Bottom lit etched acrylic project
Shmuel Kessler
- "Largest possible" is probably determined by
- Available size of acrylic sheets, right? Patching these things together would ruin the effect, right?
- I'd like to use a laser etcher so the sheet has to fit into the machine
- Any recommendations on thickness?
- Any recommendations on LED strips? What specs would I be looking for? Or better, what factors determine what specs I'd be looking for? Any thoughts on cool things that can be done other than transition through the spectrum?
- Is there a way to have multiple acrylic layers so different details are lit in different colors?
- Thoughts on image processing.
- My understanding is that a lot of the equipment at thinkbox uses files that are most easily originated in coreldraw. Should I therefore skip (non-vector-based) Photoshop?
- Is there any way to know how much detail is just right without actually etching samples? Or will I have to spend time and money on various versions?
- What other thoughts and advice do you have? Can you think of a better place to ask these questions?
Shmuel Kessler
Shmuel Kessler
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google Groups "Makers' Alliance" group.
To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/topic/makersalliance/MmNsiR1xRi4/unsubscribe.
To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to makersalliance+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
Thomas Pirko
I recommend bonding discrete LEDs to the edge of the acrylic with clear epoxy. One must bias the LEDs with resistors. The resistor value is based on the “junction voltage” and the desired current or maximum current desired through the LED. I recommend connecting several LEDs in series with one resistor. There are many articles on biasing LEDs on the internet. You could power this with a wall transformer. Get a transformer that has “isolation” to reduce the shock or fire hazard: “Look for the UL mark”.
There is a function in Corel Draw that can find the “edges” in an image and use that information to cut edges. I don’t know if that is what you want. I have all of forty minutes’ experience using Corel. I don’t understand using an etching machine.
The multiple layers/multiple colors should like fun. Would you cut away areas to expose lower layers? Could get some small pieces and experiment.
Acrylic “Big Sheets Cheap” can be found at Star Supply in Youngstown.
Shalom! I can say that without a “diversity slip up” can’t I?
Thomas “Tom” Pirko
From: Shmuel Kessler
Sent: Monday, July 31, 2017 12:54 AM
Also, since different ethcing depths and widths (shapes?) create different effects, how does that translate into working with the photo in the editing software? Eg solid lines without any feathering... 2 bit output vs grayscale output...
Shmuel Kessler <shmuel...@gmail.com> wrote:
I should probably be more specific that "largest possible" to me means no larger than 4' x 8'.
Shmuel Kessler wrote:
So my daughter's bat mitzva is coming up and I was thinking of cool things to do. What I decided I want to do is create the largest possible bottom lit etched acrylic of a family portrait. I have numerous questions about it and think you guys could help answer or point me to other resources (subreddits, thinkBox, etc.)
- "Largest possible" is probably determined by
- Available size of acrylic sheets, right? Patching these things together would ruin the effect, right?
- I'd like to use a laser etcher so the sheet has to fit into the machine
- Any recommendations on thickness?
- Any recommendations on LED strips? What specs would I be looking for? Or better, what factors determine what specs I'd be looking for? Any thoughts on cool things that can be done other than transition through the spectrum?
- Is there a way to have multiple acrylic layers so different details are lit in different colors?
- Thoughts on image processing.
- My understanding is that a lot of the equipment at thinkbox uses files that are most easily originated in coreldraw. Should I therefore skip (non-vector-based) Photoshop?
- Is there any way to know how much detail is just right without actually etching samples? Or will I have to spend time and money on various versions?
Thanks!
Shmuel
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Makers' Alliance" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to makersallianc...@googlegroups.com.
Shmuel Kessler
Thomas Pirko
LED strips have “surface mount LEDs” bonded to them. I think it would be hard to align all of them with the edge of the acrylic sheet. They also have a wider dispersion angle of the light. You could couple the light neatly into the acrylic if you bond each of the LEDs to the acrylic with clear epoxy. The discrete LEDs would take up less space, so you could fit them neatly inside the “picture frame”. The biasing resistors would be easy to hide, also.
The biasing circuit is in this tutorial. http://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/diode/diode_8.html
Tom Pirko
Sent: Monday, July 31, 2017 12:44 PM
Re: Bottom lit etched acrylic project
Thanks Tom! I don't know if it's good or bad but I hadn't given much thought to the electronics, assuming I would just have off-the-shelf LED strips such as those I've even seen at Costco. But I'll keep your advice in mind. Why would you suggest going the self-built route instead of off-the-shelf for the LEDs?
On Monday, July 31, 2017 at 8:59:12 AM UTC-4, Thomas Pirko wrote:
I recommend bonding discrete LEDs to the edge of the acrylic with clear epoxy. One must bias the LEDs with resistors. The resistor value is based on the “junction voltage” and the desired current or maximum current desired through the LED. I recommend connecting several LEDs in series with one resistor. There are many articles on biasing LEDs on the internet. You could power this with a wall transformer. Get a transformer that has “isolation” to reduce the shock or fire hazard: “Look for the UL mark”.
.