I think this engraving is pretty cool, I assume it's done with a laser ....
What about engraving on a turned (rounded) surface?
What would be a recommended starter system?How much would I expect to pay?
Thanks,
Tim
engraved cutting board.jpg
I think this engraving is pretty cool, I assume it's done with a laser ....
What about engraving on a turned (rounded) surface?
What would be a recommended starter system?How much would I expect to pay?
Thanks,
Tim
engraved cutting board.jpg
I ask (If you haven't already).. Please spend some time and search some of the posts... This question has been asked and answered many, many times here...
Find out as much as you can so that you can determine a better direction that you would like to go in. The more informed you are the more informed questions you'll be able to ask and get better answers...
Full Spectrum Laser 5th Gen, 45 Watt with Gold Catalyst tube
Rotary Attachment
Corel Draw X5
Complete wood shop.
Thanks for the reply Mike.
Tim
Tim: Definitely engraved with a laser.
There are different machines to accommodate needs and budget.
You will need a rotary attachment to engrave turned pieces.
Hope that gets you started.
Tim when I first found this site I was so overwhelmed with A. The amount of information available and B. The number of very talented, skilled people that are on here. I spent weeks searching, reading, and learning. You must be a woodworker, a laser would fit in very well in your area of expertise.
BTW I have the machine listed in my Signature and it was and is fine. But going to purchase another, larger machine with more power (50 watts) and larger work area, and its faster also.
Last edited by Bill George; 03-23-2015 at 1:06 PM.
Retired Guy- Central Iowa.HVAC/R , Cloudray Galvo Fiber , -Windows 10
Hi George,
My shop time is almost exclusively spent building segmented pieces, now and then I'll do up a few cutting boards.
I'm thinking a laser could be used to decorate the feature rings on turned bowls or vases with themed patterns or verbiage specific to a life moment ...
Typically I try to get pointed in the "smart" direction and then I become obsessed with research. I'll continue to look around until I'm able to learn enough about where and what to look at.
Thank you for your help.
Tim
Tim,
Now that we are starting to get an idea of what you want to do re. segmented bowls and platters... You'll most likely want a machine that can handle tall objects.. (removable floor helps). If your wanting to engrave your turned bowls then I would recommend a machine that you can use a rotary device with a Chuck style head instead of a friction wheel...
You won't be able to engrave your pieces and then put them onto your lathe as most laser engravings do not go very deep.. You'll turn them right out when you start forming your pieces... Thus the rotary...
If you are looking more for engraving then cutting, I would recommend something in the 40 - 60 watt range.. Also If your doing a lot of platters then make sure you find something with a larger bed size..
Price???? What is your budget... That will determine a whole lot as far as narrowing down your results..
Continue to look through the threads here and you'll soon start getting a good picture of what is out there and what is best for you..
Good Luck
Full Spectrum Laser 5th Gen, 45 Watt with Gold Catalyst tube
Rotary Attachment
Corel Draw X5
Complete wood shop.
Hey Mike,
My thoughts are to finish my work on the lathe to the point where I'm at perhaps 180 or 220 grit, then do what ever engraving I had decided on and then fill it with an appropriate colored filler and finish sand.
Is 1/16 a reasonable depth to expect prior to filling?
Regarding budget .... hadn't given it much thought as yet, let's say $3000.00 / will that get me anywhere near a decent used machine?
Thanks again,
Tim
You'll run into several issues with bowls. The get the engraving to go around the entire bowl (rather than just a small patch), you'll need to do one of two things: 1) put the bowl in a rotary, or 2) lay the bowl on the table rim down. There are disadvantages to both methods.
1) You're limited to the size of the bowl as rotaries don't often accept items much bigger in diameter than 8" or so.
(This one applies to both cases)
2) You're also limited to "height" of the bowl (i.e., diameter difference from edge of rim to edge of base when using a rotary, and difference in height from flat of rim to flat of base when laying directly on the table). Lenses only focus so far (about 1/4" for a 2"FL lens, which you can extend to maybe 1" for a 5"FL lens), so you'll have to refocus during the process. This can leave obvious rings in the pattern if you're not precise. Ad if the "height" is too great, you won't be able to get past the focal distance at all as the carriage will eventually hit the bowl itself.
A sharply angled bowl would work better flat on the table, whereas a more cylindrical piece will work better on the rotary (but in that case, you'll have to do a lot of refocusing again if the piece has a wide variance in diameter as you rise through the piece). It's a complete cluster...
Hi-Tec Designs, LLC -- Owner (and self-proclaimed LED guru )
Trotec 80W Speedy 300 laser w/everything
CAMaster Stinger CNC (25" x 36" x 5")
USCutter 24" LaserPoint Vinyl Cutter
Jet JWBS-18QT-3 18", 3HP bandsaw
Robust Beauty 25"x52" wood lathe w/everything
Jet BD-920W 9"x20" metal lathe
Delta 18-900L 18" drill press
Flame Polisher (ooooh, FIRE!)
Freeware: InkScape, Paint.NET, DoubleCAD XT
Paidware: Wacom Intuos4 (Large), CorelDRAW X5
As far a bowl rims the really important measurement would be what diameter would the laser be able to do? As a work around for bowls to big for a rotary, maybe you could divide the bowl into 4 segments, mark with masking tape and have a jig or fixture set up so you clamp each of the 4 segments and laser. True it would not work for a continuous pattern but maybe for what your doing it Might work.
Retired Guy- Central Iowa.HVAC/R , Cloudray Galvo Fiber , -Windows 10
Hey Bill,
I hadn't considered a continuous pattern, just as the specific number of segments each unique bowl or piece has the feature ring will likely have the same number, a repeating pattern on every segment (typically 12 or 24) or alternating every second, third or fourth.... what ever number is advisable equally.
Trying to find a picture showing my thoughts ...
Thanks for your help.
Tim
Hi Dan,
That's going to take some time to digest, thank you very much for the very specific info.
Tim
As a very general idea, this what my first thought was.fisher_horse_1.jpg
You could get away with a fixture to hold it upright, but you will still be limited height-wise (well, diameter-wise, in a manner of speaking). Bowls larger than about 8" won't fit in most machine due to Z-height limits, and many of the cheaper machines won't even have that.
Hi-Tec Designs, LLC -- Owner (and self-proclaimed LED guru )
Trotec 80W Speedy 300 laser w/everything
CAMaster Stinger CNC (25" x 36" x 5")
USCutter 24" LaserPoint Vinyl Cutter
Jet JWBS-18QT-3 18", 3HP bandsaw
Robust Beauty 25"x52" wood lathe w/everything
Jet BD-920W 9"x20" metal lathe
Delta 18-900L 18" drill press
Flame Polisher (ooooh, FIRE!)
Freeware: InkScape, Paint.NET, DoubleCAD XT
Paidware: Wacom Intuos4 (Large), CorelDRAW X5