I really like this one!

[dougmsbbs]

9" wide by 12" tall, on 1/8" white vinyl. Picked up some scrap from work and just had to try it. As normal, the photo only gives a hint as to what it really looks like. I have people standing in my living room staring at it...

[Sarge]

Now that's pretty, and I'm not even religious. What is the specific type of vinyl??? How deep did you carve it, front or back, where can others get it?

[Bill]

I agree with Sarge, very nice indeed...http://www.carvewright.com/forum/images/icons/icon14.gif

[menewfy]

very nice work sir!!!

I am very interested in all things about plastic and now I guess vinyl as well.

please post as much info as you can as I believe there are a lot of folks on here looking for this information.

how thick was is?
what kind or what is it called?
how deep did you have to carve?
how much buggering did you do with the image before you carved it?
can you post the mpc file unless someone has an objection?

I would really like to carve something that loks that good!

[dougmsbbs]

I talked to the guy that orders this stuff at work. He told me wrong, it's actually Nylon. He gets it from Mcmaster-Carr. He's not sure off hand the exact stuff but it's called something like Nylon 6.
The material is interesting. It passes light, and carves easily. I think it will handle heat from a back light okay too. But I'm not sure I really like the looks of it when the light is off. The jury is still out on that...
The carving took little work to the original picture. It was carved .120 deep. Being so thin (1/8") I taped it to another board to carve it, and had a time getting the tape back off of it when I was done. It can be viewed from front or back. From the front the detail is amasing, from the back it's sorta of a 'other-wordly' feeling. I keep turning it back and forth, I'm not sure which side I prefer...
I really can't say I'm all that religious. This was done because my wife told me too. What more can I say?
I'm gonna try to get some more scraps, and maybe see if someone on here wants to try some. Meanwhile, here's the pattern if someone wants to try it on something else.

[rjustice]

All, If you would like to buy plastic sheet see the following link... The company is US Plastics. What was described in the pevious post as nylon 6 would be what they list as Natural Nylon 101 type 6/6. Our company purchases materials like this from them all the time for prototype parts... and the nylon does machine nicely.

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/category.asp?catalog_name=USPlastic&category_name=75&Page=1


Ron

[JOHNB]

See Cooldxx; Cheaper Corian
HI DOUG; VERY NICE RESULTS , WHAT BIT DID YOU CUT IT WITH?? IS IT A GRAYSCALE PHOTO OR SOMTHING YOU MADE IN A GRAPHICS PROGRAM??

[dougmsbbs]

It was cut with the carving bit. The picture was one I cleaned up a bit in Paint Shop Pro, changed to gray scale, and imported.
I looked up this material, and at what it cost I think I'll only use it if I get scraps from work. Too costly to play around with a lot!

[Kenm810]

Quote dougmsbbs,

the photo only gives a hint as to what it really looks like. I have people standing in my living room staring at it...
Attached Thumbnailshttp://www.carvewright.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=3226&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1176613275 (http://www.carvewright.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=3226&d=1176613275)

I tried your File on 1/4" Corian for a small light box (Photo are with and without back light no color added}

Thanks Doug

[Hawg_man]

I've done several carvings using Delrin and nylon 6 sheeting and made backlighted boxes to use as night light on my grandchildren's night stands but had to rob a couple of single bulb (4 watt) cord lights from my Christmas figures for the lights.........worked great. My question is does anyone know a source to get small lights that will work well for backlighting these carvings. I've done google serch for them but all I get are backlighting LED's used in cell phones, etc. I want a 110 v or battery powered light for iluminating from behind any help would be appreciated.

Bob

[Kenm810]

Hi Bob,

I have used both 110 volt and battery power lights from Radio Shack and Michael’s craft store. The plug in ones I use have a roller switch in the cord and are often used around Halloween, Christmas and use night light sized bulbs to light up pumpkins, decorations and the like from the inside. They cost a couple of bucks; -- as a matter of fact I’ve seen them in a couple of Dollar stores

[Kenm810]

dougmsbbs,

If you ever post any other mpc files like that last one Please, please let me know.
It carved up beautifully!!! I would be happy to pay for them, and sure other would too.

Thanks bunches

[menewfy]

Thanks for the tip on the light I have been looking everywhere and have not found one like this yet but I will be on the look out now cause that will work perfectly.

Thanks again



Hi Bob,

I have used both 110 volt and battery power lights from Radio Shack and Michael’s craft store. The plug in ones I use have a roller switch in the cord and are often used around Halloween, Christmas and use night light sized bulbs to light up pumpkins, decorations the like from the inside. They cost a couple of bucks; -- as a matter of fact I’ve seen them in a couple of Dollar stores

[Hawg_man]

Hi Bob,

I have used both 110 volt and battery power lights from Radio Shack and Michael’s craft store. The plug in ones I use have a roller switch in the cord and are often used around Halloween, Christmas and use night light sized bulbs to light up pumpkins, decorations the like from the inside. They cost a couple of bucks; -- as a matter of fact I’ve seen them in a couple of Dollar stores

Ken
Thanks for the info on the lights.............here is my last project, could need a brighter light though,

Bob

* Hope this doesn't double post......clicked "Preview Post" and the first one disappeared.

[Kenm810]

Bob,

It certainly looks like you’ve got the touch, great job.
I do like the worm Antique or Sepia look that these carvings can produce.

[HillBilly]

I noticed that several of you were starting to question the use of "light boxes" to be used with the "litophane`s" and how to go about develop one.

I`ve had my grandson over here this weekend and as such haven`t had a lot of time to be with my "other lady".. <grin> I did have to chuckle a bit when I saw "Ken`s" post however (also have to agree on the "Sepia" look), as that is the same light configuration I`ve found works best. I tried a few othes but settled on the simple "night-light" type setup, using a 7 watt bulb. The one thing I wanted to avoid was having the box become to big. I was looking at keeping it under three inches max in depth. As anything else would IMO take up to much room on a table , or stand to far off of a wall.

I tried a couple of diffrent ways of refracting the light within the enclosure. The first was a concave approach. That one worked rather nicely, But the way I had designed it, it not only left a "hot-spot" but the litophane was left standing quite upright and quite front heavy as well. So back to the drawing borad for idea two. The second one used more of a squarely segmented approach. Not only did the second one place the light in an more even manner of display, but placed the litophane at a slight angle as well as presented a better balance to it over all.

Now as you might also notice. I tend not to use my lumber when I`m working on some of my ideas, but something more commonly available, that kinda needed to be recycled anyway... LOL

Hope this helps a few of ya.

[Sarge]

Hawg_man
Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 15

Backlighting Carved Plastic

My question is does anyone know a source to get small lights that will work well for backlighting these carvings. I've done google serch for them but all I get are backlighting LED's used in cell phones, etc.

Bob

For a shallower box with very little heat, has anyone tried "rope" light??? It's LED's in a plastic sheath. Low output, can be purchased in 1/2" or 3/8" and a multitude of colors. I've seen it in Home Depot. It can be ordered online at alot of places.

http://www.doityourself.com/stry/typesoflightbulbs

[HillBilly]

"Candles" do seem to work the best at times, don`t they ?

Oh yea, done tried that, don`t work that well...(my own opioion, that is, by the way).

Steadily, looking however. (http://www.meetretailworkers.com/Wavs/Tell_me.mp3)

"Ya think "?

[Kenm810]

I sometimes use Fresnel Deffractive Magnifiers or Prismatic diffusers in the light box between the light source and the project to be illumined, they help to even out the light. The lenses are from 1/8 to 3/16 inch thick. Most are made of extruded acrylic and polycarbonate. And are often seen as a translucent plastic sheet between the lamp and the room below in recessed ceiling fluorescent light fixtures, and are available at most hardware, lighting, or building supply store. They are available in verity of surfaces and the most common sizes are 2x2 and 2x4 ft. Most, only cost a few dollars. –- I normally cut mine to size on my table saw, but I have used a utility knife to score the flat side and simply snap it to size. Try moving the lens nearer or further from the project to get the affect you want.

Also if heat is a concern - consider using a small florescent bulb. ----- Only Suggestions

CF7C 7W Candelabra
Output: 280 lumens
Energy Used: 7 Watts
Equivalent to: 60 Watt incandescent
Life: 6,000 Avg. Hours
Base: Candelabra
Color Temperature (Kelvin): 3000K

[Kenm810]

1/4" Corian, if you like, it can be just something different to carve on.

[pamjmayo]

To those of you looking for those special little light kits, they are at Michael's. Sometimes they only appear around Halloween.

I sometimes get them at Walmart or my local miniature store also.