Custom Cabochon designs

[sorcerertd]

Has anyone made a custom cab with a logo, kind of like casting a blank? If so, what material did you use and how did you make it work? I'd like to print (or decal) something and then build a dome over it. Specifically, this is what I have in mind to pair with a stadium blank.

Will resin cause problems with the ink if I use something from the printer? Which resins would polish best and not yellow over time?

 

[Hippie3180]

Just throwing this out there, they do have clear dome cabs that you might be able to use over your logo/emblem. I'm not sure what kind of glue would work, or some sort of bezel. They use them often with jewelry and they have calibrated ones that are consistent in size. Just a thought.

Would keep from having to pour such small amounts of acrylic.

 

[egnald]

I use 1-inch glass cabochons from our Hobby Lobby to cover printed labels for the ends of my tool handles. I use some kind of crystal clear adhesive that I also got at Hobby Lobby to glue the label to the handle and to glue the glass dome to the label. It works pretty good. It should work well on bottle stoppers but I don't know if it could be shrunk down to the size needed for pens. - Dave

 

[Fred Bruche]

If I were to try something like this I would print the logo on decal paper, seal the print with Krylon UV-resistant spray, attach/glue the cut decal in place on a white painted background, and build a dome with UV-curing epoxy.

 

[sorcerertd]

Just throwing this out there, they do have clear dome cabs that you might be able to use over your logo/emblem. I'm not sure what kind of glue would work, or some sort of bezel. They use them often with jewelry and they have calibrated ones that are consistent in size. Just a thought.

Would keep from having to pour such small amounts of acrylic.

I use 1-inch glass cabochons from our Hobby Lobby to cover printed labels for the ends of my tool handles. I use some kind of crystal clear adhesive that I also got at Hobby Lobby to glue the label to the handle and to glue the glass dome to the label. It works pretty good. It should work well on bottle stoppers but I don't know if it could be shrunk down to the size needed for pens. - Dave

The trouble is finding one in the right size. The cap finial on most of the Jr. style pens I've worked with are about 11mm. The cabs come in 10 or 12.

If I were to try something like this I would print the logo on decal paper, seal the print with Krylon UV-resistant spray, attach/glue the cut decal in place on a white painted background, and build a dome with UV-curing epoxy.

Hmm, this sounds simple enough. I've heard people mention spraying decals with a protectant. I take it that won't be a problem when soaking the decal paper and applying it? I've wondered the same about when decals are placed on barrels, which are obviously not flat.

 

[Roly]

I have made clear cylinders (small) and glued the printed card to the pen top and a section of cylinder. Then I turned it to a dome and polished it Worked very well and was durable. I used photographic printing paper because it is thicker and is not affected by the CA glue I only used a drop to fix it all