Joe Hillmann
12-17-2012, 11:15 AM
I posted about a month ago about engraving on pear for an inlay. I ran a sample piece and cut a piece of wood for it to fit into. It fit perfectly. After seeing that it worked I ran the same file that I used for the sample on a new piece of pearl and the instrument. Once I ran it on the mandolin it didn't fit. The pearl was about 1/64 to short length wise and about .012 to short height wise (These numbers are estimates from the person who installed the pearl so I don't know how accurate his numbers are). The only difference was the pearl was engraved in the upper left hand corner of the bed and the instrument was engraved in the upper right corner of the bed.
I have done quite a bit of inlay with wood and have never had this problem. Although usually I cut the inlay and the piece it fits into in the same general area on the laser bed.
At this point I think the problem is either caused by belt stretch or by the pearl heating up when being cut and then cooling and shrinking. But Since the sample fit I doubt it is caused by expanding and contracting of the pearl. I also kind of doubt it was caused by belt stretch because I make quite a few items that have box joints where the layout of the piece takes up most of the bed and the parts fit each other no matter where they were cut on the bed. I also don't think that I stretched the parts in coreldraw before I sent them to the laser.
Can anyone think of what may have caused the part not to fit?
I have done quite a bit of inlay with wood and have never had this problem. Although usually I cut the inlay and the piece it fits into in the same general area on the laser bed.
At this point I think the problem is either caused by belt stretch or by the pearl heating up when being cut and then cooling and shrinking. But Since the sample fit I doubt it is caused by expanding and contracting of the pearl. I also kind of doubt it was caused by belt stretch because I make quite a few items that have box joints where the layout of the piece takes up most of the bed and the parts fit each other no matter where they were cut on the bed. I also don't think that I stretched the parts in coreldraw before I sent them to the laser.
Can anyone think of what may have caused the part not to fit?