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Custom Laser-Cut Wooden Items, USA Shipping

Stephen B. Thomas

pollinator

Posts: 1600

Location: Wheaton Labs, Montana, USA

3157

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posted 2 months ago

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Hello! I'm one of the Boots at Wheaton Labs, and have been here since Spring 2022. Before I arrived, I bought myself a fantastic tool: a laser cutter-engraver. To sum it up: choose a picture and words, and the device can imprint it on wood for you. I want to make stuff for the Permies community, and this is one way I can give back.

Examples of items available:
- drink coasters
- custom-shaped tokens / coins
- wooden plaques and signs
- ornaments: circles, hearts, stars, rounded squares, and custom shapes

Below are some images of pieces I've done for myself and others. Should you be interested in a quote, please send me a PM here at permies. Thanks!

Thanks for reading, and enjoy your day...!

"We carry a new world here, in our hearts..." --Buenaventura Durruti
"Don't wish it were easier. Instead, wish you were better." --Jim Rohn

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Christopher Weeks

master gardener

Posts: 7008

Location: Carlton County, Minnesota, USA: 3b; Dfb; sandy loam; in the woods

4440

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posted 2 months ago

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That stuff seems pretty cool.

There's a QR-code on that J-tube sign. Is the resolution and crispness of the "print" good enough that it really works?

Also, I can't think of any particular need for this right now, even though I want to, but I think if I had something in mind, it would help me if I had at least a little bit of a benchmark about the cost. Like, what do you have to charge for a single J-tube sign? Or maybe if I wanted 40 of those event name-tags? (I legitimately don't know if the production cost would be lower than the cost of postage getting it me or in the hundreds of dollars.)

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Stephen B. Thomas

pollinator

Posts: 1600

Location: Wheaton Labs, Montana, USA

3157

I like...

posted 2 months ago

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Christopher Weeks wrote:There's a QR-code on that J-tube sign. Is the resolution and crispness of the "print" good enough that it really works?

There's an impressive amount of fidelity with the laser cutter, and yes, the QR code can be scanned and works just fine. The texture on the back of the custom tokens I'd made was an early test to see how fine-grain a print I could develop, and I've been pleased with the results.

Regarding cost quotes:
My most recent project was for custom-printed wooden drink coasters for a friend of mine's business. I charged him $25 for 12 coasters. There's cork backing added to each one, and I can add a waterproof finish to them, if desired. In this instance, he submitted the design and I sent him photos of my prototypes so he could see an example before he paid. Once he paid, I finished the print run and added the cork backing, then shipped them out the next day. See the attached example.

nick-prototypes_002.jpg

"We carry a new world here, in our hearts..." --Buenaventura Durruti
"Don't wish it were easier. Instead, wish you were better." --Jim Rohn

Stephen B. Thomas

pollinator

Posts: 1600

Location: Wheaton Labs, Montana, USA

3157

I like...

posted 2 months ago

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Here are a couple more wooden coaster examples. I used hi-res scans of public domain artwork for the designs.

I'm also experimenting with public domain comics from the 1940s and '50s. There are lots of very cool black and white images that show up nicely when burned into wood. Photos of those will show up soon.

"We carry a new world here, in our hearts..." --Buenaventura Durruti
"Don't wish it were easier. Instead, wish you were better." --Jim Rohn

Opal-Lia Palmer

Posts: 207

Location: North Idaho. Bonner County

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posted 2 months ago

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I really like the bee, the bear and butterfly <3 Great work. cool little gadget!

Annie Harris

Posts: 2

posted 2 months ago

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These look amazing! What about name tags for my garden rows? Would be the neighbourhood of 15-20 name tag size with plant variety info - cuz the younger I get, more I forget, and identifying five different garlic or four different onions etc Gets challenging . . . .

Elanor Gardner

pioneer

Posts: 296

Location: Wisconsin Zone 5a

127

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posted 2 months ago

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Idea for you: garden markers to mark peas, beans, etc

Recommended reading material: Romans 10:9

Stephen B. Thomas

pollinator

Posts: 1600

Location: Wheaton Labs, Montana, USA

3157

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posted 2 months ago

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Annie Harris wrote:These look amazing! What about name tags for my garden rows? Would be the neighbourhood of 15-20 name tag size with plant variety info - cuz the younger I get, more I forget, and identifying five different garlic or four different onions etc Gets challenging . . . .

Thanks for the kudos, Annie!

I think I could pull that off for somewhere in the neighbourhood of US$25, with shipping included. It's a busy week (new Boots are starting today, literally in a couple hours) but I will contact you ASAP via Purple Mooseage regarding your specifics and an eventual prototype run. I also stress that you'll want some sort of waterproof coating or finish on them if you intend for them to be outside. But we'll chat about that in a bit.

"We carry a new world here, in our hearts..." --Buenaventura Durruti
"Don't wish it were easier. Instead, wish you were better." --Jim Rohn

Stephen B. Thomas

pollinator

Posts: 1600

Location: Wheaton Labs, Montana, USA

3157

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posted 3 weeks ago

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I'm hoping to assemble a few sets of wooden coasters for the upcoming holiday season. These will consist of 6 coasters (about 4" diameter) of a specific theme, all made with public domain images (except where noted below), most of which were originally printed from woodcuts. Assuming you have an account here at Permies, each set will cost US$25, shipping included for the continental USA (this is the "special Permies hook-up price").

The themes I have planned are as follows:
- Wild Animals: forest-dwelling animals, including grizzly bear and rattlesnake
- Pollinators: winged insects including bees, moths, and butterflies
- Mazes: round maze patterns, each one unique (not public domain, but randomly-derived with a Java applet on a computer)
- Trees: ...a bunch of trees
- Antiquity: woodcut imagery, illuminations from old books and documents, and illustrations

Here's an example: I finished up the "trees" category just last night:

As I finish my initial sets of each theme, I'll add images to this thread so you can preview them.

If you're interested or curious about these sets, please comment here or drop me a PM. I've also just shipped out my most-recent custom job, and have room in my schedule for more. Send me a PM to start the ball rolling. Thanks!

"We carry a new world here, in our hearts..." --Buenaventura Durruti
"Don't wish it were easier. Instead, wish you were better." --Jim Rohn

Stephen B. Thomas

pollinator

Posts: 1600

Location: Wheaton Labs, Montana, USA

3157

I like...

posted 2 weeks ago

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Here's the "Wild Animals" set. Six coasters for US$25, with shipping included. Features a toad, grizzly bear, bison, rattlesnake, bobcat (?), and a beaver.

Drop me a PM if you're interested. Thanks!

"We carry a new world here, in our hearts..." --Buenaventura Durruti
"Don't wish it were easier. Instead, wish you were better." --Jim Rohn

Stephen B. Thomas

pollinator

Posts: 1600

Location: Wheaton Labs, Montana, USA

3157

I like...

posted 2 weeks ago

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Here's this year's "Mazes" set. I found a Java applet online that lets you make random mazes, and I'm turning them into coasters...! So each coaster in this set is a unique round, "polar" oriented maze.

US$25 for a set of 6, shipping included. If you're looking for a different-style maze, then I might be able to work it out with you. Send me a PM and we can start the ball rolling.

And yes, they can be solved.

There's a path from one opening all the way to the other on each one.

Thanks for looking...!

"We carry a new world here, in our hearts..." --Buenaventura Durruti
"Don't wish it were easier. Instead, wish you were better." --Jim Rohn

Stephen B. Thomas

pollinator

Posts: 1600

Location: Wheaton Labs, Montana, USA

3157

I like...

posted 1 week ago

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Here is this year's "Antiquity" set. Each public-domain image was extracted from old European wood-block prints. US$25 for a set of six, shipping included.

Drop me a PM if you're interested. Thanks!

"We carry a new world here, in our hearts..." --Buenaventura Durruti
"Don't wish it were easier. Instead, wish you were better." --Jim Rohn

Stephen B. Thomas

pollinator

Posts: 1600

Location: Wheaton Labs, Montana, USA

3157

I like...

posted 1 week ago

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Here's an image of the current "Pollinators" set. Bees, moths, and butterflies.

I have a number of images of these types of creatures, so if there's something in particular you're seeking, I can likely show you a variety and you can choose six from them. What I'm showing here are the half dozen that I have on-hand at the moment.

US$25 for the set of six, shipping included. Please send me a PM if you're interested. Thanks!

"We carry a new world here, in our hearts..." --Buenaventura Durruti
"Don't wish it were easier. Instead, wish you were better." --Jim Rohn

It is an experimental device that will make my mind that most powerful force on earth! More powerful than this tiny ad!

Come Visit Wheaton Labs!

https://permies.com/wiki/367505/Visit-Wheaton-Labs