Messing around with halftone carving

[PhilJohnson]

It looks pretty good!

Try a black painted piece of mdf or pine or poplar.

Or try the acrylic trick

[WorkinWoods]

do you know of a tape that is more low tack then blue painter tape?

[PhilJohnson]

I believe they have a green painters tape that's even less tacky

[PhilJohnson]

Honestly though the wipe off method is going to be your best bet. Stain or paint and clearcoat it first. Have a nice layer of clear coat built up then carve. Then use oil based paint or spray enamel Hadlock paint or paint all the holes. Then use a rag with mineral spirits to wipe off the top surface

[WorkinWoods]

@PhilJohnson

are you going to get some acrylic to try out that method that you where talking about?

I am curious to see exactly what you mean lol

[PhilJohnson]

I have some and I will test it eventually. I still have a few more days until my machine is fully back in working order

[PhilJohnson]

Here take a look

Plastic Sign

Friend wanted a 12" X 18" sign for their gate. Needed to be weather proof, light weight and last. Came up with this option. Cheap extruded acrylic from Lowes, Painted one side white, cut mirrored image just thru paint and into acrylic, painted same side black. Presto...clean, simple, light weight, weather proof sign. [image] [image] I know I could have used 2 color plastic but would have had to order and would have cost much more. I think this option worked for what I needed.

[WorkinWoods]

@PhilJohnson

Oh okay I get it looks like 2 color hdpe when finished with alot of work in painting etc.

I curious why not just use 2 color hdpe? is it just cause it might be cheaper and maybe found at the box home store?

[WorkinWoods]

I get it though its a different effect because the acrylic on the top side is untouched so you would never see the engraving

yeah might be something interesting to play around with might have to sand the acrylic so the paint sticks

but there sure are more color choices doing it this way then 2 color hdpe

[PhilJohnson]

with alot of work in painting etc.

WITHOUT a lot of work in painting. You spray it black. Dry. Carve. Spray it white. Done.

2 color plastic is Uber expensive.

[RobertA_Rieke]

I played with a lot of 1/4" thick 2 color HDPE last week with the new Carvey at work (yay, new toy!!!). I found that it has a topcoat thickness of about .050-.060". I asked customer success about the 2 color acrylic, and they said the topcoat was .005".

[WorkinWoods]

I wonder if after engraving you have to flame polish really quick to get the clearness back in the acrylic from all the tool marks

[PhilJohnson]

No. And you don't have to sand it first either. The paint will look shiny enough when sprayed in.

[WorkinWoods]

[PhilJohnson]

You know you are doing it negative? Should be black background and white carved lines.

But if you want to do the white background, there's a check box for that in the software.

[WorkinWoods]

@PhilJohnson

Like this right? Or should I be checking the invert box?

or like this

[PhilJohnson]

Either one looks good, but note what color is the background vs the line work.

Look at your carving. It is a negative image. In other words, you did the top one with the colors reversed.

[WorkinWoods]

I did the carving in the photo with the settings on the first screenshot (black background and white lines)

I think that it didn't show up very good because I was using a 90 deg tool and not my 60 deg (cause apparently I decided to break it this morning lol)

so with the 90deg tool being more sensitive to material flatness it missed some lines where it was supposed to engrave

[PhilJohnson]

I did the carving in the photo with the settings on the first screenshot (black background and white lines)

Yes.... but

You painted it white background and black lines... which makes it look like a negative.

[WorkinWoods]

oh yeah I see what your saying I didn't paint that its just that white faced hardboard they sell at lowes so its already white on the outside and black on the inside

so if I use that material I should be able to just invert the image in the software and it should come out better I am thinking