Lithos are great x-mas gifts!

[Rudy Chang]

Here's one I did on my twin nephews. Just ordered some avery masking tape to do a better job on the lettering.

Happy holidays!

Rudy

[Michael P. Schnorr]

Rudy,

The lithopanes are excellent! Please explain the masking tape statement if you wouldn't mind!

Thanks for sharing!

Mike

[Chris Schaie]

nice...Is that corian?

[John Seiler]

I think he's referring to paint mask. You put it down before you vcarve so you can keep the paint away from everything else. Sometimes it works

[Rudy Chang]

thanks for the comments!

Yes, that's corian and yes, I'm referring to the silver letters that I painted with a small brush. I think with a paint mask, it will be much cleaner.

Rudy

[Chuck Gallup]

Does anybody know if a Shopbot can hold a vinyl cutter stylus?

A creative gal down the road hires a guy to create vinyl cut outs she places over rocks or glass panels. Then sand blasts and removes layers as she goes:
http://www.shopthefrontier.com/membe...play.php?id=72
The pics don't do justice.

I'm picturing a spring loaded, reamed, sliding fit assembly that might mount right into the collet.

[Erminio Marrese]

Chuck

Check out the bottom of page
http://shopbottools.com/spindles.htm


Fellow shopbotter Russ Todd From http://www.widgetworksunlimited.com/
makes them and more

[Jerry Stanek]

I have one and it does a good job cutting vinyl

[Chuck Gallup]

Thanks Erminio!
I thought I'd been to every page on Shopbot...and yet there is another page! Wahoo!
What the heck are we doing on the Shopbot forum Christmas morning?
;-)

That is good to hear, Jerry!
In a real vinyl cutter, the material is held between rollers...at least the cutters I have seen.
What keeps the material held down so the machine doesn't tear it up?
Spray adhesive? Double sided sticky tape? Or perhaps the vinyl's own adhesive?

[Charles Kurak]

Rudy,

Is that base also Corian? If so, here is what I do.

1) VCarve the text.
2) Paint the letters, don't worry about paint outside of the letters. (I usually spray paint from different angles. Multiple coats are better than a single heavy coat. Read the paint can directions regarding recoat timings. They are not all the same!)
3) Using a fine grit of sandpaper (try 220), and a random-orbital sander, sand off the extra paint. This will not take much sanding, so sand a little, check your work, sand a little, etc.
4) Clear coat the entire piece (in your case the black base). One suggestion is a satin sheen lacquer, such as Delft. This is available in a spray can. Note: A gloss sheen will show any slight imperfections in the surface.

Just be real sure that the drying paint in Step #2 is very dry. I usually wait a day before proceeding with Step #3.

Charles