Laser cutting & Engraving
CCAD has a wonderful little fabrication lab in the basement of Kinney Hall. I first found myself down there for a class assignment, but what I didn’t expect to find was a new means of bringing my digital artwork to the physical world.
One wooden sword later, I had a new laser-themed addiction, that scratched my itch for both crafting & design.
— SWORDS —
— SHIELDS —
— PLAQUES —
— MAGNETS —
— PROCESS —
For most of these pieces, I like to start out with good old fashion pencil on paper. Once I have a concept or a sketch I’m happy with, I’ll bring it into Adobe Illustrator.
The machines I’ve used will cut anything with a red outline and engrave any shape that is filled with black. So most of my files usually look something similar to what’s below.
After the main design is digitized, I split it up into the different parts I’ll need to make the final piece.
The placement of the pieces in the file sometimes varies depending on the piece of material. (I use a lot of wood and sometime’s there are knots or other imperfections that can affect the visual aesthetic.)
Additionally, since engraving takes a while in comparison to cutting, I try to place the engraved bits close together so the laser has less distance to travel. This puts less wear on the machine as well as saves time.
Once everything is engraved and cut out, I glue all the parts together to make the final product.
— CCAD ART FAIR —
CCAD hosts a bi-annual Art fair/sale that showcases the work of both alumni & current students. I’ve had the pleasure of being involved in this fair multiple years selling my laser cut creations.
Not only has it been fun and rewarding seeing others purchase my work, but it also has been profitable enough to allow me to create more pieces.
— commissions —
If you’d like to commission a custom sword, shield, magnet or some other laser cut piece, feel free to use the link below.