A TEENAGE boy has modified a laser-etching machine to burn robot and space invader designs into his skin.
He was filmed being branded by the industrial machine and then uploaded the video – along with full instructions – to the internet.
The instructions, posted on do-it-yourself website
Instructables.com, describe how dangerous – and how easy – the amateur "laser tattoo" process can be.
An industrial laser-etching machine looks similar to a photocopier and works by moving a red-hot laser at rapid speeds to "print" intricate designs into hard surfaces such as metal and wood.
The machine normally has a safety system that stops the laser when the lid is opened, but the teenager, under the screen name Tetranitrate, managed to bypass that with a six-sided die and a magnet.
Once the safety feature was disabled, he loaded the designs into the machine, tested its position, then stuck his hands in to burn each design in to his skin.
He can be seen wincing as the machine burns a picture of a robot into the back of his hand, and a close-up shows small sparks and smoke emerging from his flesh.
The instructions did not note the long-term effects of "laser tattoos", but recommended that the machine be set to a higher speed for lighter burns. Aloe vera cream was found to be an effective balm, but it also had an effect on the image's contrast against the skin.
While branding is common in the tattooing and body modification worlds, this is the first apparent use of a laser engraving machine for a similar effect.
