reducing mess is a decent air assist (Air Compressor) that can push 2-4 bar consistently this will greatly improve the efficiency of the exhaust system and reduce the smoke stains on your leather work.
Additional maintenance requirements due to cutting and etching Leather
You will quickly find that burning Leather in your laser does not leave the most appealing smell or remnants especially when you forget to flick the extraction fan on 😷, it is dirty work and increases the amount of cleaning and maintenance to your machine. Depending on your workload you will find you will have to give your whole machine a decent clean every day or 2 to stay on top of the smell and build up.
Some of the main things you will need to consistently clean are:
- Laser head assembly and Lens:
One of (if not the most) important parts to keep clean from slimy Leather build up if you want to keep a consistent clean cut and etch on your work, if you find your laser is suddenly not cutting all the way through or the etch isn't showing as nice as it did yesterday the lens is your first place to look.
-Rails, Belts & Motors:
With smoke and debris flying through your machine constantly a lot of build up occurs all through the inside of the machine. Keeping your rails clean and oiled, your motors and belts free from gunk build up will inevitably increase the life of your machine and quality of your products.
-Air Assist and Exhaust:
Another very important part of the system, having adequate airflow through your exhaust system will reduce the amount of build up on your machine and your final product. Tubing, Extraction fan and any exhaust outlets will need to be regularly cleaned, depending on use best practice is to clean and at least check all these parts 1-2 times a week. You will also need to maintain your Air Compressor by draining any condensation build up in the system.
-Honeycomb Bed:
A Honeycomb bed is almost a requirement to use Leather in your laser, it allows you to lay the Leather flat on the bed to get the most accurate cut you can. I highly recommend finding a steel bed and use small magnets to hold the Leather as flat as possible.
Unfortunately using a honeycomb bed is also VERY messy with Leather it gets clogged up and stinks real quick. One of the best ways we have found to clean them is simply with degreaser and a gernie. Give it a good soak with degreaser, let it sit for 10-15 mins and get at it with the gernie if you have an air compressor get a air nozzle kit from bunnings and use it to dry the bed off.
Cutting and Etching Tips
Some things you may want to consider if you are having problems with the results of your Leather cutting and etching.
-Taping the cutting side of the Leather can help reduce the amount of smoke stain on the edges of cut lines standard low tack masking tape is good for this.
-Create a cutting and etching test graph (I will add one here soon) for you to test a bunch of different powers and speeds for you to find the perfect cut and etch for your laser.
-Play with the power of your air assist, we have found using 0 air assist when etching gets us the best result but dirties the lens faster and cranking the air right up to 3-4 bar when cutting almost leaves no smoke stains on the leather at all.
Conclusion
Lasers were once looked down upon in the Leather industry but as things evolve and technology becomes more accessible even high end Leather Crafters are adopting Lasers into their works. With the advantages of being able to prototype designs in minutes using highly accurate software and the pin point accuracy of a Laser its a no brainer to adapt this amazing tool into your arsenal.
Now you have most of the basic things you should be aware of when starting your venture into Leather work using a c02 Laser get to it! Keep an eye out for the next part of our guide and have an awesome time playing with your laser.
I will be adding some free files to this blog in the next few days for anyone to use that should help figure some things out with honing your laser in.
Live Long and Prosper
Rob
Noctide Leather
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