Field notes
The technical answers, written out properly.
Everything below is what we would tell you on the phone, at length, for free. If it saves you from hiring the wrong process — including from hiring us for something we are not right for — it has done its job.
Fundamentals · 7 min read
Will a laser burn my wood?
The first question everybody asks. The answer is in how fast the pulse arrives versus how fast heat can travel — and there is a demonstration that settles it in ninety seconds.
Choosing a method · 8 min read
Laser vs. sandblasting vs. chemical stripping
Three ways to get a coating off a surface, each with a genuine case for it. Where laser wins, where it loses outright, and how to tell which situation you are in.
Art & conservation · 8 min read
Outdoor bronze in Arizona: what the climate does to it
High UV, monsoon rain, and dust. Why a bronze that looked fine three summers ago is streaking now, what can be reversed, and what maintenance cycle actually protects it.
Fire & smoke · 8 min read
Smoke damage on exposed beams: what actually works
Why the smell comes back after the surface looks clean, why sanding a hand-hewn beam is a loss you cannot undo, and what a dry process changes about a building that has already been soaked.
Fundamentals · 6 min read
Pulsed vs. continuous-wave: the difference that decides your job
Two machines both described as 'laser cleaners' behave completely differently on your material. How to tell which one a contractor is bringing, and when it matters.
Practical · 6 min read
What laser cleaning actually costs, and what drives the number
Published rates, the market band they sit in, why there is a minimum charge, and the five factors that move a quote up or down before anyone touches your piece.
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Free within the service area · Sedona · Verde Valley · Flagstaff