In standard top-down engraving, there can be a large amount of smoke residue generated. As the debris moves towards the exhaust plenum, some of it collects in the area that has just been engraved. Here’s what you can do to remove or prevent it:
- Use a medium tack masking paper. It is much easier than trying to clean the smoke off after it is produced.
- Apply denatured alcohol and elbow grease to the affected areas.
- When engraving bamboo, use 220 grit sandpaper. It takes any smoke or residue off the surface while leaving a nice clean engraving.
- Epilog users: use the “Bottom-Up” engraving function within the Epilog Laser Dashboard. This reduces the amount of smoke and residue so that it is not dragged across fresh engraving marks.
-Amy Dallman, Epilog Laser
