The Best Masking Tape For Laser Engraving Leather
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Published 2021-11-13
I get asked a lot about what masking tape I use for my leather projects when laser cutting or laser engraving and wanted to share my opinion. Using masking tape on your grain surface helps keep your engravings crisp and clean from the laser heat and soot. However, not all masking tapes are created equal!
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DIGITAL & ACRYLIC LEATHER PATTERNS
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BUY LASER READY FILES HERE: shop.makesupply-leather.com/collections/laser-cutt…
DOWNLOAD OTHER FREE PDF PATTERNS HERE: makesupply-leather.com/templates/free-leather-temp…
BUY ACRYLIC PATTERNS HERE: shop.makesupply-leather.com/collections/acrylic-le…
LASER EQUIPMENT & SOFTWARE
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Adobe Illustrator CC (for template design): bit.ly/3fPwat6
Lightburn: lightburnsoftware.com/
Boss LS-1630: www.bosslaser.com/boss-ls-1630.html
TOOLS & MATERIALS USED IN THIS PROJECT
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Custom Shop Masking Tape 18" x 30 Roll: amzn.to/3FbO9H8
Valdibrana Concerie, Tarano, Italian Vachetta Leather (Classic Brown / 4-5oz): www.buckleguy.com/valdibrana-concerie-tarano-itali…
All Comments (21)
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Used your link to buy. Thanks!
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How much does it effect the settings on your projects? I finally found the perfect setting for my project, but I applied masking which completely screwed up my process. I am having trouble finding a setting that works the way I need to for the finished product.
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Thank you for this! Have you tried this on metal objects?
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Laser masking tape is expensive. For those on a budget try sticking the tape to the top of your hand first which will cause the oils in your skin to cover the glue on the tape. You can also use fabric like your jeans to remove the stickiness. I also rub masking take over my laser engraving to help remove any black soot from the leather before it gets smudged.
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How do you clean the leather after you laser and remove masking?
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Does it contain any vinyl?
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I take it that it was the semi clear one you used? noticed there was that one and the clear, however the clear looked to be more of a plastic
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Is there a decent laser that will be used strictly for 4-5oz leather hat patches? The xtool 20w seems too weak, and the entry level nova (or xomparable) is $7k. Anything in between? For like $3-4k? Thanks for your help
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I use this same stuff. It’s pretty good but I find that if you leave it on for an extended amount of time, it will pull up some of the finish of the leather. Sometimes I’ll mask a larger amount of leather and not use it all and would leave the rest on for another time. When I peeled it off though, it has the same effect as the first two tapes you demonstrated. Good video though and it’s still the best I have found as well!
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What about when you’re putting tape on the backside when you’re doing tooling to keep it from expanding what type of tape would be good for that I’ve been using clear packing tape
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Maybe you should try tea bag paper and water - soaks up the smoke and the water just evaporates - no burned gooey adhesives. Works on wood and plastic well too. Tea bag paper is exactly that BTW, you can get it on a roll - a bit like tissue used for covering model aircraft.
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Another thing I found with regular tapes was that they leave a sticky surface right on the edge of a cut line, like the adhesive has been melted into the leather. It makes a clean dye job impossible because the dye can't soak in on those edges, whereas the rest of the surface that has had masking tape on it still accepts the dye. I'd be interested to see how this stuff works with laser cutting leather.
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Thank you! Yes, I use a similar tape….I know it as transfer tape, used also in vinyl transfer work, available in many widths, gentle on wood. I get mine from US Cutters, it pays to buy fresh commercial grade…….cause the cheap stuff is almost the same price.
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I found a product that I sent a message to to ask if it can be used on leather. IKONART is the company name. However. It is for creating reusable stencils for applying paint or inks. Not sure if it would work with Indian ink. Or with our leather dyes. The film is a pressure application that peels off after use. I noticed it was $$$$, so might not be feasible on that aspect.
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Thank you.
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Interesting. On a different note, how to you deal with the smell of burnt leather? I bought a diode laser with the idea of cutting wallets parts, but the smell is horrible and it stays on the parts for days...:)
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The product page lists "Material: Vinyl". Unless it's some "laser safe" kind, it will contain PVC and lasering that will produce hydrochloric acid and other bad toxic fumes.
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Unfortunately we tried this with our Xtoo1 20w laser and it made for fuzzy borders no matter the power settings and it really affected the engraving depth as well. Expensive lesson. Green frog tape works well for us, but we can only find it in 2” width.
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Thanks Justin... I've been trying to find a tape that won't ruin the scrap so that I can make other products with it....later
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Your suggested tape is made out of "vivyl" which is the same (short name) as PVC. Is everyone using PVC films?
