Lasered and Filled

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broitblat

broitblat

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I've just finished a batch of pens in which I experimented with different fills after laser engraving (Ken Nelsen did the laser work). Some were easier to work with than others...

Madrone Burl with Aluminum powder

Although the powder is fine, it was hard to maintain a uniform fill. I think the metal powder doesn't wick the glue as well as stone. The aluminum also turned my buffing wheel black.

Myrtle with Chrysacola

The stone, here, was not as fine as the others.

Thuya Burl with Brass Powder


Maple Burl with black crushed stone


Grey box with black crushed stone

I got the most uniform fill with this one.

Sycamore with acrylic paint


Any comments appreciated.
 
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alxe24

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The first 2 are my favorites. The last one (at least on my screen seems a bit small for the type of design) Very nice.
Can you tell me who did the laser work and what is the cost of engraving a pen like that?
Thanks
 
broitblat

broitblat

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The engraving was done by Ken Nelsen at www.kallenshaanwood.com. Costs are very reasonable and will depend on the number of different images and instances. Check with Ken.

-Barry
 
DocStram

DocStram

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Originally posted by broitblat
<br />The engraving was done by Ken Nelsen at www.kallenshaanwood.com. Costs are very reasonable and will depend on the number of different images and instances. Check with Ken.

-Barry
Click to expand...
Barry .... from your experience of working with all of those different fillers ..... can you give us some input on them? Like, ease of use, difficulties encountered, which ones you liked the most ....
 
broitblat

broitblat

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Barry .... from your experience of working with all of those different fillers ..... can you give us some input on them? Like, ease of use, difficulties encountered, which ones you liked the most ....
Click to expand...
I can't claim to be an expert, but here's what I've seen from my limited experience:

The finely crushed stone (e.g the black medical symbol) worked best for me. It filled the engraving very well and took the glue well to stay uniform.

The larger stone works OK for wider lines that need to be filled, but it is a little harder to sand and get uniform. The color is also not as uniform, although that may not be a bad thing.

The metal powders are actually finer than the stone, but seem to be a bit more difficult to get a consistent fill. I speculated that the metal may not wick the glue as well. Also, the aluminum turns my buffing wheel black.

The acrylic paint doesn't really fill the engraving, but it colors it. You could fill above the paint with CA or resin, etc. The nice thing about working with paint is you can apply it to an already finished pen and just wipe off the excess. All the rest were used on semi-rough turned barrels and sanded down.

I've also tried embossing powder. The stuff I tried was glittery and larger grain so it didn't work as well, but I've only tried it the one time so far. Your mileage may vary.

-Barry
 
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