I’m far from an expert on laser printers, but my concerns would be
1. The laser is focused to be sharp at a precise distance from the work. Because the case is round, there would need to be a solution for keeping the distance consistent from the center (the highest point) to the lowest (the left and right edges of the engraving). It’s probably 2-3mm difference.
2. I think 10w can mark stainless steel, but I don’t know if it will actually engrave it. Possibly with multiple passes, or with some agent to give it a boost.
3. Laser engraving, even when it does work, gives a different look than mechanical engraving. I’m aware that this is hidden between the lugs, under an end link or largely obscured by a strap, but spending $500 or more to give a less than satisfactory result is hard on the return on investment calculations. For half that, even less, you could buy a vintage drag engraver like Rolex factory actually used. Saltwater etching is also less than perfect, but it costs maybe $10 total to set up, and gives a lot of bang for the buck.
If you have a laser engraver already, or would use it for other things, it makes more sense, but to buy it just for engraving lugs is a hard sell to a spouse.
And this is not meant to crap on your idea, I think this thread is a great place to brainstorm ideas to make our projects better, but it’s also a great place to anticipate obstacles or dead ends, and come up with workarounds collaboratively.
So far, my solutions would be
1. Average the distance from highest to lowest and focus the laser on that point. It will be less sharp the farther it is from the focus point, but possibly not enough to stand out.
2. Multiple passes, or pre-treatment with a coloring agent of some type
3. Find a cheaper solution. Bare minimum, I think you can get a 3d printer and laser add on for about $60 (refurbished) and $50, respectively. That’s for a 1.6w laser. Upgrading to 5w (this is what I have) is another $25. Upgrading to 10w is about $200.
You can also get a dedicated laser engraver for $100-200 or so, although it’s a bit weaker. Multiple passes might make u for lack of power, I’m not sure.
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