Finally getting the hang of lithopane

[amanda0101]

Here are a few, they are not cut or cleaned up so sorry about the specs of dirt. They are fresh out of the cw. For some reason it started carving lines in my pictures so hopefully it just needs a rest and will be back up and running. I am amazed that these came out as well as they did, one was taken in the 40's and one was printed onto paper rather than actual photo paper. Let me know what you think and if you have any idea why my CW started carving lines

[amanda0101]

forgot to add these.

[jinksto]

These are amazing. I don't have a machine (maybe soon!) so can't help with the lines. Is there a post somewhere on how to do these? I love the way they turned out.

[ChrisAlb]

Amanda, There aren't words enough....

I've been wanting to try lithopanes but haven't a clue as to how. If I may, What material did you use and with what bit(s)?? Also, do you simply import the photo or does it take graphical work first?

I have a B&W family photo of my Grandfather, Parents and us kids on the Jersey shore I would just LOVE to do for my parents.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Kenm810]

Amanda,

Really Nice,
It looks like you got the hang of it very quickly, well done.

As for the lines across the the carving,
I had the same problem on a couple pictures I had carved,
in my case it was some of the Corian dust building up and forming small ridges under the project
between the carving and the traction belts.
A short puff of compressed air every 15 or 20 minutes solved the problem for me.

[oldjoe]

Amanda you were wondering if you could use your machine to make some extra $$. You have definitely found away. Those are some wonderful pieces of work. Keep them coming. Looks like you have taken to the machine quite well and are you using any photo editing software to edit the pictures? Looks like you know what you are doing there.
As far as the lines are you using the Best Quality when you down load your project to the project card?
Keep up the good work.

[amanda0101]

There are tons of posts on lithopanes if you do a search on it. I use corian, I think there are other materials you can use but this seems to be the most common. I just use my regular carving bit to make them. I use photoshop to clean up any spots and I make a border around my image. I then have to convert the image to grayscale and invert the colors. Once I put it into the design software I have to invert the entire image setting the depth to .150 and the height to 400. It sounds way more complicated than it is, it takes me about 5 minutes to get the whole thing done and ready to be carved.
Joe - I do use “best quality” but I appreciate the advice considering I always forget to change it and that was the first thing I thought of as well.
Ken- I think you are right, Corian is a mess and while I vacuum it every 15 minutes while it is carving I can’t really get under the corian or the belts. I don’t have a downdraft system hooked up but it looks like I should get on that soon, it would probably prevent that from happening.

[ChrisAlb]

Thanks Amanda,

I'm very familar with all the steps you've outlined so yep, pretty easy. I just had no idea where to start and you've cleared it up for me. Although inverting it in designer is very easy, if you don't invert the colors (to negative I'm assuming) before saving the file, you might save that step.

Thanks again and keep the wonderful works coming!! I hope to add some of my own once my CW is up and runnin again.

Chris

[amanda0101]

Thanks Amanda,

I'm very familar with all the steps you've outlined so yep, pretty easy. I just had no idea where to start and you've cleared it up for me. Although inverting it in designer is very easy, if you don't invert the colors (to negative I'm assuming) before saving the file, you might save that step.

Thanks again and keep the wonderful works coming!! I hope to add some of my own once my CW is up and runnin again.

Chris
I thought that too, but I was following someone elses instructions on a different post so I thought I better not stray too far from the formula. I would hate to waste the corian and put time on the CW only to have something not look okay. These guys have been doing it way longer than I have so I'm just learning what they have been doing for years.

[twinpeaksenterprises, LLC]

This is amazing work! I had no idea of these kind of capabilities until here recently. The carvewright just keeps shining thanks to the skill put into projects like these. I'm in awe of the quality! Keep up the good work and keep sharing! As far as cleaning under the traction belts and other hard to reach places i just duct tape a small piece of hose to the shop vac and it works great, i might be a redneck for doing so but hey it works!

[fwharris]

It is the number 1 tool you know.....:oops:


This is amazing work! I had no idea of these kind of capabilities until here recently. The carvewright just keeps shining thanks to the skill put into projects like these. I'm in awe of the quality! Keep up the good work and keep sharing! As far as cleaning under the traction belts and other hard to reach places i just duct tape a small piece of hose to the shop vac and it works great, i might be a redneck for doing so but hey it works!

[fyrpuppy]

I asked on another post about where to get the corian. Others suggested to get it from sink cutouts from installers. I am in Tennesse and was just wondering where you got yours. Just tying to cover all the bases till I can make some contacts at cabinet shops.

[gmalanoski]

Amanda,

Firstly, very nice. Keep it up, you are learning very quickly!

Second, did you carve yours in the back side of the material? Most (if not all) of what I have seen have been on the front side (visible side). I'm just curious to know if there is any particular reason for this.

Thanks for sharing!

[Kenm810]

The Wow Factor

I’ve seen where some folks have posted that they like to carve and light of their Corian Projects from the back,
and leaving a smooth uniform front surface when the piece is not lighted.

Myself I prefer to carve the front of the Corian, and light it from behind,
I love to see the quizzical looks on people’s faces when they notice one of the course ruff looking, textured pictures
in the odd deep frames sitting on the Fireplace Mantel or on a shelf in one of our Display Cabinets.
Then as their looking at it, hit the switch to turn the light box on, you can see their eyes light up at the same moment, that’s where the Wow part starts.

Our favorite is on the Sideboard in our Media Room, it’s a picture of our two Granddaughters.
Because both Girls are still quite young 6 and 2, I use a pale pink bulb to light the Arctic White Corian.
I’m sure you can imagine the extra Wows for that one.

[amanda0101]

I have only used the front of the corian to carve. I haven't tried it the other way but I don't see why it wouldn't have the same effect.


I asked on another post about where to get the corian. Others suggested to get it from sink cutouts from installers. I am in Tennesse and was just wondering where you got yours. Just tying to cover all the bases till I can make some contacts at cabinet shops.
I got mine from a local cabinet shop. Call around because one place told me that I was not allowed to buy corian unless I had a license (which I actually do being a licensed contractor), Home Depot was thirty something dollars a foot, and most other places had to order a huge sheet for $600 from their supplier. I finally called a small shop and they had just finished doing a bathroom using Corian. They gave me approx. a 30 x 145 sheet for $100 plus threw in about 12 pieces of scrap they had lying around. I am very thankful that it was so inexpensive because I have gone through a lot of it just experimenting with what works and what doesn't. I would have been really angry if I had spent the $600 and had to throw some away.

[fyrpuppy]

Thank you very much and you do fantastic work

[gmalanoski]

I couldn't see why it would matter either, but, since I haven't tried these yet, what the heck do I really know! I did obtain an old countertop last week and will be "tinkering" soon. My wife an I have a friend who lost his daughter in a car accident this past fall. Sadly enough, when the police arrived, he was sitting outside moping about his son. It was his sons birthday - whom also was taken in a car accident about 10 years prior. So, I think I'd like to do one of these for him for fathers day with the pictures of his only 2 children. Maybe a 3 section deal having the pictures on the sides and a poem or something in the middle. If anyone has any really good ideas, I could really use, and would really appreciate, any input you may wish to share. I think I've read every posting about this and think I've got a pretty good understanding. But, that isn't necessarily a substitue for experience!

And, Ken, the wow factor explanation was something I wouldn't have naturally thought about prior to doing this. Thanks.

[CustomWestCoast]

I don't know if you have already come across this post yet. DirtyDan had created a great lamp that holds 4 lithophane carvings. In the thread you can download the mpc files for creating the lamp.

http://forum.carvewright.com/showthread.php?t=5272

Hope this helps,
Troy

[tstryk]

OK, I made an 8x10 and put it in a 4" box with one 20w halogen puck light - that does not seem to be enough. What size do you guys make and what kind of lighting? I love the way your look, Amanda, and I am not happy with mine....yet!

[gmalanoski]

I don't know if you have already come across this post yet. DirtyDan had created a great lamp that holds 4 lithophane carvings. In the thread you can download the mpc files for creating the lamp.

http://forum.carvewright.com/showthread.php?t=5272

Hope this helps,
Troy

Thanks Troy. I had read it, but it was some time back. A good refresher for sure! :D

[amanda0101]

To be honest most of mine are nightlights or small enough to put in a stand with a little bulb. I tried making a box and I guess I am not the sharpest tool in the shed because I just ended up wasting a ton of wood. I finally called one of the guys on the forum because he does this for a living and he lives about 40 minutes away. I asked him to make me a bunch of boxes, maybe once I get them I will be able to figure it out because it will be too expensive to keep having other people make them for me.


I don't know if you have already come across this post yet. DirtyDan had created a great lamp that holds 4 lithophane carvings. In the thread you can download the mpc files for creating the lamp.

http://forum.carvewright.com/showthread.php?t=5272

Hope this helps,
Troy

I did see that lamp but I am a little apprehensive to try it. I have said before this is my first attempt working with wood other than painting it, so I have no experience with routers or saws. I am getting the hang of the saws but I almost took off my hand a couple times trying to figure out how to use the router on the box that I was trying to make. It probably doesn't help that the router is older than I am and is missing parts.

[fyrpuppy]

Has anyone tried carving/lighting the lithophane where the smooth side of the corion is on the outside. I am hoping to try my first litho next week, and was thinking that this would look so much cleaner to have the smooth side out but do not know if it would work. Any help would be appreciated. I talked to a counter top shop today and he said he would give me the sink cutouts but would charge about $20.00 to $25.00 to run them through his drum sander to get them down to a 1/4 inch. The pieces are about 16" by 24" or larger:)

[Amonaug]

Has anyone tried carving/lighting the lithophane where the smooth side of the corion is on the outside. I am hoping to try my first litho next week, and was thinking that this would look so much cleaner to have the smooth side out but do not know if it would work. Any help would be appreciated. I talked to a counter top shop today and he said he would give me the sink cutouts but would charge about $20.00 to $25.00 to run them through his drum sander to get them down to a 1/4 inch. The pieces are about 16" by 24" or larger:)

Haven't tried it but it would simply mean flipping the image horizontily in an image editor so that it is backwards for carving if you want to keep the orientation the same when you have the smooth side out.

To say it another way, if you have an image with a tree on the left and want to keep it on the left when you have the smooth side out then flip the image so the tree is on the right.

[LittleRedWoodshop]

I think you would be wasting the piece of corian in this attempt. I have held my lithopanes up to the light and tried to see if it is a possibility. The light just isn't the same and you loose alot of the detail. For anyone that wants to try it , Good Luck. Let me know how it goes.

[ChrisAlb]

Has anyone tried carving/lighting the lithophane where the smooth side of the corion is on the outside. I am hoping to try my first litho next week, and was thinking that this would look so much cleaner to have the smooth side out but do not know if it would work. Any help would be appreciated. I talked to a counter top shop today and he said he would give me the sink cutouts but would charge about $20.00 to $25.00 to run them through his drum sander to get them down to a 1/4 inch. The pieces are about 16" by 24" or larger:)

Just an opinion but, why not not keep the thicker stuff for nice carvings and put your money into buying a few sheets of cast acrylic for the lithopanes?

The thicker Corian makes for some really beautiful carvings i.e. coasters, soap dishes, name plates...the list goes on. Get the thick "expensive" stuff for free and if you're going to spend the money anyway, put it into the acrylic which will proably make a nicer lihtopane anyway.

Just a thought.

[fyrpuppy]

I have got to sit down and figure out the price per sq ft and see which comes out cheapest, but thanks for giving me something to think about Chris.

[ChrisAlb]

I have got to sit down and figure out the price per sq ft and see which comes out cheapest, but thanks for giving me something to think about Chris.

If this helps.....The CW Depot prices and another site which offers more sizes and colors. The depot comes two sheets per order. The other site is one sheet per order. Prices are broken down by Square Inch.


OK, since the sizes don't match up... I'm going by the square inch price.

Both "Translucent White" 1/4" thick (Actual is .236" thick)

The Depot - 2 - 12 x 18 = 432 sq. inches for $30.00 = .06 cents per sq. inch
http://www.carvewright.com/store/home.php?cat=259

Other site - 1 - 12 x 12 = 144 sq. inches for $6.00 = .04 cents per sq. inch.
http://208.131.146.217/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=DPI&Category_Code=236_Translucent_Cast_Acrylic

Colored prices at the second site are slightly higher. The depot doesn't have colors.

Chris

[Lin]

Thought I'd toss in another site I found that might ahve the right type of acrylic we need for the CW. I also use plexi for my scrolling needs a dn am alwys on the look out for a cheaper source.
Lin

here's the link: http://www.estreetplastics.com/

[ChrisAlb]

Hey Lin,

You're just a treasure trove of great sources. Thanks Again!!

(BTW folks) Lin is the one who originally posted that other site in my last post...lol

Chris

[fyrpuppy]

Thanks for the info guys. Has any body used any of the counter top material that has the shiny chips in it? Just to my thinking this would be rough on the bits. Let me know what ya'll think