I have a question for the mod gurus here regarding engraving techniques... Let's say I wanted to do an engraving on plexy and wanted to achieve some sort of shading... Going with the Tattoo analogy... In tattooing; line work is done with single needle setup... And then the shading of the colors is done with multiple needle setups so as to allow the artist to disperse the ink in a way that it looks to fade out into background. So here's what I was thinking... Could it be possible to achieve a similar effect when engraving plexi? Say I do the line work on the engraving with a regular engraving bit and the trusty Dremel.... Could I then use (if one exists) a different attachment for the shading? I doubt a multi-tip setup would work in this case... I was thinking maybe some sort of polishing ball attachment fitted with a very fine abrasive surface... since the polishing ball is soft you could arguably control the pressure you put on the plexy and thus the depth of the engraving would vary and you could create shading... Has anyone done this? Or tried something similar? Or am I just out of my mind? Thanks for the info... I know so far I haven't posted anything more than questions and a few comments on other people's threads, but the time is soon coming when I get started on my first build and mod project so I want to have as much information on the parts that I want to do before I take the plunge. EDIT I forgot one more thing... Would it be possible to use some sort of paint (preferably not 100% opaque, but sem-clear) to paint parts of an engraving? The picture I want to engrave on to the side window of my upcoming case (CM Strom Scout) will be a drawing of Red Sonja by J Scott Campbell and she has red hair... I'd like to at least give a hint of red to that area of the engraving. Cheers.. Sebastian
I don't know anything about engraving. But I do know that if you get a small piece of plexi you can try out all the possible combinations until you arrive at something that is satisfactory. Shouldn't take you long and won't cost much.
The thing with plexi is that you cant really disperse any shading, What i would usually do is use one of the small engraving cutters (dremel attachment 105) for doing the lines and then one of the bigger bits 1.0 or higher for doing the shading What you could do is use some fine sandpaper to get a uniform shading if you dont want to do the shading with a bit, it gives the picture a smoother feel to it. I have used sandpaper on acrylic before and if you want to be abled to do a small area shading then sandpaper will be best. Be careful tho since you would need to flamepolish any area where you have slipped with the sanding. It has been done by some people, unfortunatly i cant remember any links. They have used uv paint in the areas and then backlit them uv CCFL lights, But using some acrylic paint and thinning it out shouldnt be a problem, tho i´m not sure how you would achieve a transparent red with it. Experiment =) //Cuda
EDIT Just found this thread over at the xoxide forums... It's old as time, but some of the pictures are still up. The OP there has some etching talent... http://www.xoxideforums.com/guides-tutorials/55909-guide-acrylic-etching.html Hey thanks Cuda.... I had thought about the sand paper for the shading... I'll have to get some scrap plexi and a bunch of sand paper and start experimenting with this to see how nicely it fades out. As for the painting... I'm thinking maybe I can go to an art supply store and see what they have in terms of permanent ink markers that I can use... that would be the best way for control and maybe I can get something that doesn't lay it on too thick. I'll post some update pictures as soon as I get my hands on some materials. thanks again Sebastian
Well... Today I bought my Dremel Engraving tool and some cheap acrylic sheets from Lowes and learned my first lesson. Engraving cheep acrylic is a PITA!!!! the stuff melts under the engraving tool. I wonder if cast acrylic will not have that issue? Oh well... it was a good practice session. Things learned: 1. The engraving tool is LOUD... 2. I'm better at line work than anything else 3. Shading is hard as hell 4. I've been bitten by the bug now... I gotta get me some good plexi and try on it to see the difference.
Nice. Did you do it freehand, or did you use a stencil or something? Those lines look pretty damn sharp.
A point about color... In the distant past, I have used drafters 'layout' dye to color post etched plexi and cast acrylic. The normal color for the dye is blue, but it can be found in nearly any color, and all you really need is the base pigment. Most that I have dealt with are oil based pigments, and you need to be careful with your masking because it will bleed through the etch marks. We usually used eyedroppers or cotton swabs to apply it, let it soak in for an hour or so, then re-applied - if needed - to slowly approach the edges of our design, minimizing any bleed that might go to far. When finished we would use a cotton based absorbant (either cotton balls, or terry-cloth rags) and let the capillary action of the cotton remove any remaining pigment. Follow that up with a couple coats of clear acrylic spray and you should have a nicely colored image.
i printed the image (mirrored) taped it to the other side & just traced it this was my first ever atempt, so needless to say i was quite chuffed
LOL... But can you do shading with your CNC? That is a nice GreenTeam engraving there goodie... not too shabby for a first attemtp. I used the same method for my first try at this: So far it's coming out better than I expected, but I've already messed up in a few spots. Mabye for my next try I go with an image that just has the pencil work and shading on it... the damn colors threw me off in a few spots. I'm guessing I should have gone with something a bit simpler to do than the subject I picked, but that's me... always bitting more than I can chew.
Don't tempt me... I may just have you quote me that engraving from the picture above and pay you to do it for me.... No, but seriously... what would something like that run me?.... My guess is just the postage would be an arm and a leg; being that you're in Australia and I'm in the US.
