Template for the 5" laserbits granite heart?

[Rebecca Hardesty]

Hi all,
I'm looking for a template (Corel) for the 5" Granite Heart that comes from Laserbits. It has to be exact, because I want to do a vector outline about 1/8" inside. Does anyone have a pattern for it?
Thanks for any help!
Rebecca

[Martin Boekers]

These pieces can and will vary.... What I do is scan the piece then import it into Corel.
Then you can draw a line around it. If your vector and raster are right on then it doesn't matter, if not make a raster outline.
Then position a piece of scrap on your laser bed and engrave the outline. You then can position the piece within the outline
and engrave.

****** Make sure you delete your outline before you engrave the final piece!

[Rebecca Hardesty]

Thanks so much.. I had read posts where people were saying just trace it - but wasn't sure how to do that.

[John Salitsky]

I do somehing similar in that I lay the piece on a piece of paper and draw a line aroud it and then scan the drawing in.

[Chuck Stone]

I do the same thing.. scan the object and create an outline of it.
Burn that into card stock on the laser bed so I can see where to
place the object. Save the file (and the card stock) for later use.
Use that outline (vector) in your file to see where to place the
graphics you want to engrave.


REMINDER: when you re-open the file to use it again, remember
to delete your outline just before you engrave.
Actually, that's a reminder to me. I always forget to do that, and
when pieces vary in size, I tend to ruin them.

[Albert Nix]

Like John I trace it on paper then scan it. Then I lay a piece of thick poster board, card board or foam board and cut my own template. If you are like most folks you throw out card board everyday good enough for templates.

[Bill Cunningham]

I don't use a hard template, I make the outline as suggested, then set the piece up against the top ruler, and slide to the left, for normal top left position on the laser. I always put a mask on the granite, rub a little black shoe polish into it, then laser at low power to make sure the etch is in the right place and adjust if needed. Then, pull off the mask and etch..

[Rudy Ress]

You can also scan it as others have said and just put it on a different layer and make it "unprintable". That way you do not have to remember to remove it prior to sending it to the laser.