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  1. #1
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    Default Engraving on a box lid

    Hi all,

    This post isn't totally related to the making of a box, but it is in association with a finished box. Today I happened to come by a very old pantograph engraving machine. I actually used one similar to this about 25 years ago, borrowed it from a mate, then at the time I purchased a computer engraver. Had a sideline back then doing trophies and engraving.

    Anyway, I digress. I've had thoughts of putting initials, most likely a woman's,.......onto the lid or lid insert on a timber jewellery box. Perhaps this might look totally trashy, I really don't know.

    When I get this old pantograph sorted out and up and running, and if I can engrave into the timber, I am envisaging the cut will be about 3mm or so. Any suggestions on how to make this engraving stand out on the timber. On other products they used to use a paint fill, but I doubt that would work on timber.

    And then of course I would want to apply danish oil/wax over the top.

    Any thoughts,....??

    Regards, Paul

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  3. #2
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    Default

    Our club treasurer does a lot of engraving timber with his CNC and uses paints to highlight the text - works fine as long as you seal the surfaces before you apply the paints to avoid 'bleeding'
    .
    Updated 8th of February 2024

  4. #3
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    Default

    Interesting comment there Tree Terrorist. So your saying that you could apply Danish oil to the timber before "painting" and that's the final product. Or go over it again after painting,.?

    Thanks, Paul

  5. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pauls321 View Post
    Interesting comment there Tree Terrorist. So your saying that you could apply Danish oil to the timber before "painting" and that's the final product. Or go over it again after painting,.?

    Thanks, Paul
    Final finish after painting in the details. The product you use to seal it would depend on what final finish you want to use. Danish oil would be fine if you're going to keep going with oil after painting. I think Michael uses shellac to seal, then sprays with lacquer after painting the details - but I hate lacquers and varnishes so you won't catch me doing it! You could use a sanding sealer if you're into that but I've tried a couple of them and wasn't impressed - shellac or oil seems to work much better and is compatible with most of the natural finishes you might want to use.
    .
    Updated 8th of February 2024

  6. #5
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    I had a lid of koto timber finished with Scandanavian Teak Oil and waxed and buffed. I found a drawing of a dinosaur on the internet , and it was hard to find an actual pen drawing. The recipient of this gift was mad keen on dinosaurs, so I put it as a surprise on the inside of the lid.

    Took it along to our local trophy engraver, with a test piece of timber, and here is the result shown below. He just puts the drawing into the CNC computer and engraves the lid, after a bit of mucking about with line thicknesses etc

    P1050703_1 (Large).jpg
    regards,

    Dengy

  7. #6
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    Hey there Denque,

    Thats pretty amazing. I wish I still had my computer engraver and digitiser etc, but I sold it all 16 years ago.

    I think those CNC systems are pretty expensive. I am of course trying to come up with an idea with very minimal outlay of dollars. I'm running into a couple of problems with this old pantograph system. It hasn't been used for about 7 or 8 years and now I find a cutter has seized into the spindle. Will phone up the Company who supplies/use to supply these tomorrow, see if they have a suggestion.

    Paul

  8. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pauls321 View Post
    Any suggestions on how to make this engraving stand out on the timber.
    A thin veneer over a contrasting substrate. Make the veneer thin enough that the colour of the substrate shows through the engraving

    Doug
    I got sick of sitting around doing nothing - so I took up meditation.

  9. #8
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    hey there Doug, Not a bad idea, I actually thought along those lines myself. I've now got the cutter out of the spindle, took some work, and didn't wreck the spindle in the process. I've done a few test cuts onto timber, I used a good hardwood. Set the depth guage to maybe a mm, hence the point of my cutter only went into my timber about 1mm. Got a very nice clean cut also.

    Initially I was thinking I would have to go wider and deeper, but perhaps that not the case. I intend (hopefully), to create my own template. So having said all that the veneer would have to be very thin. On my test cuts the engraving come out very clear, and after wiping some Danish Oil over it, it seemed to darken the cut area and make the engraving stand out.

    All trialling at this time,

    Thanks again, Paul

  10. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pauls321 View Post
    Initially I was thinking I would have to go wider and deeper, but perhaps that not the case. I intend (hopefully), to create my own template. So having said all that the veneer would have to be very thin. On my test cuts the engraving come out very clear, and after wiping some Danish Oil over it, it seemed to darken the cut area and make the engraving stand out.l
    Hi Paul,

    Have a look at this site:

    http://woodgears.ca/pantograph/index.html

    Spend an hour or two looking at what he can do with this shopmade pantograph and it will save you hours of reinventing the wheel.

    He has the plans available for about US$12. You would waste more than that in materials if you set out to design it yourself from scratch. He includes lettering templates in many fonts free, shows how to cut circles easier than you think, spirals, duplicate almost any shape into an inlay.

    Your idea of going deeper and wider is probably the right one when you see what he does with different shaped cutters and pattern followers.

    (usual disclaimer - no commercial interest in that site, just a happy customer who has bought a couple of his plans.)

    Doug
    I got sick of sitting around doing nothing - so I took up meditation.

  11. #10
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    I've seen engraved initials filled with a resin/brass powder mix, then sanded flat. Very professional look!
    Pantograph engravers are very handy. I have two permanantly set up for quite specific tasks.

  12. #11
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    Hi again Doug and Burraboy,

    These ideas are really giving me something to think about. Got my brain ticking over now. That bloke in that video clipping is amazing, how do people come up with these ideas. I'll go through his site again later on. I guess my end result would ideally be somewhere in the range of about 100m x 70mm, or perhaps even smaller.

    Regards, Paul

  13. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pauls321 View Post
    That bloke in that video clipping is amazing, how do people come up with these ideas.
    Yes, I have gotten quite a few good ideas from Mathias's site.

    When it comes to building anything from his site I buy the plans because its not worth the agro and expanse of trying to reinvent it and he sells them so cheap.

    I have had visitors to my shed look at things I have built from his plans and ask me if they can copy the plans. I tell them that for the price they can buy their own. If he is being reasonable enough to keep the prices down, I am not going to deprive him of a sale.

    Anyway, Paul, I hope that the info on his site helps you with your projects.

    Cheers

    Doug
    I got sick of sitting around doing nothing - so I took up meditation.

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