Laser etching discs

[uncle pennybags]

IF I have a laser engraver and want to etch some designs on my discs, is that legal? The etching wouldn't be very deep, probably about the same depth as a stamp, maybe less.

If it's not legal, than why would ghost stamps be legal? And what is the difference?

[ray1970]

While not illegal at the federal level you may want to make sure you aren’t violating any state or local ordinances.

This is not legal advice and you may want to consult an attorney before proceeding.

Also, in addition to the legality of said act, you may want to make sure modifications to your discs aren’t going to be violating and PDGA rules.

[krupicka]

One is done by the manufacturer, the other is a post-production modification.

[uncle pennybags]

Originally Posted by ray1970

While not illegal at the federal level you may want to make sure you aren’t violating any state or local ordinances.

This is not legal advice and you may want to consult an attorney before proceeding.

Also, in addition to the legality of said act, you may want to make sure modifications to your discs aren’t going to be violating and PDGA rules.

HUH?

I'm talking about things like 3d printers that have a laser module for engraving. I've never heard of it being illegal, unless your thinking of high powered handheld lasers that ass-hats use to try and blind people.

[ray1970]

My post was meant in sarcasm. I knew what you were asking but the way it was worded sounded funny.

Sorry for being a clown.

Honestly, you could probably get away with it and still be within the rules as you aren’t modifying the profile or flight characteristics of the disc. The minimal amount of plastic burned off likely wouldn’t make a negligible difference in the weight of the disc either.

[uncle pennybags]

Originally Posted by krupicka

One is done by the manufacturer, the other is a post-production modification.

But the difference between a laser etching and a double ghost stamp as far as disc modifications go is negligible.

I know if I search I can find an answer for this, but what would the difference be between laser etching and deliberate beating-in of discs? That's still modification.

[uncle pennybags]

Originally Posted by ray1970

My post was meant in sarcasm. I knew what you were asking but the way it was worded sounded funny.

Sorry for being a clown.

Honestly, you could probably get away with it and still be within the rules as you aren’t modifying the profile or flight characteristics of the disc. The minimal amount of plastic burned off likely wouldn’t make a negligible difference in the weight of the disc either.

I figured that out. But my edit window timed out. Reading comprehension level today - LOW!

[knocked100se]

Originally Posted by krupicka

One is done by the manufacturer, the other is a post-production modification.

That is how I interpreted it, kind of like how you cannot add stickers, but Discraft's weight stickers are fine because they were added by the manufacturer.

[BogeyNoMore]

If you consider laser etching to be akin to a bunch of scratches, it kinda kind prematurely beating a disc in.

While I don't personally have a problem with players accelerating disc wear to beat in a disc, it becomes an issue of...

Well, if you choose to turn your head the other way about this rule, why not do the same for this other rule? ...or this one?

The sport's integrity depends on everyone adhering to the same set of rules.

[Cgkdisc]

The key Technical Spec regarding discs is "Section C (15) be essentially as produced, without any post-production modifications that affect the weight or flight characteristics."

The main reason this is needed is to prevent some special, unknown modification that would turn a disc into a super disc of some sort that performed outside the bounds of existing technology AND might not be available in production quantities to other players. In terms of weight, laser etching by its definition is going to remove miniscule amounts of plastic from the disc. However, since discs are spec'd and weighed to the nearest 0.1 gram, if laser etching lowers weight by no more than 0.05 gram, it would technically not be changing the weight of the disc within tolerances. Going beyond that, manufacturers specifically state that certain plastics will gain as much as 2 grams of water weight after leaving the factory even if the disc never touches dew, is not used in the rain or lands in a pond. Real world conclusion: Laser etching should not be considered to violate the weight adjustment statement.

Since the specifications have never included nor measured flight characteristics, who would be able to measure or know whether laser etching affected flight characteristics more than observable natural changes in a disc's flight characteristics due to usage and abusage over time? Does the player have to prove they have not changed due to etching, and how would they do that? Or would the PDGA have to prove that flight characteristics have changed significantly, and how would they do that? Real world conclusion: Flight characteristics and possible changes are unmeasurable and only suspicious when you see flight behavior like the Epic and might indicate further investigation needed.