Laser Engraved Pens for SolidSurface.com

[Keith Outten]

Both of the pens below were made this week for SolidSurface.com. I also created a dye-sub panel for their IWF display booth (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?220530-Corian-Dye-Sublimation-Panel&p=2297423#post2297423).

The pens were turned from Glacier White Corian and engraved on my Trotec Rotary. These are just a couple pens that I have been working on lately along with pens made from Stonewall Jackson's Prayer Tree, the old Yankee Stadium and teak pens from the Battleship North Carolina.

The picture was taken with my cell phone but I did get a couple with my DSLR so I will upload better pics ASAP.
.

[Mike Null]

Keith

Very nice work with the color fill, sharp lines and good definition.

[Ernest Martin]

Did you use a mask before engraving so you could color fill them. They look very nice. If any body needs solid surface scraps drop me a line we work with it and there are always some scraps around.

[Keith Outten]

Ernest,

I didn't use a mask material for either pen. We paint filled the engraved areas with a small artists brush then wiped off the excess. Once the paint dried I placed them back on the lathe and polished them again to get any smears off of the surface which only took about two minutes each.

[Chuck Stone]

Nice!

(or, as they say down under... Noice!)

[David John Evans]

Nice job. I take it you use oil based paint.
David

[Martin Boekers]

Keith, another thing to play with on pens is water slide decal. It works out pretty good. Just seal it with ca and polish. Give a nice effect on lighter woods....

I have been wanting to have Conde do some floor mats for me, but haven't had a chance to get it done..... It is nice to have a supplier when needed or to sub out
the larger volume jobs.

[Chuck Stone]

Nice job. I take it you use oil based paint.
David

I'm not sure what Keith used, but having done hundreds of Corian pens I can
tell you that the cheap tubes of acrylics work just fine. I get mine at the dollar
store, $4 for a set of 18 colors.

The paint goes into the engraved areas, the excess can be either wiped off
with a damp (not wet) terry cloth towel in the first hour or so, or after that you
might want to use denatured alcohol which takes it right off. OR you can
always sand it on the lathe if you've left enough excess material or you're
going to coat it with CA or cast it in resin.

[Wes Mitchell]

Keith, Have you tried sublimating the pens using an oven and some tightly wrapped orange silicone, similar to how you'd sublimate a mug?

Wes
JP

[Michael Kowalczyk]

Very Nice and crisp... Are they giving them away at their booth?

[Keith Outten]

David, I used Testors enamel model paint on these pens but I have used just about every type of paint there is on pens in the past. I sometimes use Epoxy that I mix with Corian sanding dust to get a contrasting color.

Martin, I never considered using a slide decal but it sounds like a slick alternative. I will give it some thought, thanks.

Wes, I have thought about sublimating Corian pens but I'm not sure that the adhesive I use to join the pen blanks to the brass tubes would withstand the 320 degrees. I know that the Dupont adhesive can't be used if the piece has to be placed in a heat press.

Michael, I wish they were giving away my pens in the SolidSurface.com booth. If so I would be making an extra trip to the bank this month :)

[Chuck Stone]

Martin, I never considered using a slide decal but it sounds like a slick alternative. I will give it some thought, thanks.

If you want to mess with someone's eyes a little, cast the blank (or painted tube) and turn below the bushings,
then polish, apply the decal and cast and turn again. It leaves the decal suspended in the middle of the resin
so it casts a shadow and gives a dimensional effect.

[Keith Outten]

If you want to mess with someone's eyes a little, cast the blank (or painted tube) and turn below the bushings,
then polish, apply the decal and cast and turn again. It leaves the decal suspended in the middle of the resin
so it casts a shadow and gives a dimensional effect.

This is what I find so interesting about making pens. No matter what you see today there is always someone with a new idea that provides a new direction that takes us to the next level. You would think that there would be only so many ways to make a handwriting pen but people are so innovative there seems to be no end to the ideas for new designs.

Second Thought:
Wes, if I turn the Corian pen blank before drilling the hole and before installing the brass tube it could be dye-sublimated as you suggested. It would be a challenge to drill the pen blank after its sublimated and not damage the graphic but I bet it can be done with some kind of fixture.

[Mike Null]

Chuck

Do you have a picture of the application you've mentioned. I just bought a new toy (lathe) and I might give it a try.

[Dan Hintz]

Search IAP for waterslide or decals and you'll see a slew of pens using this technique. They range from "sweet!" to "meh...", depending upon the builder.

[john passek]

Those look great Kieth.