[MonoNeuron]

i Guys,
Does anyone know of a supplier of laser tape in Australia that can be used for a sandblasting etchant.

Here is a link on Youtube of what I am after.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8cHCDVcHrI"]YouTube - Laser Tape[/ame]

Every search I do on Google for this type of tape brings up Laser Measuring Tapes. I'm getting very frustrated.
Can anybody help.
I can always source from overseas if I need to but I would prefer Australian companies. It just seems like there aren't too many Aus companies on the net yet.
Thanks in advance.
Richard.

[SkipW]

Hi Mono,

They gave their email address at the end of the vid clip. Maybe email them to see if they have a distributor there?

This company can't be the only ones that make this type of tape. Maybe give Joe a holler over at SMC. I'm sure he would know if there was something comparable out there.

Done any more mirrors lately?

Skip

[MonoNeuron]

Hi Skip.
Thanks for the info. I'll wait a few more days and see if anyone can come up with something locally.
I have done a few more mirrors but haven't taken any pics of them yet. A couple of Audry Hepburn that were OK and a couple of Harley Davidson ones. I don't seem to get the right type of filter in Corel Draw to get a picture right like you see on some sites so I may have to bite the bullet and get PhotoGrav. Anyone have it and can recommend it?????
Maybe a quick tutorial on Youtube on how to use it etc would be great and a good fact finding mission for those of us interested.
Rich.

[Buschy]

G'day Rich,

give the blokes on the link below a call, this will probably get you sorted.

Buschy

http://www.problast.com.au/shop/lazermask.htm

[BassCustom]

You definitely want Photograv; better yet, Photoshop to prime the image (remove distracting backgrounds, adjust contrast and light levels, redraw important details, remove specks), then Photograv to turn it into little laser-friendly dots. I've used this technique for four years with an off-the-shelf laser (LaserPro).

[MonoNeuron]

Could this be done in Photoshop elements3 which I have. I suppose it could as it's just basic image manipulation.

Thanks for all the help so far. I have been busy scanning the ProBlast website and they have some interesting info on their site (and a heap of spelling mistakes but I'm picky like that)
The tape is $345.60 for a 200 ft roll 6" wide. Good for what you can do with it I guess so I'll be purchasing a roll soon and get stuck into making our 150 glasses for the wedding tables at out wedding next year (right after I make the rotary attachment for the laser)
Rich.

[BassCustom]

That sounds a bit pricy! Using laser-specific materials saves time and frustration, but you can certainly do it with regular rubbery sandblast stencil material. The stuff that I used was around $80 (two years ago, US prices), and was so thick that I could have sandblasted to monument lettering depth. It laser cut well enough (but slowly with my 30 watt), and would laser engrave in about 3 passes (laser engrave when the shape is complex and you haven't bothered to make it vector for cutting). The first thing I did with the sandblasting resist was to blast matching cognac glasses as part of an anniversary present. It worked very well. The sandblasting cabinet was cheap, the compressor was underpowered, and I chucked them both since, but I plan to re-integrate sandblasting into the laser processing routine eventually.

Photoshop: Can't do it alone! Those specially-placed dots that Photograv creates are essential to a great laser raster image. Photoshop is very useful as a prep tool.

[BassCustom]

The $80 sandblast resist that I mentioned was a roll that carried at least twice as many square feet as the laser tape you reference.

[Jim Dornon]

Mono,
laserbits.com has laser tape.

[MonoNeuron]

Thanks guys,
I'll look into it.
I appreciate all the help.
Rich.