Uploaded June 2014 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

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Part of getting a laser engraver/cutter is looking for things to *use* it on. In the past I've ground part numbers off of ICs ("security through obfuscation") to slow down hardware pirates, so I thought: "why not give it a try?" I took a tray of leftover parts and sure enough with my "40W" laser at 50% power a 'raster' engrave completely obliterates the ink markings and enough of the top surface to make it neigh impossible to read the part origins.