GRANDMASTER CACHE Posted January 31, 2003 Share Posted January 31, 2003 Arrrggghhhh.... We're sitting here, trying to make these polymer geocoins. The erasers I saw were too small to make a mold (we wanted silver-dollar sized coins) so I've been working with Basswood. So much for trying to do the printing by hand - I'm going to try and make something on word - but just cutting two discs to make the mold was hard enough. I'm not sure what kind of wood "basswood" is, but the sheet we have sure does like to splinter. I'll be real chapped if we get a good mold made and the darn things "splinter" when removing the clay. Any "hints" from you crafstmen/women as I go will not only be read tonight, but appreciated tonight! I'm going to be using a wood-burner to make my letter-mold depressions - and now I've got to go make the design. Thanks in advance for any wise info for this person that otherwise uses wood to make bookshelves and finds myself fumbling with dainty pieces of wood! If you hide it, they will come. Grandmaster Cache Tank at: FISH WHISPERER'S LAGOON Quote Link to comment
GRANDMASTER CACHE Posted January 31, 2003 Author Share Posted January 31, 2003 Specifically - does anyone know which program I can do an "autoshape" like MS Word in (a circle) but then have it so that whatever I type follows the inside border of the circle? For example if you were to have a circle (like a dollar) and write "United States of America" how to type the text inside the circle? Thanks! If you hide it, they will come. Grandmaster Cache Tank at: FISH WHISPERER'S LAGOON Quote Link to comment
+Byron & Anne Posted January 31, 2003 Share Posted January 31, 2003 Basswood is the woodcarvers wood. It will carve easily with a sharp knife. It doesn't do well with rotary power tools for shaping. It's best worked with sharp hand cutting tools. If you're getting splintering it could be because the cutting tool is dull. If you want a wood that will hold detail well and stand up to use you might try walnut. It's harder to cut and will require more work to get desired pattern. As far as writing in circles chech MS Word for "Word Art" It located "insert/picture/woodart". You might want to play with that a bit. Byron Quote Link to comment
sundance5567 Posted January 31, 2003 Share Posted January 31, 2003 Hello Grandmaster, First off, I don't think basswood is such a great material for you to carve in...most molds were made of maple or cherry in the old days...much more uniform grain structure. As for a program to set up your design, you might try MS Publisher... I don't know for sure, but I think you can do what you describe. I want to do something similar to make a stamp to print WG in a circle on the bill. Please tell me if it works. If not, try going to one of those plastic sign shops...they might lay it out for you. What about making your mold out of rubber? We use RTV (like bathtub caulk) to make molds for producing cultured stone out of concrete...work great, very fine detail, easy to work with, and not too costly. All you need is a GOOD master ...make a coin out of cherry the size you want, wood burn in your info, spray it w/ silicone spray, cover it w/ RTV ...try brushing on 5 or 6 thin coats on each side,then wadding a big, well no more than 1/4 inch,layer on itwhen it is cured, cut in at the edge all the way around, and your mold is ready... good hunting David Quote Link to comment
+MountainMudbug Posted January 31, 2003 Share Posted January 31, 2003 Grandmaster - I've added a few links to some carving supply sites over in the other coin thread. If you have any art stores like AC Moore, Michael's, or Hobby Lobby, they may carry such supplies. Office Max or Office Depot sometimes carry what they call novelty erasers. Some of them were huge, said they were 'for BIG mistakes' LOL They were almost as big as shoe soles! I've never worked with wood so I've got no advice in that area. Woodburned coins, that sounds cool. There is another technique you can do with the polymer clay to get images on it - you can transfer the ink from a black-and-white xerox onto the surface of a sheet of transparent, ivory, or white clay. Draw/print your design IN REVERSE, xerox it, cut out the copy and press it ink-side down onto your rolled-out sheet of clay. Rub the back of the paper gently all over the design with your finger for a minute or two to ensure all the ink surface has adhered to the clay. Let sit for 15-30 minutes. You'll be able to see the design show thru as the oil from the clay soaks into the paper. Bake clay in the oven following package instructions WITH the paper still attached, laying paper-side up. Paper can safely be baked at temps up to 300 F degrees without burning. Bake about 15 minutes, keeping an eye on it. Remove from oven, gently peel away the paper, and let your clay cool. That's it. Boy, just when I think I've said all I can about this topic something else pops into my head! I'll be updating the geocoin instructions page forever at this rate ______________________________________________________________________ Remember that happiness is a way of travel, not a destination. - Roy M. Goodman Quote Link to comment
GRANDMASTER CACHE Posted January 31, 2003 Author Share Posted January 31, 2003 Thanks! I'm experimenting with woods. Yes, the basswood screamed splinters at me when I attacked it with my jigsaw! That's okay... I've got all night to play around with wood scraps. You know, we had one of those novelty erasers - that's going to be the hard part - just making the mold. By the way, if you have Print Shop Deluxe, there's an easy fix to getting the graphic - go to "Awards and Certificates" and choose a ready-made certificate. Start deleting all the info but the "seal." Once you have the seal, start modifiying it with text. I'm still playing with it, but that's the easiest I've found so far. Thanks! If you hide it, they will come. Grandmaster Cache Tank at: FISH WHISPERER'S LAGOON Quote Link to comment
+Byron & Anne Posted January 31, 2003 Share Posted January 31, 2003 quote:Originally posted by GRANDMASTER CACHE:Thanks! I'm experimenting with woods. Yes, the basswood screamed splinters at me when I attacked it with my jigsaw! That's okay... I've got all night to play around with wood scraps. I cut basswood with my band saw using a 14 teeth per inch blade. It still fuzzes a bit but doesn't splinter. I've never tried it so I have no idea whether it will work or not, but you might experment with a metal cutting blade in your jigsaw. Just on another note, Jigsaws do have a tendency to cause splinters in many woods. You can reduce thay my adding a of hardwood to the base with a cut made for the blade to create a zero clearance base. Byron Quote Link to comment
GRANDMASTER CACHE Posted January 31, 2003 Author Share Posted January 31, 2003 Well, I'm working with these basswood "skins" that are only 1/16" thick. No wonder, eh? I was still hoping a light touch might do the trick. I have brand new blades, and have in fact cut two nice "circles" out. But now I'm at a loss. I don't want to do a bunch of intricate wood working just to have the darn skin snap in half. I'd use two thicker blocks of wood to make a press, but still don't trust these cheesy disks I've made. I think I've the perfect solution. They had some nice "blank" wooden coins at the craft store - it sounds like those would work best. I might just toy around, tonight, though. Thanks so much. If you hide it, they will come. Grandmaster Cache Tank at: FISH WHISPERER'S LAGOON Quote Link to comment
GRANDMASTER CACHE Posted February 2, 2003 Author Share Posted February 2, 2003 I have not found the perfect solution. The wooden coins (they are like blank buffalo nickels) aren't working well for the woodburner. I do have some new, thick basswood - and that might work. I should have done a small test area on the nickels before I spent all night engraving them. I think those erasers would work fine, but I don't know how I'd cut out my inscriptions. Oh well.... "Back to the drawing board!" lol If you hide it, they will come. Grandmaster Cache Tank at: FISH WHISPERER'S LAGOON Quote Link to comment
Cape Cod Cacher Posted February 3, 2003 Share Posted February 3, 2003 patternmaker/mould maker stuff. Mahogany and Bondo. have fun, I like to use a CNC engraver. Quote Link to comment
GRANDMASTER CACHE Posted February 3, 2003 Author Share Posted February 3, 2003 I've got access to some CNCs, but not the knowledge to "make 'em sing." A Fadal and a MycenterIII. Years ago I did first article inspection there. Some flexible nylon would work perfectly, I think. I can't see this polymer working in an aluminum mold. Actually, the way my weekend went, I can't see anything working for me with this. Oddly enough, when I was doinking around with yet another failed attempt I jabbed at the "failed" geocoin and I'll be darned if my ensuing "freehand" into it wasn't better than the crap from the mold I'd made. I'm sure if I pursue it something will work out. Thanks for the tips! If you hide it, they will come. Grandmaster Cache Tank at: FISH WHISPERER'S LAGOON Quote Link to comment
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