Engraving Utilities
Oxidants
By none
Apr 28, 2003, 23:49

The Supporting Cast
Adhesives, Oxidizers and Polishers

The most recognisable products in an engraver's shop include brass plates, wood plaques, trophy parts and plastic engraving stock. Without these products, engravers wouldn't be able to fill customer orders or make a living. But there are other products that are just as important to an engraver but don't get as much attention; as the so-called supporting cast.
This cast consists of adhesives, oxidizers and polisher/cleaners. Every now and then, it's a good idea to take a closer look at these products and familiarise yourself with their uses and any improvements to make them better. Experts offer tips on usage and safety and by paying attention to their advice, you can make your shop safer and make the engraving jobs easier to perform. The result: a finished product that your customer will appreciate and you'll be proud to sell.
Let's take a look at some of the most common support products and their uses in your shop:

Adhesives
The most common materials in an engraver's shop are often bonded together to form badges, signage and plaque plates. Plastic and metal are composed of chemical properties, making it important to know which works best with compatible adhesives.
"Engravers can use the wrong adhesives and not be aware of it," says Karen Coppes of Laminated Fabricators, Inc. "They wind up being unhappy with the job. It's important to know how adhesives are used."
Coppes says that one of the most common adhesives for bonding plastics together is brown cement (Stock #99126). It comes in a 5-ounce tube, and is especially formulated for working with phenolic material. Her company also sells a clear cement (Stock #99125) in a 5-ounce tube which bonds plastic to metal.
Another adhesive that works well for bonding plastic to metal is Engravers ExpressBond, Distributed by Engravers Express. Engravers ExpressBond is a nonsolvent based formula that bonds in 10 seconds. According to Engravers Express, Engravers ExpressBond takes the place of Liquid Bond, which was found to environmentally unsafe. Engravers ExpressBond is a relatively new product to the market, having been introduced about a year ago.
The choice for adhesives can be a personal preference. Johnson Plastics Inc. sells two types of adhesives that perform the same duty - bonding plastic to metal. Choice No. 1 is Scott Cement Bond 14, which comes in a 4-ounce bottle. It can be used for bonding plastic to plastic as well. Bond 14 takes 24 hours to cure and is not recommended for mounting signs.
The second choice is Bond Adhesive #634, which comes in a 3.2 ounce tube. It can be used to bond plastic to plastic, fibreglass, fabric, metal and polystyrene. It can also be used to bond metal to metal.
Margaret Johnson of Johnson Plastics Inc. says that most people use these types of adhesives for bonding metal badge findings to plastic name badges.
She also recommends another adhesive to use when bonding plastic to plastic, called Rez-N-Bond #1. Rez-N-Bond #1 is a fast drying, clear liquid solvent. It is available in a one quart can or a 2-ounce applicator bottle with a needle nose.
"Rez-N-Bond actually melts the two pieces of plastic together to form a single surface," says Johnson. "We don't recommend using this to bond plastic to metal. We also suggest that this adhesive be applied carefully. Excess adhesive can actually eat away at the plastic surface."
Chris Black of Wholesale Trophies, Inc. borrows a phrase from a popular 1960's television commercial. "Use the 'little-dab-will-do-you' application because sometimes these cements become more permanent than the end user actually desires," he says.
Johnson also recommends watching manufacturer's application directions and read all of the cautions. As with any other cleaning or adhesive material, it should be applied in a well-ventilated area.
Another type of adhesive that is very popular for working with uneven surfaces is Urethane Bond, manufactured by Dow Chemical. According to Don Marnella of Jonko Products, Inc., this adhesive comes pre-mixed in a tube and has many uses. "Some of these uses are still undiscovered by many dealers," adds Marnella. "It is equal in strength to two part epoxy, without mixing requirements.
"The product expands to fit uneven surfaces in order to glue to a smooth surface." He cites one example of a national company that reproduces children's hand prints or footprints in plastic or ceramic. "The print is mounted on a marble base and Urethane Bond is used to adhere it. This is the only adhesive that we have found which successfully bonds." Excess glue from the uneven surface can be trimmed with a utility knife after it cures.
Not all adhesives come in glue form. One of the more popular methods that involves less mess is the adhesive tape method. Some engravers avoid the cementing process and opt for double-sided tape. One manufacturer says that tape is all he would ever use to bond.
Jerry Copeland of American Trophy, Awards & Engraving swears by a product called Tesa-Tape. "It is yellowish, double-sided tape made of an acrylic adhesive," he says. "It is so strong that you better get the alignment right the first time."
Don Marnella of Jonko Products offers some advice for using his company's Double Face Tape #492. "It is imperative that surfaces be clean, free from oil and chemicals. The ideal application temperature is between 70 and 1 00 degrees. Always burnish the tape down with considerable pressure."
Marnella says that acrylic tape is one of the best ways to assure a permanent bond, especially due to variations in temperatures.
"Consider an award sitting in the trunk of a car where the temperature may be between 150 and 200 degrees. Both rubber adhesive and acrylic adhesive will soften with exposure to heat but at different large quantities. A two-ounce jar can be shipped by air, but a gallon jug would have to be transported by ground. Black says that customers should be aware of this regulation and the additional time and expense it takes for shipping large quantities.
Margaret Johnson offers some advice on using liquid oxidizers. "We recommend that our customers pour a little of the liquid into a cap. The entire jar can be contaminated if left open. Use a Q-tip to apply, but don't reuse it after the initial application. People sometimes complain about the ineffectiveness of an oxidizer because they have let it become contaminated, which reduces its effectiveness."
Also remember that natural oxidization occurs immediately after an engraved character is exposed to air. To achieve maximum darkening of letters, it is important to apply the oxidizer immediately after the character is engraved. Oxidizers and natural oxidization do not always team up to make the best results, which is an effective darkened character Another way to assure an effective darkened engraved character is to ensure that the engraving cutter is sharpened and has no jagged edges. "Any small burrs or uneven lines will be accentuated by an oxidizer," Johnson says.
Jerry Copeland suggests ways to maximize the oxidization process. "First, use a diamond burnisher to add depth to the character and to hold the oxidizer. Apply the oxidizer and then dab off the excess. I wait five to six hours and dab some more oxidizer on. I then let it sit overnight and clean it up with Pledge the next day."

Cleaners and Polishers

Like Oxidizers and adhesives, there are different cleaners/polishers to choose from, depending on the product surfaces.
Ken Petersen Sr. of Petersen Brothers says that a lot of people may not know how to deal with scratches and cleaning surfaces. That is one of the reasons why his company supplies a leaflet with all Novus cleaning products it sells. The leaflet points out basics of preparing surfaces, cleaning, removing scratches and polishing.
The Novus products highlighted in the leaflet are Novus No. 1, which is used clean plastics without scratching. It leaves a shine that resists fogging, repels dust and eliminates static. Novus No. 2 removes fine scratches and abrasions from most plastics and can eventually restore faded and discolored plastics.
Petersen strongly believes in the importance of cleaners and polishers, so much, in fact that he is taking them on the road with him.
"We will feature some of the Novus products at an upcoming show. We want people to know how to clean scratches," he adds. "We've been at shows where people have told us that they use toothpaste and a brush to fill a crack. But it didn't seem to take the whole scratch out."
Jonko Products offers a cleaner polish that is very similar to the ones found in the home. Panel-Nu is a spray-on, wipe-off cleaner polish. "It is not unlike lemon oil, which can be purchased at the store," says Don Marnella. "It works as well on plaques as it does on kitchen cabinets. It can also handle minor scratches very well."

Another cleaner polisher sold by both Laminated Fabricators and Wholesale Trophies is Award Glow. It is a non-abrasive, citrus based polish, cleaner, anti-oxidant and protectant for most metals and acrylics. According to Chris Black Of Wholesale Trophies, the product will work with almost any surface. The list includes brass, aluminium, stainless steel, chrome, acrylic, fibreglass, plastic, silver, silver plate, glass and mirrors.
"Just rub it on, wait for it to dry to a base, then rub with a soft, clean cloth," Black says.
The citrus base assures no oily residue and complete evaporation. It also assures something else. "it is a cleaner and healthier way to Polish because of the citrus base," says Karen Coppes of Laminated Fabricators. She also said that Award-Glow works well on new Victory Laser-Brite products.
The variety of adhesives, oxidizers, and cleaner/polishers make the engraver's job a little easier. Although these products are sometimes taken for ranted, they can make the difference between a quality finished product and a so-so one.
Suppliers want engravers to know how to use their products and what precautions to take when using them. Safety during the engraving and assembly process is just as important as quality - which is very important to the end user.


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