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Mike vonBuelow
08-20-2011, 5:11 PM
Ok, so I'm happy with the family crest I've created in CX3, now I have to figure out what to do with it...


I originally wanted to 'layer' it by cutting out sections, but the mantle makes this just about impossible since it goes in front of and behind 3 times... I could re-position it so it stays behind the shield.

I guess I could create hairlines on EVERYTHING and peel back each section to paint it on a nice piece of finished wood, or ???? , I'd just have to be careful for the smaller areas.

I could blast this if I get my s/b unit up and running (never used it before, though), or find a local person with a unit



What would you do?

Tim Bateson
08-20-2011, 7:14 PM
I would go for an inlay effect. You seem to have Black, Gray, & White. Start with a light colored wood - light poplar, maple or something like that.
1. Cut out all of the Black & inlay/replace it with a dark wood (black walnut), then laser the gray areas.
-or-
2. Cut out all of the Black & Gray areas & inlay/replace with a dark wood and a medium color wood (stains work well for this task).

Ray Mighells
08-20-2011, 7:35 PM
I think I would go for building it up back to front using full width sheets of thin wood to get some heft to it. Use different colored woods, alter grain direction and build up areas with dummies as in Intarsia, etc Could be a fun project, but I wouldn't plan on having it done by this Christmas.

Mike vonBuelow
08-21-2011, 12:04 PM
I have to make 7 copies, too, btw

Dee Gallo
08-21-2011, 12:16 PM
Seven ideas:
1. Edgelit nightlight (everybody's favorite!)
2. Votive candle holder
3. Tree or hanging ornament
4. Glasses
5. Leather mousepad
6. Mirror, as part of a border design or in the center
7. Black granite or marble: coasters, small standing decoration, wall hanging, trivet

All easy and without the need to cut out millions of pieces.

I'm sure there are a hundred more.

cheers, dee

Mike vonBuelow
08-21-2011, 12:22 PM
Dee,

Coasters have been my primary idea since I've been creating the crest - something that's usable all year long. And display'able.

Can I get different "shades" in marble? I only need 3, but 4 would be better.
Can I color fill?

Tim,

I like the inlay idea a VERY close second - because I can use full color. And the circles are coins - so I was going to use gold leaf paint and sprinkle some Pearl Ex pigment powder to make it really shimmer.

Craig Matheny
08-21-2011, 1:01 PM
Hey Mike one other option you have is on some of the layers you can engrave on to give that layer two depths I Did this using the basic 5 military Seals I also added a close up of the Air Force Seal. So instead of extra layer of wood I just engraved the layer. These will be clocks when finished.205697205698 Hope this helps

Dee Gallo
08-21-2011, 1:38 PM
Dee,

Coasters have been my primary idea since I've been creating the crest - something that's usable all year long. And display'able.

Can I get different "shades" in marble? I only need 3, but 4 would be better.
Can I color fill?

Tim,

I like the inlay idea a VERY close second - because I can use full color. And the circles are coins - so I was going to use gold leaf paint and sprinkle some Pearl Ex pigment powder to make it really shimmer.

Mike,

Yes, you can color fill stone. Two options are: artists oil paint (from tubes) for a soft look or litho ink for a bolder look. You will have to seal after wards for permanence. Another thing you might consider is using hatching patterns to differentiate the colored areas. Hatching, cross-hatching, dot patterns, etc. in addition to solid engraving will give you varying tones.

Another coaster idea is to use clear plexi, engrave the back.

cheers, dee

Dee Gallo
08-21-2011, 2:40 PM
Craig, those are really nice! I like the use of the layered look and they will be exceptional as clock faces. Will you finish them with paint or stain? What will the rest of the clock be made of?

Thanks for sharing, dee

Martin Boekers
08-21-2011, 2:42 PM
Mike check out Roy Brewer's video on converting to a halftone pattern, this may
work for what you are doing.

If you had dye sub, I'd recommend polyester napkins they are cheap and would be
nice for place settings through the holidays.

Craig Matheny
08-21-2011, 5:10 PM
Dee, Thanks I most likely will put a coat of stain prior to the cutting and then the clocks movements when installed will be the hanger.

Chuck Stone
08-22-2011, 11:31 AM
205831205830205829

Here's a couple of things I tried for gift ideas. the cat frame was from Steve Good's website
for scroll saw. The clock was just a little time in Photoshop to type and place the numbers,
then converting in Corel Trace and then some cleanup. Put a clock movement in the center,
cut a backer board (masonite?) a bit oversized and a contrasting color behind it.. I did mine
in 1/8" birch

ps.. the black stuff on the jpeg of the clock isn't in the file.. there was some schmutz on
the scanner glass that I didn't see till later. (so much for scanning 'cured' poly resin..)

Dee Gallo
08-22-2011, 11:42 AM
Chuck, that clock face is WILD! I imagine red hands would really pop. Don't you hate it when you carefully position something and scan a hair or something right in there?

David Fairfield
08-22-2011, 1:13 PM
Engraved glass is always classy and purposeful. A coat of arms on a set of stemmed wine or champagne glasses would be really nice-- its an appropriate motif on an appropriate item. I have made gifts like this and they always go over well. For me, the graphics work best if they are black white, no grey scale.

Dave

Mike vonBuelow
08-23-2011, 8:43 AM
I've decided! One of my ex-co-workers has a laser and a sandblasting setup - so I've placed an order for mixed drink sized glasses (yes my family like to drink).

Each male relative (& family) will get a 4-pack with the crest etched.

I have all the makings for a sandblaster setup too, but I need some help with the hose setup, and some basic instruction so I don't blow myslef up, or blast my face with abrasive.

Chuck,
Cool Clock! Looking forward to seeing it finished.

Neil Pabia
08-23-2011, 8:46 AM
Fruit cake might be easier....LOL

Ruben Salcedo
08-23-2011, 11:19 AM
Chuck,

first, let me tell you that you made a very unique clock there.

Second, I have a tip to share with you that may save you some tracing and clean up time next time you want to do something similar.

In Photoshop merge all your layers as visible, just go to Layers>Merge Visible, then by holding your Ctrl key and clicking on the small thumb of the corresponding layer on your layers docker will create a selection of everything contouring every open space, now go to the Paths tab and click in the little arrow/menu that is in the far right side, then click on "Make Work Path" give it a tolerance of 1 for a thigh fit, then go to File>Export>Paths to Illustrator, save it in a place of your choice, then go to CorelDraw and "import" it as .ai, once is in Corel some times you don't see it at first, just give it an outline color, fill it or both the choice is yours, now you should have a nice vector graphic that needs no Tracing and/or clean up.

Ruben

Chuck Stone
08-23-2011, 2:29 PM
Thanks, Ruben.. I'll admit that "paths" is something I have no clue about and
never did anything where I would need to know it .. so that part of Photoshop
has been ignored by me for decades. I'll try this next time.. as the cleanup in
Corel Trace (extra lines, too many nodes etc.) can get a bit trying. You're going
along fine and suddenly your wood catches fire because it is burning what looks
like the same line 4 times.. ugh!

Ruben Salcedo
08-23-2011, 3:14 PM
You're welcome, Chuck,

I'm more proficient in Photoshop than CorelDraw when it comes at designing, and this Path trick has help me many times, specially with cutouts for photos, see... in Corel I always had problems with the dread white box around a photo (a person) without a background, but not any more.

Chuck Stone
08-23-2011, 4:04 PM
I still have my original Photoshop floppies (Version 2 .. 2 floppy disks! well,
3 disks, but one is the Adobe Type Manager) I ran that with 16MB of RAM!
That was kind of a lot for a home computer, but then not many people had
a computer at home anyway.. and the ones who did had 16 color monitors,
which was all you needed for Leisure Suit Larry.
But all of my work was retouching and restoration, all photographs. Funny how
far things have come since then. People used to be amazed at what you could
do with digital editing.. now most kids can do it before they're old enough to
have a paper route.
I tried out Corel back in the early 90's but didn't really have any use for it in
what I was doing. It is certainly easier now than it was back then.. everything
had it's own rollup. I remember sitting through the tutorial VHS tapes and
scratching my head through the whole thing.

Dee Gallo
08-23-2011, 7:24 PM
Ruben,

That is an excellent tutorial, thanks! I've used PhotoShop for years (since 1985) and never once since I got a laser used the paths to Illustrator thing because I don't use Illustrator. That will come in handy, I can tell you. It works perfectly!

I love this forum!

cheers, dee

Ruben Salcedo
08-23-2011, 7:56 PM
Dee,
thanks for the compliment, I'm glad that it works for you.


Ruben

Mike vonBuelow
08-23-2011, 8:28 PM
Using Corel, and a simple weld after converting to outlines, I was able to create this clock in about 15 minutes

- I'll call it the "Chuck Clock" (say that 5 times fast if you can)

and as a die-hard Adobe guy for the last 12 years, I really really like Corel - except for the AI feature which allows layers, and layering within those layers. Sometimes that helps to separate elements.

Mike vonBuelow
08-23-2011, 8:32 PM
Fruit cake might be easier....LOL

Engraved fruitcake....


hmmm.....


nahhhh!!!

Ruben Salcedo
08-23-2011, 8:57 PM
Yes, there are many ways to skin a cat, but for us Photoshop users sometimes is easier to work (design) in Photoshop, and having an option to accomplish a project with a combination of both Photoshop and CorelDraw I think is great.

Oh, I see that you edit your post... so it looks like you are also a Photoshop user I assume since you said you use Adobe products, but you like Corel more, great! more power to you, I do like Corel also, but I'm not as proficient as I'm with Photoshop, some things I don't know how to them in Corel and many other things I just like to do them in Photoshop better and vice versa, :) I believe there are others in a similar situation. (refer back to my first paragraph above)

Ruben

Mike vonBuelow
08-23-2011, 10:25 PM
Yes, sorry, should have specified - I've been using Photoshop & Illustrator exclusively for the past 12-ish years, only with the laser purchase have I delved into Corel. I find Corel, except the layer thing that AI has, a lot easier for vector renderings, logos. and such. Again, I reference the clock which took my about 15 min - most of that time spent rotating & positioning the numbers after I chose a suitable font (IMHO). After that was done it was ready in four clicks - select all, create outlines, weld, and then create a hairline. Ready for production!

It's a relatively easy transition (it was for me).

Photoshop, great for photos, and effects for most things pixel-y - I have not tried any other product though. And yes, the transition is great between all 3, so if PS is your thing, then by all means do what saves you time!

Chuck Stone
08-23-2011, 11:18 PM
I have all the makings for a sandblaster setup too, but I need some help with the hose setup, and some basic instruction so I don't blow myslef up, or blast my face with abrasive.

You know .. for small things like glasses, Harbor Freight has what they call an 'air eraser' .. it's a small airbrush,
but instead of holding paint, it holds abrasive. Hook up your air and blast away. You can use the laser to make
your mask/resist. Works well enough for $15, but the biggest drawback is the small amount of abrasive the
gravity feed cup holds. Lasts about 20 seconds when blasting. For 1-2 small items that might be OK. But if
you can rig something to give you more sand, you could keep going.
http://www.harborfreight.com/air-eraser-kit-99636.html The ad says $24.95, but I paid $15 for mine,
and last month when I was there it was still $15. Even at 25, worth the price for small jobs

Chuck Stone
08-25-2011, 12:19 PM
ok .. I must be losing a few screws here..
I tried Ruben's technique the other day on a quick project.. worked fine.
Now I'm trying to do it again and I'm coming up blank. Literally.

When I 'merge visible', it collapses down to just the background layer. Pressing the
Ctrl key shows a "no" sign over the layer. (circle with the slash) so obviously I can't
do anything to the background layer. So I made another copy, tried making a work
path from that, export to AI .. imported a blank into Corel. Tried selecting colors in
the copy, make a work path, export to AI etc.. still getting a blank canvas in Corel.
Tried giving it an outline color or color fill, but still getting just a box the correct size
with nothing in it.
What stupid little thing am I forgetting?

And what is the reason for 'merge visible' ? Doesn't that just collapse anything that
isn't hidden into one layer? (the background layer?)

Dee Gallo
08-25-2011, 1:44 PM
You know .. for small things like glasses, Harbor Freight has what they call an 'air eraser' .. it's a small airbrush,
but instead of holding paint, it holds abrasive. Hook up your air and blast away. You can use the laser to make
your mask/resist. Works well enough for $15, but the biggest drawback is the small amount of abrasive the
gravity feed cup holds. Lasts about 20 seconds when blasting. For 1-2 small items that might be OK. But if
you can rig something to give you more sand, you could keep going.
http://www.harborfreight.com/air-eraser-kit-99636.html The ad says $24.95, but I paid $15 for mine,
and last month when I was there it was still $15. Even at 25, worth the price for small jobs

Chuck, I just got one of those - do you use a cabinet to contain all the grit that sprays out? If so, does it have to be really sealed well or just a box to keep it in one place? Also, what are you using for masking? Greg and I have been discussing this tool lately so we'd both like to know!

Thanks, dee

Ruben Salcedo
08-25-2011, 1:46 PM
Chuck,

the problem is that... the background, make sure you are not selecting the background, select only layers with transparency that need to be merge, you can use "Merge Layers" or "Merge Visible" but without a background and never use "Flatten Image" for this purposes.

Ruben

Chuck Stone
08-25-2011, 4:55 PM
Chuck, I just got one of those - do you use a cabinet to contain all the grit that sprays out? If so, does it have to be really sealed well or just a box to keep it in one place? Also, what are you using for masking? Greg and I have been discussing this tool lately so we'd both like to know!

Thanks, dee

Hiya Dee... yeah, if they're still $15, it's worth getting spares! And if you need to, they can hook up
to the disposable cans of compressed air, but that's pricey.
I've used transfer tape as masking, also used polyester adhesive sheets from Papilio.. and even
got some vinyl bumper sticker material (I know.. I know.. but i just kiss cut it.. it was $30 for
100 sheets of 8.5 x 11!) You don't need very high pressure on some materials.. so that's when
I use the transfer tape. But if you need to really blast it, then use something with some good tack.

I don't have a booth, but it should be easy enough to build one for very little money. 1/4" ply
would probably be fine for such a small 'blaster' .. but i just spray into an open cardboard box
and then go to the compressor and blow all the dust out of my shirt and hair when I'm done. :p

Chuck Stone
08-25-2011, 4:56 PM
Chuck,

the problem is that... the background, make sure you are not selecting the background, select only layers with transparency that need to be merge, you can use "Merge Layers" or "Merge Visible" but without a background and never use "Flatten Image" for this purposes.

Ruben

Ah! transparency. The little light bulb just went on over my head. Thanks!
Now I understand what it is doing.