Shopsmith Forums

I was just wondering if anyone here does laser engraving for people like say, me? I have a project that I have in mind and I think it would be best done with a laser but I guess it could be done with a cnc machine and small bit.

It would be copying a metal 3-D part in the 4" range. The final object would be made of wood, most likely maple. Depending on cost I might want 1 or 2 but it would be nice if the designed could be save for future efforts.

Due to the nature of the item I'm not going to post details here but would be willing to share later if the results are to my liking.

Please PM me if you have this capability and are interested in a small job.

If you know of a commercial place that you have used that does good work please post that information here.

Time frame would be in early October.

Ed

Woodcraft? Done some there. Both flat and cylindrical. Setup files can be saved. Pretty reasonable, but not cheap.

Look to see if the Tech Shop has a facility in your area. They have all the tools to do work like that and best part is you get to use them.

I had laser engraving done on the serving tray project I had posted here not long ago. I ended up calling four different places about doing the work. Two never called me back, one didn't sound like he know which end was up, and the third was $25. Unfortunately, it was way on the other side of town. I had sent him a file and picture of the stock I wanted engraved. Initially he said I should have it all finished, but in my mind I knew that couldn't work because I had to glue up the project and then finish.

Anyway, he turned out to be a pretty decent guy. He first burned my image on some special stock and asked me to approve the size and font, which I picked and set to him so that was easy. Then he burned the image and asked if I wanted it deeper and I let him re-burn it twice to get a deeper cut. In retrospect I'd go even deeper.

Check around your local area for a maker space, sometimes called a hacker space. Many of these have access to laser engravers or know someone who does.

Our space in Indianapolis, www.clubcyberia.org, has an 80 watt laser which members can rent time on to fabricate and engrave projects. It currently get used more for cutting than engraving.

Honestly I had been looking into this as something I would like to test. I had been looking into an Epilog laser from Engraving Concepts

I have seen, but do not yet own a hobbyist die cast cutting machine. I read a 2015 review at http://die-cutting-machines-review.toptenreviews.com/ of what this site promotes as the top 10.

My notion was that I would use a rubber screen material over the wood with a template cut by the die cutter to sand or media blast material away in much the same way the Headstone Markers are still produced today. Folks have been doing this with wood for years, I just had not.

In addition to the die cutting, some can do direct engraving and embossing. The fact that they have a wide application use extending into other die cut crafts that my wife is more in to, and can make the modest investment of several hundred dollars up to $1000 which is a far better return for me than a laser at $5000-$8000 or more, plus this option will allow her to be more involved in my work as well as me in hers, using the same machine, while building support for the inevitable upgrades that might make sense.

I can keep and use it in the house, opposed to having to find a place for it in a crowded shop, and I can still farm out the occasional 3D laser work from a photograph to a third party, even if shipping is involved.

These die cut units often have software included, some even have scanners, and can cut a variety of materials such as chipboard, fabric, sheet magnet, foam, vellum, sponge, rubber, felt, thin sheet metal, balsa wood, leather, even cake frosting etc., which makes them of interest to my wife, while still allowing me to cut the rubber templates that I would sand or media blast for wood. I could even do stone blasting or glass etching if I elected to through that die cut rubber mask.

There are some old etched glass patterns in some of the Hoosier Style Cabinets that I have encountered that this would allow me to replicate. Finding a replicate part at http://www.hardwareofthepast.com/ can be done, but finding the glass is a ‘pane’ or pain if you will.

I have posted some pictures that I grabbed off websites to illustrate what I am envisioning. If I were in full production and had a market for laser products that would return my investment in a year or so, I would invest in a laser. I am not in a large enough marketplace for that.

I suspect some others here have done this already. I would love to know what your experiences are as well as continue with the laser discussion. Maybe I am just not thinking big enough.

Hey Ed,
A few questions to clarify.
Is the design varying in depth and if so by how much?
I watched the Epilog demo and they are okay to about 1/16 but after that not so much, even with the high powered BIG system.
If the project has much detail and has more than 1/16" of depth, you might want to see if you can first get a 3-D scan of the original. I "think" both local High Schools here have 3-D scanners and printers, so maybe yours would have something similar and scan it for you at low cost. With that scan you can have your choice of ways to reproduce.

A friend's wife has one of those die cut machines and they are very cool. It's a black cougar something or other , but was able to etch / scratch in brass for name plates and her son made fancy balsa wood planes with it. She uses it to cut materials for very intricate quilts.

Another question... Are you looking for the burned appearance that the lasers give on wood? A cnc product could get the same thing by holding a propane torch a ways away and barely scorching the surfaces.

If it's just lettering, we were able to use Inkscape software to create a file that was used by the die cutting machine and were told it is usually accepted by the laser and cnc programs.

Sorry I can't be of more help, but without more info I am just tossing out ideas.

Hope it works out well for you.

Be well,
Ben

To clarify, and at this point I'm talking concept so there are ways of doing this could make use of several tools/methods. And could be I might even give it try with my limited carving skills to see just how good or bad that would turn out.

There are only two levels, the top which would be clear wood (maple) and a recessed area of no more then 1/16" deep which could be burned or stained a darker color. Total project thickness of about 3/16" and just over 4" across. It has a couple of through holes which are something that I would drill and counter bore as needed. It does have a pattern which would need to be replicated by either a photo process or a probe mapping. The present piece is made of metal and has sharp squared edges which a laser could cut but the use of a 1/16" bit might be too fuzzy while a 1/32" bit might be good enough (not sure of this but only guessing).

Like I said there might be other ways I could try to do this but my first thought was a laser.

Ed

Ed,

I do have both a laser and a CNC. PM me if you want to discuss more specifics.

Do you already have the desired material?

Roy