New for 2026!

Last month I was able to purchase a new laser module for one of my engravers that works on metal. After spending a few weeks testing it out, I can report that it works GREAT! It was a little frustrating at first, getting use to the materials it will and won’t engrave, and the settings each individual material required. But I’m slowly getting the hang of it.

The laser module is called a 1064nm Infrared, commonly called an ‘IR’ module. It’s a massive module size-wise. Twice the size of the small diode module I use for engraving acrylic pen parts. It’s even much larger compared to the larger 20w diode module on my large machine (I’d say at least 50% larger). Despite the much larger size however, it’s only 2watts. But to compare the watts with a diode is like comparing cats and dogs. They’re just different animals.

As I stated at the beginning, the IR modules primary purpose is engraving metals. And it will engrave a variety of metals such as: aluminum, stainless steel and brass. It even works on coated metals like anodized aluminum or painted steel. And of course, the reason I purchased it, it will engrave plated metals like pen clips, bands and nibs.

Other materials…

Although it’s primary purpose is metal engraving, it will engrave other materials. It works great on black acrylic and creates a white engraving. So it opens up a new option for black acrylic.

The odd thing I found is that it won’t engrave some paper products. I use a lot of scrap chipboard and cardboard for testing on my diode lasers because it’s cheap and engraves/cuts easily. So just like with the diode modules, I tried testing on the same pieces with the IR module. But it won’t engrave some of them and I’m not sure why. It’s crucial to use the correct setting, so it could just be a settings problem. And since it’s scrap material (old snack food boxes), some could have a coating of some kind that the laser can’t penetrate.

Aligning parts…

Just like with the diode modules, the biggest challenge I found with the IR module is getting the parts positioned properly. Although the lasers are very precise, that preciseness is a bit of a hinderence when it comes to aligning the parts under the laser. You can move the laser to an exact position on the work surface through the software, but you’re manually setting the parts into position.

You can enable the laser beam at a low power to help aid positioning, but you’re not allowed to look at the beam directly because it will damage your eyes. And the safety glasses are designed to block the beam. So you can’t use the beam itself to align the parts. And since the engraving targets (bands and nib) are so much smaller, it makes positioning and aligning that much harder. So each part you want to engrave takes time to run multiple tests in order to dial in a precise alignment.

I posted my first pen that includes parts engraved with the IR module: The Sherlock Holmes Dancing Men fountain pen. It includes an engraved metal cap band and nib, as well as a metal button inset into the blind-cap. I even used it to engrave the acrylic barrel. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Remember: Everyone deserves a beautiful pen!