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Belinda Barfield
12-21-2009, 2:29 PM
I can't be the only person who needed a last minute Christmas gift. :rolleyes: I have a good friend who has everything, and forgets everything. She is constantly making notes to herself, and then misplacing the notes. So, solution to all - a cork bulletin board. The 11 x 14 frame was $11.00 on sale at A.C. Moore. I had the cork on hand. I noted a couple of threads requesting a good source for cork so I thought I'd share, and the photo shows how well this cork accepts engraving. I bought the cork from SchoolOutfitters.com. A 48 x 144 x 1/4 roll was $105.00. This cork is also self healing. It engraves better than any other cork I've tried. There is one problem with it though, it REALLY likes to retain the curvature of the roll. I haven't found any way to flatten it so I just use two sided tape and stick it to a backer (in this case a piece cut out from a cardboard shipping box).
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Steve Eide
12-21-2009, 3:10 PM
Great design and I'm sure it will be appreciated. The cork you used looks much less coarse than the cork I have used (IKEA) and will have to consider your supplier.

I may just do one for my daughter! Thanks for the source and for sharing.

Ray Uebner
12-21-2009, 4:44 PM
Great Job. I am sure she will not misplace any more notes.

Tom Bull
12-21-2009, 5:54 PM
That is way cool.

Paul Brinkmeyer
12-21-2009, 6:13 PM
That looks Great!

Was that the colored plas-cork or the regular?

Thanks

Dee Gallo
12-21-2009, 6:22 PM
That's thinkin' with your laser, Belinda! Nice idea and beautiful job!

Steve's right, that is a very nice grain for cork. I'll bet she loves it and says something like, "But it's too pretty to use!" You don't often get a chance to use all those cute push pins they sell at the office stores (which I love).

So the next permutation is to use anodized and give them a bunch of post-its? Or metal and magnets? Oh noes! You got me thinking now.

cheers, dee

Ted Calver
12-21-2009, 11:21 PM
I'm not an engraver but speaking of cork...this has appeared periodically on the Norfolk Va Craig's List for the last several months. Don't know if it's what you folks are using, but if it is you might be able to negotiate a better price.

Sat Dec 19 under business/commercial: Quartet Natural Cork Roll 1/4" x 36" x 100' - $400 (Virginia Beach)

Mike Chance in Iowa
12-21-2009, 11:21 PM
Great choice in artwork. Thanks for sharing the source. I've had very hit-and-miss success in finding decent cork.

While I have not tried this, years ago I read somewhere that you can iron cork to flatten it. To play it safe, I would start with a low, dry setting and work your way up the dial. But ... I think you have to use the steam setting.

Belinda Barfield
12-22-2009, 9:37 AM
That looks Great!

Was that the colored plas-cork or the regular?

Thanks

Just plain old generic cork.


That's thinkin' with your laser, Belinda! Nice idea and beautiful job!

Steve's right, that is a very nice grain for cork. I'll bet she loves it and says something like, "But it's too pretty to use!" You don't often get a chance to use all those cute push pins they sell at the office stores (which I love).

So the next permutation is to use anodized and give them a bunch of post-its? Or metal and magnets? Oh noes! You got me thinking now.

cheers, dee

Thanks Dee. I like your metal and magnets idea. I think I'm going to work on that after the holidays! Identification Plates, Inc. sells Black Laser Steel (part# 7113 is a small tag) what will work with magnets, but I'm not sure if they sell large pieces.


Great choice in artwork. Thanks for sharing the source. I've had very hit-and-miss success in finding decent cork.

While I have not tried this, years ago I read somewhere that you can iron cork to flatten it. To play it safe, I would start with a low, dry setting and work your way up the dial. But ... I think you have to use the steam setting.

Thanks Mike. I've worked with cork from several different sources and this is the best one so far. I'll try the iron trick.

Thanks all for your kind comments!

Frank Corker
12-22-2009, 4:34 PM
Nice job you did there Belinda, engraving on cork generally gives a nice contrast.

Gary Hair
12-22-2009, 8:12 PM
That's thinkin' with your laser

I like that!!

Gary Hair
12-22-2009, 8:13 PM
This cork is also self healing.

But won't the engraving go away then?

Bill Cunningham
12-22-2009, 11:30 PM
But won't the engraving go away then?

Nope it lasts forever, particularly if you give it a light coat of a sealer like rattlecan lacquer.. Keeps the black of the burnt cork off the fingers..

Belinda Barfield
12-23-2009, 11:53 AM
But won't the engraving go away then?

No, it's not Wolverine cork. We use it for a cutting mat because you can cut into it repeatedly and it doesn't chip out for quite a while.

Belinda Barfield
12-23-2009, 11:55 AM
I did another one yesterday to take to a gift swap. I don't have a picture because it walked out the door before I could snap one. Yesterday afternoon I sold three more. Glad I decided to burn some cork!

Dee Gallo
12-23-2009, 12:40 PM
Go, Belinda, Go! :D

Jay Beller
01-05-2010, 9:57 AM
I've always liked the results with cork. My only complaint was the burnt edges when trying to cut thick pieces. The picture frame helps cover that up. I've used colored acrylic to cover it up.

http://www.lazrart.com/images/cork_2456_bboard.jpg

Dee Gallo
01-05-2010, 11:58 AM
I've always liked the results with cork. My only complaint was the burnt edges when trying to cut thick pieces. The picture frame helps cover that up. I've used colored acrylic to cover it up.

Very nice work, Jay! That photo is excellent and the frame does finish it off perfectly. Did you buy the 2 pieces together or put them together yourself?

How thick a piece were you able to cut?

Thanks for posting, dee

Belinda Barfield
01-05-2010, 12:02 PM
Very nice Jay. Those two cats actually look like my cats. It must be a rule that people must have a black cat and a tabby cat at the same time.:D

Jay Beller
01-05-2010, 8:39 PM
Thanks Dee. This is one piece cut from 1/4" sheet of fine grain cork.