Engraving on Crystal

[John W. Love]

I am most certain that one of you geniuses here can help us out. Below I have a picture of a crystal heart that we are making for a wedding present. My WONDERFUL, BEAUTIFUL, INTELLIGENT, LOVING wife believes it should be engraved on the topside. While I try not to disagree with her too often, I think it would look better if it were engraved on the bottom side done mirrored so that when you look at it from the top it appears to be "floating" so to speak, inside. When I look at the picture it does looks like it is engraved on the bottom as the topside appears smoth, EXCEPT that it does show a shadow of the letters, which makes me think perhaps her way is the way to do it. So, before I have to drag out a box of cornflakes and make another love letter, (see Steve's Romance Guide) could someone advise if they have done this type of crystal or perhaps how you might tackle it.

Thanks,
John and Alicia

[Ross Lowry]

I think this is a metter of personal preferance.
I personally would engrave it at the bottom.
I like to see it and not feel it on glass or crystal.

Ross

[Tim Bateson]

John,

Your picture is top lasered. Personally I also prefer the back, but it varies depending on the piece.

On the other hand, keep the wife happy and laser this one on the top. Unless you can find a way to make lasering on the back her idea.

[Angus Hines]

Go with the back......and tell her you'll do your own laundry till she gets over it.....LOL

[Frank Corker]

No, she is right, sloped surface should be engraved from the top otherwise you get distortion. Domed or flat looks better from underneath. Personally John I think your wife is clever.

[John W. Love]

No, she is right, sloped surface should be engraved from the top otherwise you get distortion. Domed or flat looks better from underneath. Personally John I think your wife is clever.
HAHA Funny thing, we looked at the responses and saw that it could go either way top or bottom. So, she said, "Wait and see what Frank says and we will do it his way!" Looks like Frank and Alicia win. We will post a picture when we get it finished.
Thanks for the responses and the invaluable help!


John and Alicia

Oh and yeah Frank, she is pretty clever, look who she married! ;)

[Bill Cunningham]

I was going to say do it the way 'she' wants it done... That way, if she doesn't like it, it not 'your' fault :D Remember if a man speaks in the forest, and a woman is not around to hear him, is he 'still' wrong?:p

[Mike Null]

Most engravers will make the mark on the back.

[Jack Harper]

Actually, I could be way off base here, however it looks like it may be both. The top looks engraved and left white while the bottom looks enaved and filled black for a shadow effect. If this is truly just the shadow, you still might consider doing it this way as it may look nice. Oh, and this way you both can be right, or rare moment in any marraige.

Edit: If you choose to do the shadow effect, I would recommend doing it as a lighter gray for a more faint shadow effect. You can easily test this look by printing the text on a piece of paper and placing the heart on it to get a since of how it would look.

[Frank Corker]

Most engravers will make the mark on the back.

Think outside of the box Mike.

[Mike DeRegnaucourt]

I've engraved many of these myself. I've done most of them on the top since that is what the customers have wanted. Either way, you have to prop up the "pointed side" of the heart since they are slanted. A lot of times these are used for paperweights and end up sitting on a stack of white paper. With them bottom engraved, the engraving gets a bit lost.

My 2-cents. :)

[John W. Love]

Once again a Plethora of useful advise. We had to make a quick(?) run to Houston today (sheesh only 6 hours of driving round trip, but in Texas terms I guess that is a quick run), to check on a rental property that we have. Don't just love when they move out without paying the rent. So we didnt have a chance to engrave that today. We did, though get to finally experiment a lil more with the rotary attachment last night and ran off some wedding champagne glasses and they came out fantastic. I need to thank Pete Hagan ( http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=100037&highlight=wallyworld+alert ) for the fine tip on these glasses.

[Rudy Ress]

This looks like a pic from page 19 of the Laserbits 2009 catalog. Was at a Laserbits clinic over the weekend and spoke with Mike Fruciano (owner) about the engraving. He confirmed that it was lasered on the bottom (back). Was placed on a jig so it was flat to compensate for the sloped front.