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Nancy Laird
06-10-2007, 7:05 PM
Here are pictures of some clocks that I just finished up today. The patterns were originally scroll-saw patterns that we converted to vector cutting. They are cut from 1/4" acrylic, then "welded" together with some hard-to-find glue, and the inserts put in.

I know acrylic is difficult to photograph, but rest assured that these really sparkle with the light on them.

66127

66128

66129

66130

66131

They were fun to do--now to see if they'll sell!

Nancy

Joe Pelonio
06-10-2007, 7:07 PM
Very nice work, 1/4" acrylic? I hope you have a clever method for shipping them in one piece, they look pretty delicate.

Nancy Laird
06-10-2007, 7:20 PM
Joe, we hope we don't have to ship them. I'll be selling these this fall at my craft fairs and transporting them will be the buyer's problem. They seem pretty sturdy, but they won't survive a fall to the ground. I'll probably end up buying a lot of peanuts!!!!

Nancy

Frank Corker
06-10-2007, 8:16 PM
Very decorative work, you have made a great job on them. I had a similar idea in October last year when I made these and did them in a range of different colours.

Carol VanArnam
06-10-2007, 10:13 PM
Frank- you could fill yours with colored sand or sea shells or....... I like the look.

Nancy, have you ever seen those little photo holders that look like the clock you have in your project. You could sell those to people as well. the could insert them into the holes you have made. they can buy one or two or 5-10. It's a little metal ring that with glass and they look just like the clock in your project....

Ray Mighells
06-11-2007, 10:50 AM
Y'all have a sizable invesment in material, machine time and labor. Can you mark them up enough to register a profit? I like the designs, but the bases could be modified to a knock=down style so they wouldn't be so fragile and would require less storage space. Frank, your design is a real "Corker". I envy your talent.

Nancy Laird
06-11-2007, 11:22 AM
Ray, I believe that we'll be able to make a profit on them. This was part of the first run, and we found that the tenon in the bases was just a little bit to wide--about 2 thousandths, so they had to be glued in to keep from wobbling. The art has been modified so hopefully the next batch will be tight enough to snap in and out without being glued--then we can ship them flat if necessary.

Carol, I know about the photo-holder inserts - they are available from the same place I bought the clock inserts (Klockit). But I'm not a huge fan of them as the photos required are so small that the image gets lost.

Frank, I'd like to know what kind of glue you used to assemble your boxes and where you got it---and if it's available in the States. The glue I used is okay--grabs and holds well, but sometimes I'm seeing some cloudy residue in places that I don't like. I'm looking for something crystal clear.

Nancy

Russ Miller
06-11-2007, 11:56 AM
Ray, I believe that we'll be able to make a profit on them. This was part of the first run, and we found that the tenon in the bases was just a little bit to wide--about 2 thousandths, so they had to be glued in to keep from wobbling. The art has been modified so hopefully the next batch will be tight enough to snap in and out without being glued--then we can ship them flat if necessary.

Nancy,
The material is CAST Acrylic. The sheet of acrylic is manufactured by mixing the monomer and pouring it between two pieces of glass. The acrylic will vary in thickness throughout the sheet. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to get the joints to always "snap fit". Also, it is important to know that Acrylic is very Notch Sensitive. Sharp corners and notches tend to break out very easily. When we LASER cut acrylic, we like to leave a small radius on all of the inside corners.



Frank, I'd like to know what kind of glue you used to assemble your boxes and where you got it---and if it's available in the States. The glue I used is okay--grabs and holds well, but sometimes I'm seeing some cloudy residue in places that I don't like. I'm looking for something crystal clear.
Nancy

The Acrylic Cement most often used for gluing Acrylic is manufactured by IPS Weld On. At TAP Plastics we use Weld-On #3 for jobs that require a Water Thin Solvent Cement and Weld-On #16 where we need a Thicker, Syrupy Cement. The "fogging" can occur from moisture in the air, often from Breathing on the solvent cement while you are applying it. CA glues will also fog acrylic and are NOT recommended for gluing acrylic.
Russ

Nancy Laird
06-11-2007, 12:00 PM
The "fogging" can occur from moisture in the air, often from Breathing on the solvent cement while you are applying it. CA glues will also fog acrylic and are NOT recommended for gluing acrylic. Russ

Aha!! This is one of those moments!! I'm sure that the fogging and clouding I'm seeing is a result of my "blowing" on the cement to get it to dry a little faster.

We are NOT using CA - we were warned.

Nancy

Frank Corker
06-11-2007, 12:23 PM
Polyweld - I have sent you a PM about it.

Ray Mighells
06-11-2007, 1:26 PM
I'm using a product called "Craftics Plastic Acrylic Solvent Cement" click in: http://www.craftics.com Delvies Plastics also has a product for joining acrylic.

Phyllis Meyer
06-12-2007, 2:10 PM
Nancy, Frank,

Great job on the clocks! They look wonderful! May I ask (I always ask this question), how much will you sell these for at your shops/shows...? Have a sparkling day! (My new favorite closing...I borrowed that from Belinda:))!

Phyllis:)

Nancy Laird
06-12-2007, 3:36 PM
Phyllis, I'm going to TRY to get $50 for them - there's a lot of material and time in them, plus the cost of the insert (and the extra battery), so that's what I'm shooting for. I've had several people here locally tell me that's a fair and decent price. We'll see....

Nancy

Frank Corker
06-12-2007, 7:48 PM
For me, nothing, I give them away as gifts. Suprising how many people come up with ideas for me (yawn) when I give them out. My thinking is that when they look at it, these great ideas they have (yes we have all already had them) turn to something else that they would like me to do. So now and again I'll get a job from them, most certainly a few referrals. It's just a sideways way of thinking.