Thinking about having my Grandaughter's business card CNC carved in wood, then make a desk mount for it, have a small piece of Cherry. Tried to find somewhere to have it done, but most places do metal etchings and must buy 100+. Any suggestions? Thanks
Business Card in Wood
- Thread starter Ptofimpact
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+1 to Brad Ports. He makes custom name tags the size of a business card, and they look great.
I'm actually playing around with business cards in wood right now. I haven't tried very hard though. I first tried hardboard and found that to be too fibrous for a rotary tool. I recently tried some wood and I love the results. I had a piece of quarter sawn white oak laying around and threw it on the CNC. The tool did a great job, however, there are too many cells in the wood. I'm thinking about going with something a little bit more hard/waxy...also I might try spray painting the wood, machine it, then sand off the spray paint. Here are some quick pictures of my test:
That is pretty neat Eddie - how are you going to deal with the thickness?I'm actually playing around with business cards in wood right now. I haven't tried very hard though. I first tried hardboard and found that to be too fibrous for a rotary tool. I recently tried some wood and I love the results. I had a piece of quarter sawn white oak laying around and threw it on the CNC. The tool did a great job, however, there are too many cells in the wood. I'm thinking about going with something a little bit more hard/waxy...also I might try spray painting the wood, machine it, then sand off the spray paint. Here are some quick pictures of my test:
Before I ran the engrave, I surfaced/planed the board while it was on the CNC bed using a fly cutter. I should have taken a few pictures of the process but its easy. I have a vacuum bed so I don't have to worry about clamps being in the way. I did take an extra step and found the highest point of the material, then set my Z0 off that point and face milled down .01" . I had to go down .01" one more time and then the top of the material was parallel with the spindle.
After surfacing twice, I reset my Z0 to the top of the material, popped my engraver tool, loaded the program and let her go! If the next couple of tries works out well, I'll have a fixture made so I can machine the other side. I think a laser would be much easier, but I don't have very much time in this. Maybe 1 hour total. I had a few problems with the design software and how small the lettering is. I'm using a .005" 60 degree engraver and to give those pictures some scale, they about the size of a business card; 3-1/2"x2-1/4".
After surfacing twice, I reset my Z0 to the top of the material, popped my engraver tool, loaded the program and let her go! If the next couple of tries works out well, I'll have a fixture made so I can machine the other side. I think a laser would be much easier, but I don't have very much time in this. Maybe 1 hour total. I had a few problems with the design software and how small the lettering is. I'm using a .005" 60 degree engraver and to give those pictures some scale, they about the size of a business card; 3-1/2"x2-1/4".
Cool stuff Ernie - Hard maple may be a better choice it's closed grain and well hard.
This perhaps the only time I might recommend stain. First seal coat real well then do your engraving. Then stain making sure the engraving gets good and soaked. Then sand off the stain on the parts that were not engraved (quick touch one belt sander). Then seal coat again and top coat.
Maybe use some of that minwax dark walnut.
The engraving will be darker than the non-engraved wood. And should make your business card pop.
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. Edmund Burke
This perhaps the only time I might recommend stain. First seal coat real well then do your engraving. Then stain making sure the engraving gets good and soaked. Then sand off the stain on the parts that were not engraved (quick touch one belt sander). Then seal coat again and top coat.
Maybe use some of that minwax dark walnut.
The engraving will be darker than the non-engraved wood. And should make your business card pop.
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. Edmund Burke
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That sounds like some real good advice, and I happen to have some maple here. I'll give it a shot, thanks!
I engrave my business card on a 2.5 X 3.5 piece of 1/8 thick walnut. I engrave my customers name and company logo (lifted from website) on a 1.6 X 3.5 piece of 1/8 thick walnut. I glue these to a piece of 5/8 thick x2" wide X 3.5 long red oak with the engraved surfaces facing away from each other. Presto, desk business card holder. Pic when I get back in the shop. Had to lay low the past few days after doing something bad to my elbow pretending I'm still 25.
In case you weren't aware of it Lee Valley sells Veneer Business Cards.
http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?cat=1,250,43217&p=32820
If you need thin blanks.
http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?cat=1,250,43217&p=32820
If you need thin blanks.
You all like pictures so I made sure I took a few. I got a chance to play around with all this...first off I got some 1/8" Birch ply and spray on lacquer, watco brand semi-gloss. Very lightly sanded the birch ply and put three coats of lacquer (thin coats). I put it on the CNC and let it do its thing.
Next up is where this turned out pretty good, but I think it could be better. I sanded using 220 grit random orbital, which was a little difficult. That lacquer actually clogged up the sanded paper, a lot. I like how the stain was beginning to come off on the non engraved stuff.
Of course dust was in the engraving so I spritz a rag and wiped it down. Thank you for all the suggestions! I have a couple different options; one, leave the birch lightly stained with no sanding. Or two, maybe wet sand or go with a heavier grit to knock off the stain easier? Thank you for all the suggestions! Love playing around with this!
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