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Looking for instruction on the Laser Cutter
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Zach Wick  
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 More options Aug 22 2012, 3:23 pm
From: Zach Wick <zachary.w...@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2012 12:23:44 -0700 (PDT)
Local: Wed, Aug 22 2012 3:23 pm
Subject: Looking for instruction on the Laser Cutter

Hello everybody,
I have an idea for a project where using the laser cutter would be hugely
advantageous:
  I make a lot of homemade wine/beer/etc.
  Instead of making paper labels for each bottle in each batch, I would
like to sandblast a design into the glass bottle
  I would like to make a design for the stencil using my computer and then
cut the stencil out of some kind of sticker material using some automated
tool
  I would then stick the sticker stencil to the bottle, and hit it with the
sandblaster real quick

That being so, I have a few questions:
1. Is it possible to use the laser cutter to cut vinyl sticker material (or
something similar)?
2. If it is possible, could somebody please instruct me on how to use the
laser cutter?
       (I see on the wiki that the class is offered on the 4th Saturday of
the month, but will be unable to attend this month's class)

Thanks,
Zach


 
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Zach Wick  
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 More options Aug 22 2012, 3:25 pm
From: Zach Wick <zachary.w...@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2012 12:25:07 -0700 (PDT)
Local: Wed, Aug 22 2012 3:25 pm
Subject: Re: Looking for instruction on the Laser Cutter

Re-reading the wiki article specifically mentions NOT cutting vinyl with
the laser cutter, so my sticker material would be paper based instead.


 
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Tyler Worman  
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 More options Aug 22 2012, 3:28 pm
From: Tyler Worman <tswor...@novaslp.net>
Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2012 15:28:14 -0400
Local: Wed, Aug 22 2012 3:28 pm
Subject: Re: [AllHandsActive] Looking for instruction on the Laser Cutter

I don't think you can do vinyl on the laser cutter because of the materials
it contains off gas.

If you really need vinyl we can get a drag knife for the cnc machine which
are designed to make vinyl for signs or i3 has a proper vinyl cutter.

    - Tyler


 
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zachary.w...@gmail.com  
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 More options Aug 22 2012, 3:31 pm
From: zachary.w...@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2012 15:31:47 -0400
Local: Wed, Aug 22 2012 3:31 pm
Subject: Re: [AllHandsActive] Looking for instruction on the Laser Cutter

My only reason for initially using vinyl was thinking about making a vinyl stencil sticker. I now will use a paper stencil sticker as it (should) be cheaper to acquire, and will get destroyed by the sandblasting anyway.

On Aug 22, 2012, at 15:28 , Tyler Worman wrote:


 
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Dana Nelson  
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 More options Aug 22 2012, 3:34 pm
From: Dana Nelson <heibai...@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2012 15:34:14 -0400
Local: Wed, Aug 22 2012 3:34 pm
Subject: Re: [AllHandsActive] Looking for instruction on the Laser Cutter

We have a class this Saturday on how to do such things. One issue I see is
the curved surface of the bottle, but we can look into such things.
On Aug 22, 2012 3:28 PM, "Tyler Worman" <tswor...@novaslp.net> wrote:


 
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zachary.w...@gmail.com  
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 More options Aug 22 2012, 3:40 pm
From: zachary.w...@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2012 15:40:29 -0400
Local: Wed, Aug 22 2012 3:40 pm
Subject: Re: [AllHandsActive] Looking for instruction on the Laser Cutter

WRT Curve of bottle:
        My test runs from last night using the extra stickers from my canoe registration numbers worked great. Obviously the area around the letter was "frosted" and I would like to do the inverse - frost only the text. I found that a sticker stencil stuck on the bottle works well; as long as the edges are stuck down completely.
WRT to Saturday's class:
        I would love to attend that class, but I will be attending a friend's wedding, hence my request for individual instruction. I will reimburse my instructor with beverages/food/something though :)

-Zach
On Aug 22, 2012, at 15:34 , Dana Nelson wrote:


 
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Dana Nelson  
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 More options Aug 22 2012, 4:08 pm
From: Dana Nelson <heibai...@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2012 16:08:10 -0400
Local: Wed, Aug 22 2012 4:08 pm
Subject: Re: [AllHandsActive] Looking for instruction on the Laser Cutter

I can certainly do that. Any weekday is good for me.

--
Dana Nelson
*All Hands Active*
*AHAkids Class Coordinator*

 
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Michael Shvartsman  
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 More options Aug 22 2012, 8:48 pm
From: Michael Shvartsman <michael.shvarts...@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2012 20:48:23 -0400
Local: Wed, Aug 22 2012 8:48 pm
Subject: Re: [AllHandsActive] Looking for instruction on the Laser Cutter

Before going the sandblasting route I would just see how just lasering the bottle looks. Assuming it's regular glass susceptible to thermal shock, you'll get a frosted look. If you find that you get too much inconsistency between middle and sides, you could try making the sides darker in your image editor. If the etch overall isn't deep enough, then you could try sandblasting.

You can get PVC-free laser masking tape here: http://www.laserbits.com/. It runs something like 50 bucks for half a foot wide by 100 feet long, which is pricey, but with much less stinky death. You could also try blue painter's tape or white masking tape, though you might need to take goo-gone to it afterwards as you will have some glue residue.

I don't know about you, but I tend to like reusing my homebrew bottles when I can -- this is an option you have with labels but not with lasering. One potential solution: laser the bottles with a consisitent label ('Zach's beer' or something more clever) and laser the caps with individual brew labels. Actually now that I think about it, I'm totally going to do that :).

                Mike.

On Aug 22, 2012, at 4:08 PM, Dana Nelson wrote:


 
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Josh Williams  
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 More options Aug 22 2012, 10:06 pm
From: Josh Williams <joshd...@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2012 22:06:01 -0400
Local: Wed, Aug 22 2012 10:06 pm
Subject: Re: [AllHandsActive] Looking for instruction on the Laser Cutter

Might be hard to fit anything thicker than ~2" and still get decent focus
from the laser, so entire bottles would be hard. Could still be fun to try
: )

Nate Dotz had some experience awhile back engraving onto shot glasses
awhile ago, that turned out pretty sexy!

Bottle caps, awesome!.

 - Josh W.

On Wed, Aug 22, 2012 at 8:48 PM, Michael Shvartsman <


 
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Greg Austic  
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 More options Aug 23 2012, 11:17 am
From: Greg Austic <gbath...@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2012 08:17:08 -0700 (PDT)
Local: Thurs, Aug 23 2012 11:17 am
Subject: Re: [AllHandsActive] Looking for instruction on the Laser Cutter

I would be careful lasering glass if you use the cut setting (vector
setting).  I've done it, and it makes a small channel with lots of little
cracks around the channel - be aware you may lose some structural stability
after lasering this way.  I've also shattered glass on the laser (with high
power and slow speed... it looked cool but probably not what you're going
for ) so if you're going to do it use relatively low power.  

Engraving works great.

Also, consider just getting larger size sticky clear or white paper from
Avery and just print your labels - it's less fun than lasering, but may be
easier for you unless you have really fancy stuff you want to do that
really requires the laser's awesome superpowers :)

Another option is to use a vinyl cutter if you're really set on vinyl,
though fine details will take a while to pick off the base sheet.

Greg


 
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Michael S  
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 More options Aug 23 2012, 9:22 pm
From: Michael S <senk...@umich.edu>
Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2012 21:22:51 -0400
Local: Thurs, Aug 23 2012 9:22 pm
Subject: Re: [AllHandsActive] Looking for instruction on the Laser Cutter

Can I bring up, not everything has to be laser cutter. Potential  solution,
laser cut the shape in a thicker paper, then manually cut the shape out
with an exacto blade, using the grooves created by the laser cutter in the
paper to get the shape easier. If that makes sense? Basically you'd be
cutting little paths for the blade. It will take a bit longer, but if
you're making only  afew things it could be a better meothod.

Michael Senkow

--
-----------------------------------------------------
M.S. in Information '13
Human-Computer Interaction
M.S. Arch. in Digital Technology '13
Partial M.Arch.
University of Michigan
Mech. Eng. and Tech. Comm. dual B.S.
Michigan Technological University
* <http://twitter.com/MichaelSenkow>Alumni of Mu Beta Psi
General Technics Member*

Michael H. Senkow | 906.281.4672


 
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