Are you ready for some football?

[Gary and Jessica Houghton]

Okay, it's football season and what better way to say thank you for being in my wedding by giving your groomsmen personalized footballs?

One problem... I've never engraved footballs. Yes, real leather pig skins.

Has anyone engraved any? Do you have to take the air out of them? The wedding is in one week. Thank you to all men who procrastonate....Well, I do to.

Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow?

[Pamela Rhoades]

Awe, Great Idea.

I don't imagine you would have to deflate them... you aren't going right through... :rolleyes:

Typical leather settings would probably do just fine... 100% Speed always.

[Gary and Jessica Houghton]

I thought that as well, just wondered if anyone had done some if they wouldn't mind sharing any tips.

Thanks Pamela!

[Pamela Rhoades]

Awe.. I haven't. I've only ever printed footballs.. but that was my first post... just signed up this morning... I think i joined more to get tips then give them.. i have a feeling everyone on here has been doing this a little longer... heh :o
Good Luck!

[Gary and Jessica Houghton]

I don't think I was refering to that other sport commonly known as futbol, but I don't mind that sport either. Both children played futbol, but I prefer the hard core american football!

[Martin Boekers]

I did engrave one a year or so ago.

I didn't deflate it, but made a jig to hold it.

It said it was "Genuine Leather" but it didn't burn like leather,
In fact at spots it melted a bit.

Remember if you do this that pattern on the ball will not hold fine detail.
So make your type big and bold. No frilly type here!

Good luck!


Marty

[Mike Null]

I deflate them but do not like doing them as it's very easy to go through the leather.

[Gary and Jessica Houghton]

Thanks Guys!

No frilly nothing on any footballs from my shop!:p

I guess I'm going to have to play a lot with them. Thanks for the tips. I will update when finished with the project.

[Dave Johnson29]

One problem... I've never engraved footballs. Yes, real leather pig skins.


I did a bunch for the local High School. I made up a jig with an oval hole and raster and vectored them with the school name and logo just fine. I sneaked up on the settings and no longer have them as the computer I was using at that time crashed and my backups were, er, er, what back ups. :)

I remember vectoring and rastering at full speed which on my 25W machine is 42cm/sec. For the vectors I dropped below focus about 1/2" to give a broader line.

I did not take any pics that I can recall, so I guess I never did it. :D:D

[Steven Wallace]

Here is what I did in the past and can tell you that you have to let enough air out to give you a flatter surface. I used a couple curved pieces of foam to support the ends during the engraving process. I used the signature / autograph balls to get something more readable.

[Tim Baude]

May I ask what settings you used to do these...they look great. Got some real football fans around here. Might be able to market them a bit.
Thanks
Tim

[Steven Wallace]

If I remember correctly I had to play with it on the first ball I did. I can tell you that I started with Epilog settings for leather for my machine which I ran at 400 dpi, 100 speed and 45 power. If I remember correctly I had to take the power down to 35. Just remember, if you use a lower power you can always run it twice and then adjust up as you see the results on your particular material. These were used as an end of the year trophy for Pop Warner teams and Sponsor recognition awards. I makes a unique gift rather than the normal trophy. If you get in good with the photographer that does team photos, you might get them to do the footballs as part of the photo package and you can use their digitized images of the player to place that image on the football making it a truly unique gift idea. Then you just make a deal with the photographer because most of them will yell copyright infringement if you use the image without their permission. I haven't checked but I would think that there are a couple of places online where you could get these footballs in quantity for a discounted price. Hope this helps and good luck. Let me know how it works and don't hesitate to PM me if you think I could be of more assistance.

[Steven Wallace]

Poor quality but here is a video of my lasering the football so that you can see my set up.
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=21778689

[Tim Baude]

Thank you Steven....I actually have a photographer that I do some things for now, so this might be a good addition.
Tim