Full Version: Wide lettering

From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#4]
 3 Nov 2006
To: Harvey only (HARVEY-ONLY) [#3] 3 Nov 2006

Harvey,

From what I gathered, from Ian's post, the background of the plate will be engraved away, leaving raised lettering.

That could mean some very wide areas left for excavating.

In a perfect world, engraving, without a nose cone at all, would be the cure.

From: Ian (IANHR) [#5]
 3 Nov 2006
To: Harvey only (HARVEY-ONLY) [#3] 3 Nov 2006

Keeping the material perfectly flat seems totally impossible, I think it has to do with surface tension or something like that. The font I used (I use EngraveLab) was filled from the inside out, which worked great on the first pass. The trouble came on the second. On this next job I have excavate a 4 x 4 inch square and leave washroom symbols raised in the center. I certainly wiil investigate the big foot that you and David suggested, though. I guess the other thing to do is pay close attention to the fill pattern and if possible do all my repeats in the center first then move out. Thanks for the suggestions.
Ian


From: logojohn [#6]
 3 Nov 2006
To: Ian (IANHR) [#1] 3 Nov 2006

I call that cutter fall-in.

For hugh numbers and logos, I use a bigfoot that is 1 Inch in diameter but sometimes that still is not enough.
Message about the nose I use.
http://www.engravingetc.org/forum/index.php?webtag=EE&msg=323.12

In our hatchfill options for truetype, you can turn off the connect hatch and have it always go in the same direction, top to bottom so there are no places where it has to go back and do a stroke in the middle.

That way there is always unengraved material on one side that is enough for the bigfoot nose cone or even a regular one to rest on.

Noticed you have a Xenetech 16x24 which is what we have.
menu shortcut [ctrl]and hold and [F11]
In the hatch fill set up UNcheck the "sort"
click the connect hatch so it changes to Unidirectional
Then unclick the bi-directional.

I have better luck also checking the box in the bottom left
to engrave the outline FIRST. Outherwise in some inside corners you may get some strange effects doing it last since there is no material on one side anymore.

EDITED: 3 Nov 2006 by LOGOJOHN


From: Harvey only (HARVEY-ONLY) [#7]
 3 Nov 2006
To: Ian (IANHR) [#5] 3 Nov 2006

The second pass is a no-no with a nose and big letters just for the reason you described.

Stress (surface tension) will cause warping with the engraved area rising. No great ideas except to engrave full depth with a very slow XY speed, which may not work on many materials either.

Maybe cut the raised areas out of another piece of material and attach them to a substrate. Easier said than done.


From: PenTrophy (PENINSULATROPHY) [#8]
 3 Nov 2006
To: Ian (IANHR) [#5] 4 Nov 2006

Why are you not using ADA single ply and engraving just the outline of the letters and then weeding them......

From: Harvey only (HARVEY-ONLY) [#9]
 3 Nov 2006
To: PenTrophy (PENINSULATROPHY) [#8] 4 Nov 2006

Mark,

Now there is a great idea.

Even laminating another level with tape, then weeding would work.


From: Ian (IANHR) [#10]
 4 Nov 2006
To: PenTrophy (PENINSULATROPHY) [#8] Unread

I'm not sure what you mean, I'm working in aluminum, brass and copper and I can't weed them. Do you mean using something on top of the metal?
Ian


From: Harvey only (HARVEY-ONLY) [#11]
 4 Nov 2006
To: Ian (IANHR) [#10] 4 Nov 2006

Use two plates of the metal, attached to each other by adhesive tape. Cut the profile through the top plate, then peel off what you do not need including the tape.

Either that or get a CNC router, the very expensive way.


From: Ian (IANHR) [#12]
 6 Nov 2006
To: ALL

So here is what I learned on this job. As I explained, on this job it was raised washroom symbols with the background cut away, on 1/8 inch copper plate. By bringing up fills on the screen and breaking (ungroup?) the path, I was a able to cut the areas that were going to be a problem first, so the foot always rode on the uncut surface, then I could cut the other areas after. Fortunately I was able to get enough depth with one pass, but I had cut out styrene fillers to glue into the background in case I had to do another cut. Anyway, the job is nearly done and looks very good. I brought a few large letters up on the screen and found I could do the same thing with them, so next time I'm set. Thanks, everybody, for all your input!
Ian


From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#13]
 6 Nov 2006
To: Ian (IANHR) [#12] 6 Nov 2006

Ian,

Thank you for the update.

It's always good to hear a success story. :-) 

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