Custom Laser-Cut Wooden Items

Hello! I'm one of the Boots at Wheaton Labs, and have been here for over two years. 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.



I like making custom tabletop game bits. Here are some coins/point chips I made, with engravings on both sides.



Just recently, I completed a wood sign to hang in the Red Cabin. I'm finishing it with linseed oil so it will last longer.



One of my first projects while here at Wheaton Labs was to make a large number of customized, decorated name tags for the participants at the summer events.



Finally, I've done custom hanging ornaments. Here's one showing a "clean" side and a "distressed" side, which maintains the subtle wood scorch marks from the laser.



If you are interested in something like this, please send me a PM and I can craft affordable, customized items for you.

Questions about the process? Post them here, and once I reply the answer can benefit everyone. Thanks!

That's really cool!

What is the ballpark price of a machine that does that?

How long does it take to make a sign like the one for Red Cabin -- that looks super-slick compared to the ones hand-burned (certainly compared to the wood-burned sign I made!).

Is this affordable enough that making garden tags (identifying a plant/row/patch) that are expected to rot and turn into mulch after a season or two makes sense?

Glad to hear you like it, Christopher. It's fun for me to design these kinds of things, and to see the final result once it's all done.

What is the ballpark price of a machine that does that?

I picked it up off kickstarter or something for $2,500 or so. Still on the way to paying myself back for it.

How long does it take to make a sign like the one for Red Cabin -- that looks super-slick compared to the ones hand-burned (certainly compared to the wood-burned sign I made!).

Paul and I worked on the text and images, and it took maybe a day's worth of back-and-forth to sort out the design. That sign is rather large (roughly 10" x 6", then scaled just a bit larger in the machine), and took close to 2 hours to finish burning. Adding coats of oil is quick, though it takes a couple days to dry completely.

Were I to make something like it for someone, I'd say turnaround in-house would be done in 3 days, once the design is finalized. After that, I'd ship it out and it's in the hands of the USPS.

For the record, I'm a big fan of hand-crafting wood-burned signs with our soldering irons here at WL, but for someone looking for a more consistent look and a quicker turnaround, the laser cutter is a solid option.

Is this affordable enough that making garden tags (identifying a plant/row/patch) that are expected to rot and turn into mulch after a season or two makes sense?

Were the tags starting with the 1.5" x 0.125" (1 & 1/2 by 1/8 inches) blanks like those bee/flower coins, I'd say I can make 3 for US$1, plus shipping. A single coat or more of linseed-oil finish would increase the cost. Regardless of shape and starter material, I'd drill holes in them so they could be tied to or hung on a hook or stick or something like that.

Maybe it would be cheaper for larger orders, and as time goes by maybe I could afford discounts for regular customers. That remains to be seen.

Custom wooden coasters are available. Pretty much any design you can think of, I can illustrate and/or can track down public domain artwork to use.

I made this pair of coasters for SEPPer Nick on his most recent visit. He transferred photos of his two family cats to me, we chatted about a design, and the finished coasters were in his hand in less than an hour.





I used public domain skull-and-bones decorations for these coasters.



All coasters include a thin cork backing and can have a clear finish applied to increase their life span and resist moisture.



Each of the mazes on these coasters are unique designs. This 6-pack is ready to ship anywhere in the continental USA, for $30. Pick up at Wheaton Labs for $10 off.

I finished up this set of Xmas ornaments for my mother. There are 24 altogether, each with a similar design and a custom name. I added a snippet of wire as an ornament hanger hook. These hearts are 1/8 inch thick, a bit over 4 inches in width, and about 3 inches tall.

Ornaments like these (or with other custom designs, single-sided) are currently $3 each, +$5 shipping in the continental USA. Please send me a PM if you're interested in ornaments of your own.



Thanks for looking...!

I put together these demo coasters for my favourite Missoula donut shop, Veera Donuts.

One of the skull designs is the "distressed" style, while the other is "clean." The difference is subtle, though the clean version is a bit more work.

The dog coaster is also the distressed style, and has a little colour variation based on the wood used in the coaster.



Want some coasters of your own? Please let me know! Thanks for looking.