Laser Etching Vinyl Records

It seems like a great idea especially if you choose an image that fits the record you are cutting.

Laser etching vinyl records.

The laser cutter cannot make such precise cuts because the width of the beam is too large so the grooves on my records are about 1 2 orders of magnitude larger in every dimension than these grooves. The machine exhaust ducting fan and vent area were all in similar condition. While laser etching has taken the technology into new realms the age old craft of chemical etching is a more complex and sensitive process not dissimilar to exposing a photographic film. It also fits the recycle upcycle trends.

Laser engraving on vinyl. It would have been cheaper to buy a 400 vinyl cutter or even a 2000 graphtec than to sacrifice a 30 000 laser engraver. Although polyvinyl chloride pvc can in fact be cut with laser the thermal process produces hydrochloric acid and toxic fumes. Like coloured vinyl etched records are among the most collectable and visually exciting you can get your hands on.

I think the first place i saw it was on the make magazine blog. The dark objects in the grooves are tiny particles of dust. Everywhere i look these days i see a blog article about someone laser cutting old vinyl lps. The company is calling the new records hd vinyl and as new atlas reports the records have longer.