Laser Projects

Laser cutting and engraving projects.
Just a few of the projects that have passed through the workshop recently.

Gear pattern engraving

M12 insert

Custom Gear knob for an Aston Martin DBS restoration.
Wren Classics - www.wrenclassics.com is working on a three year full restoration of a 1970's DBS Vantage. Andrew, Wrens chief engineer is looking ahead to the interior. As part of the restoration the car is being extensively upgraded including a new gearbox so the gear pattern was going to be different to the original. So a new gear knob need to be fitted.
Wren's client had chosen a shape he liked from another car, but wanted it to match the dashboard when it was restored. He also wanted the gear knob locally made to his exacting standards.
The dashboard is going to be remade in African Walnut as used in the original car. As part of the restoration the dashboard is going to be remade by specialist car trimmers - https://www.silvercrest-woodtrim.co.uk/gallery....
Andrew asked if I could create a custom gear knob for the car with the new gear pattern laser engraved in the top. Liaising with Silvercrest we decided on African Walnut for the dash and the gear knob. In the 70's the classic instrument layout was white on black so that was used for the engraving. The level of detail required was such that the grain of the wood against the white gear pattern was even orientated to match the pin striping on the seats and headlining! After a prototype was approved for feel and finish the final gear knob was hand turned and finished with a tough acrylic finished polished to high gloss. The laser engraving was 0.5mm deep filled with a very fine grain white epoxy putty. The gear knob was fitted with an M12 steel insert to match the new gearbox lever.
I think the end result will look outstanding in the finished car

The full set

One of seven beech blanks

Re-sawn to 4mm ready for laser cutting and engraving

One batch ready for finishing

Custom woodworking for local restaurant group.
It's not often I get asked for a large volume of custom parts, but a call came from a regular client - The Clockspire restaurant at Milborne Port, Somerset - www.theclockspire.com asking for a promotional gift for the three restaurants in the group. In keeping with their source local ethos they wanted a product that was locally crafted with locally sourced materials. We settled on some custom designed and engraved spatulas. Made in Beech wood locally sourced in Somerset. Designed and created by the Fusion Workshop in Dorset these fitted the bill perfectly.
They needed a lot! for the three locations they needed a total of 200.
With only 2 weeks before their event deadline it was all go to get them made and delivered.
The Beech needed to be re-sawn and sanded to 4mm thick before laser cutting and engraving. The blade edge of the spatulas had to be hand shaped to a sharp edge to make them perfect for any manner of tasks. Nothing like the blunt ended ones you often find!
Engraved with the names of the three restaurants and finished with a food safe oil they certain looked the part and were a great hit with the lucky guests who received them.

Delicate engraving on vintage lace bobbins.
This laser engraving required very special care as the bobbins were exceptionally delicate and of sentimental value to my client. The area to be engraved was very a small diameter requiring the text to be less that 2mm high. I was able to find a "single stroke" font for this so that the text still looked sharp and easily readable despite being so small. The end result looked great without over powering the bobbin.

The real thing!

The computer rendering

Photo realistic rendering makes a first time design decision easy.
TFW has recently added the ability to laser mark stainless steel and regular customer The Clockspire restaurant – www.theclockspire.com took full advantage.
They asked for a custom logo to be “engraved” onto these stainless napkin holders. With a single sample and a PDF of the logo I created a 3D model of the napkin holder complete with the logo. The rendering was so realistic that the customer was able to make a decision on the design from a first look, saving time and money in this important stage.
Once we had the go ahead 15 pieces were created and delivered within three days. The final pieces looked exactly like the rendering and everybody was happy with the result. So much so that their sister restaurant – The Woodspeen - www.thewoodspeen.com a Michelin starred restaurant in Newbury, Berkshire, wanted the same! They took a slightly different approach and wanted a custom base made. After a single design meeting a rendering was produced and again a go-ahead decision was given. Within a week 14 were created with a Black Walnut base that look fantastic on the Scandinavian design tables at the restaurant.
The photos show the CAD rendering alongside the finished article.

Lasers are not just for Bond villains!
Here are a couple of projects that TFW helped with in the local village this week.
The first is the very prestigious Shuffleboard trophy held annually in the village hall, and the second is one of the seven category trophies for the even more serious Pumpkin and marrow growing competition, a staple of the country calendar!
The names were laser engraved on the painted marble base and the pumpkin trophy was laser cut and engraved in 6mm solid Beech wood.
If you need laser cutting or engraving of any sort please let me know and we can work together to create your project

Wine boxes engraved with the company logo

Plankbridge Shepherd's huts gift wine boxes.

If you are lucky enough to order a shepherds hut from Plankbridge in Dorset (www.plankbridge.com) you will receive a bottle of locally made bubbly presented in this smartly engraved wine box. Plankbridge uses The Fusion Workshop to engrave these wine boxes with their logo and tag line. The addition of the custom engraving makes these gifts just that little bit more special

Laser engraved and cut show badges in Lime wood

Plankbridge Shepherd huts goes to Chelsea!
Plankbridge Shepherd huts in Dorset needed some exhibiter badges in a hurry for their staff going to the Chelsea show. The brief was to be large enough to be seen and to use their distinctive logo.
I created a few designs to show them and once they had approved the final version I was able to quickly laser cut and engrave the badges for them. The pin is mounted on the back with self-adhesive tape. I designed and laser cut a small locating jig to ensure each pin was placed perfectly each time.
This was a little, but important job, just 10 pieces that would likely be considered too small for most laser engraving companies. TFW is a local Dorset company that prides itself on providing a bespoke one to one service for these smaller jobs

Another great gift for the chef in your life!
These spatulas are made in solid Maple or Ash (other woods can be used to match décor if required). Two different sizes and engraved with the standard message or personalised for you. Each spatula costs £3.00.

Christmas is just around the corner and isn't it about time all you crafts people started getting productive!
Here are a few idea for some Christmas ornaments that the more creative of you can purchase from me and then finish as you like and then give as gifts or sell on through your own outlet. The dog in the ornament can be changed to personalise the gift even more although there would be an additional cost for the image processing. The base of the standing tree can be personalised with a custom name or message. The kits come ready to paint and then snap together or you can glue them if you prefer. Each of these will cost £2.00 and are made in solid Maple or Ash wood.
If you have ideas for your own design that you would like to have laser cut please let me know.

* Slate signs available made to order with any image. Contact us for more details.

A slate house sign for a local holiday let.
Designed by the client this was a simple case of creating the text in the required font directly on the laser control software.

* Wooden signs available made to order with any image. Contact us for more details.

An oak house sign for a local holiday let.
Another sign for the same client, this time on Oak.
Again, the text and the added elliptical outline were added directly in the laser software.
The engraving can be very shallow to just mark the surface or up to 1mm deep so it can be painted and sanded afterwards.

* Bring your project along to be engraved with any image. Contact us for more details.

A family crest engraved on a maple pool cue case.
This was a project designed and made by the Fusion Workshop for a client as a present for his father.
The Client researched the family tree and found that they had family crest and thought it would make a fantastic addition to this gift. The case was made from curly maple, inlaid with Padauk and laser engraved.

* Bring your items to be rotary engraved. They make a great gift. Contact us for more details.

* Custom made pens and other turned gifts available made to order with any image. Contact us for more details.

Rotary engraving
We can engrave or cut cylindrical objects on the rotary attachment for the laser, for example, glasses, mugs, pens, etc. Tapered items are not a problem. If you are looking to extend your craft offering how about personalising wholesale purchased thermal mugs or cups? Tennis balls? Dog toys?
The pen was made in the Fusion Workshop to special order with a name and an image of the client's dog.

* Woodpecker feeder available made to order with a gift message. Contact us for more details.

Combine cutting and engraving.
This Woodpecker feeder designed and made by the Fusion Workshop combines engraving an image and cutting an outline.
The tab kerf can be adjusted very finely to achieve a looser fit for gluing or a tight fit that needs to be tapped into place and will hold firmly without adhesive. The slot and the mounting holes are all cut on the laser so there is no post process at all.

Making a custom washer
Here was a job that I was working on that needed a strange size rubber washer. I started making the one on the left with scissors, as you do. Then thought "stupid boy, you've got a laser! About 5 mins later I had the perfectly sized washer on the right. No job too small.... Think about those jobs that you could have done. If you are in the area of my workshop you could have had it done while you waited for less than £1. Better to do it right first time.

Precision laser cutting in 6mm acrylic
There are some jobs that are so much easier with a laser. These self centreing chucks for the workshop's rotary device "could" have been cut with a router, but how hard would that have been? Those arcs need to be very precisely placed and sized so that the jaws move smoothly as they are contra rotated. The chuck disks were designed in Fusion 360, exported to the laser and cut in 6mm Acrylic.
The same process can be used for precise cutting of 6mm plywood for router jigs that would be almost impossible by hand.

Red end with original writing

The sliding clip rings open to allow the bag to be pulled through.

White end with more complicated adaptor ring

The clip rings designed in Fusion 360 and 3D printed in red and white PLA

Combining laser cutting and 3D printing in one project.
This was an interesting project that came in to the workshop recently. The job was to convert an old 30Ltr sherry barrel to hold two 10Ltr wine bags, one at each end. The original barrel ends were cut out and adaptor rings made to enable the ends to be removed for fitting the bags. The bags were held in place by 3D printed clip rings to make the bags removable. Red and white to show which wine is at that end. Take a close look at the two adaptor rings, one at each end. The red end is very narrow to avoid overlapping the writing and the white end is a much more complicated shape because of the way the original ends were held in place.They would have been very difficult to cut accurately by hand or by router. I was even able to make them very slightly oval to allow for the distortion in the barrel body.

River rocks engraved with image.

Fairy rocks....
Here is an idea for great gifts, river rocks engraved with your favourite character. In this case a fairy, a dragon and a unicorn. Rock and stone engraves very well, but you never know what the end colour will be, so a bit magical as well...

Pattern created in Lightburn software

Hedgehog house with laser engraved roof.
The latest project to come out of the Fusion Workshop. A hedgehog house made in time for them to find it and move in before the winter. The video shows the huge difference laser engraving can make to a simple project.
I hope you will agree that it makes a simple box much more appealing.
If you are a crafts person making this type of product please get in touch and see what the Fusion Workshop can help you with
See the laser engraving in action on our Facebook page here.

These are just a flavour of what can be done with a laser. For some other great gift ideas visit these sites. A lot of the files are free. Find some you would like to make and get in touch.
Living hinge designs.
Christmas tree ornaments.
Images for cutting or engraving
TIP: Look for illustrations or vector images to avoid too much pre-processing. If you are willing to put the time in to create a suitable image a free program like paint.net can do most everything you want. If you have a photo you want to engrave, but don't want to spend the time or don't have the skills, the Fusion Workshop can process the image for you at a very reasonable cost. Contact us to find out more.