Surprised no one has mentioned the NSK dental tool. RPM is 350000 . Writes like you would with a pen. Kinda burns as it goes. Does great!
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Signing your work
- Thread starter Karl Stauber
- Start date
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2021
- Messages
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- Location
- Roulette, PA
- Website
- www.reallyruralwoodworks.com
Nice. I kinda prefer my setup though - I simply turned a 1" dowel of hardwood , squared off an end and then fastened a 1" x 1" block of maple about 6" long to that, drilled a 1/4" hole in the other end and simply mount it to my Banjo in place of tool rest to attach my LP1 to the 1x1 block. Then when I want to adjust I can adjust position up and down, side to side, and even at an angle to the ways if needs be (side of a bowl maybe? I thought about doing that using indexing and burn some images to side of a plain bowl...)
Before my laser (and after Sharpies) I went thru a period of signing with an inexpensive dental handpiece. Very similar to the NSK, but less (but plenty adequate) torque and a comfortable angle. (rather than straight on) On eBay I can see some of the same style 45° dental handpieces have a built in LED, that (if I'm reading it right) runs off an internal generator. If I were to get into piercing or carving, I'd probably treat my aging eyes, and spring for a $30 lighted replacement.
Because my handwriting isn't all that great or consistent, I'd print a few sheets (in red) of my signiture. I'd vary the font sizes and styles, so I could choose the best fit, stick it on with double sided tape, then work away at the red ink. It kept spacing and size even as I followed the red ink. The letters would become black from the burning, to easily see where I was and places I missed.
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This thread is brand new to me - good information!
I'm happy with the archival pigment pens (if the wood is not too dark), never was good enough at hand engraving and don't like the machine look of some laser engraving. I make every base a bit different. Cedar and olive.
My lettering is not always perfect but no gift recipient has complained.
But I have a friend who brands the logo of his farm on his flat and turned work. His daughter asked me a few years back if I could make a branding iron so I machined a cast bronze slug from the scrap yard and turned a handle - the heat for branding is from a propane torch.
We didn't get even placement on the curved handle end, but hey. He was thrilled!
JKJ
I'm happy with the archival pigment pens (if the wood is not too dark), never was good enough at hand engraving and don't like the machine look of some laser engraving. I make every base a bit different. Cedar and olive.
My lettering is not always perfect but no gift recipient has complained.
But I have a friend who brands the logo of his farm on his flat and turned work. His daughter asked me a few years back if I could make a branding iron so I machined a cast bronze slug from the scrap yard and turned a handle - the heat for branding is from a propane torch.
We didn't get even placement on the curved handle end, but hey. He was thrilled!
JKJ
I just use a burner, Razertip I think, and a small ball tip. Branding irons were too restrictive and you couldn't add a #, sharpies just didn't last, had trouble with the vibrating types, and ended up with the burner. Takes some practice but even with my bad writing skills you get quite good at it and it doesn't matter what size the foot is. Will always be there forever, and burner heats up in under 5 seconds. You just need to learn to not press down with the tip and just float it on the wood. Also always do first before any finish.
Also I never would date work. I do # my work though, and keep a log of it. I transfer that info to an excel data sheet and when bringing work to galleries have a good record of what they have been given. I used to trust galleries without having good records of what was dropped off, but no more after a local government run gallery started selling my works without paying me for over half of them. At the start of the new year when I notified them I was pulling my works, when I went in to get what was left, there were three other artists pulling their works out at the same time.
Numbered works, with good descriptions, and a picture, and from that point I have never had a problem since. Keeps the sellers honest.
Also I never would date work. I do # my work though, and keep a log of it. I transfer that info to an excel data sheet and when bringing work to galleries have a good record of what they have been given. I used to trust galleries without having good records of what was dropped off, but no more after a local government run gallery started selling my works without paying me for over half of them. At the start of the new year when I notified them I was pulling my works, when I went in to get what was left, there were three other artists pulling their works out at the same time.
Numbered works, with good descriptions, and a picture, and from that point I have never had a problem since. Keeps the sellers honest.
I’m another owner / user of the LP (LP1). A member of our club, @KaiMuenzer, designed and 3-D printed an offset‘adapter’, to which the LP1 bolts, that goes into into your tailstock and thus allows you to laser things while still on the lathe!
NSK Presto is what I use. I like the idea of a signature drawn by hand. The high rpm's mean the bit wont easily grab the wood and it will burn as you go. The #2 ball bur works pretty well. Anyone use a different bur for signatures?
I use the tapered bit 699.
I use a LaserPecker 1 as well. Here’s the setup I put together. Looks much cleaner than my handwriting and I tend to sign bowls in batches so it goes pretty quick. I do still use the cheapo tripod when I’m signing odd shaped sculptures and what not.
Pigma Micron 05 or 08 size. The smaller sizes wear out too quickly on wood.
Tom Gall
TOTW Team
I just use a piercing bit - don't know the # offhand. Since I have trouble holding on to utensils, pens & pencils, etc., I only use it for larger printed letters ... and, I have to practice several times before actually working on the piece. Recently inscribed two anniversary platters that way. Don't know if I can attach a photo here from my phone.
