Laser + bottlecaps = awesome

[ReeseAllen]

I have access to a small laser engraver/cutter at my job which I recently learned how to use. Naturally, I immediately turned my thoughts to homebrewing. Bottle caps are metal. Probably steel. Steel can be etched with a laser. So I brought in a handful of different colored caps and tried the laser out on them tonight.

The laser seems to just take the thin colored coating off. The mark is quite apparent on all the caps except the silver ones. The silver ones do show a faint, visible mark. The darker colored ones are great for this, and the mark is not too bad on the gold ones.

 

[Rushis]

How much does laser time cost?

 

[mnadamn]

I did this too when I worked in the schools rap[id prototyping lab... The only problem I have with it is that it takes forever to do the 50 caps needed for a 5 gal batch but it is great fun and well, luckily I was getting paid to do it lol

 

[ReeseAllen]

I did this too when I worked in the schools rap[id prototyping lab... The only problem I have with it is that it takes forever to do the 50 caps needed for a 5 gal batch but it is great fun and well, luckily I was getting paid to do it lol

I could do about 200 caps in one session with this machine. It would take a few minutes to lay out the caps and get the machine properly aligned, but the actual laser operation would only take about 5-10 minutes.

 

[slakwhere]

tell your boss you can start making some money doing this on the side after hours. buy a couple of cases of caps, build a magnetic jig to make setting up the caps easier, and let me know what format you need the art so you can cut me some =)

 

[Hang Glider]

not to rain on your parade, but we have an HBT vendor that does this:

click here

 

[slakwhere]

he seems to be unreachable at the moment

 

[user 40839]

Yup, I wanted to get some done for a Christmas brew, but never heard anything, so plain ol' caps it was!

 

[Prime]

Well done. And you are in Seattle I see... hmm...

 

[IrregularPulse]

Curious, what kind of laser? I work for a laser etching company. I use to travel the country installing and serving Lasers and Dot peen etchers. Now I"m phone support and schedule the service guys.
The laser is burning the annodizing off the aluminum cap.

 

[ReeseAllen]

Curious, what kind of laser? I work for a laser etching company. I use to travel the country installing and serving Lasers and Dot peen etchers. Now I"m phone support and schedule the service guys.
The laser is burning the annodizing off the aluminum cap.

http://www.trotec.net/020+Products/_en-US/_050+Speedy+100.htm

It can cut thin plastic and paper, and is great for etching metals. The power, velocity, and frequency are all freely adjustable.

 

[ReeseAllen]

Yup, I wanted to get some done for a Christmas brew, but never heard anything, so plain ol' caps it was!

I wish I had discovered this thing a few weeks ago. I just bottled a winter ale not too long ago and it would have been amazing to etch a snowflake on each cap.

 

[IrregularPulse]

http://www.trotec.net/020+Products/_en-US/_050+Speedy+100.htm

It can cut thin plastic and paper, and is great for etching metals. The power, velocity, and frequency are all freely adjustable.

I work for these guys