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Laser cutting is awesome.
Laser cutting is awesome.
Laser cutters have allowed me to make personalized gifts and projects Especially on wood surfaces, laser engraving can produce beautiful artwork. I've made serving boards, picture frames, coasters, and engraved photos.
On many of my projects, I encased the engraving in a thin layer of resin, taking advantage of the high viscosity of the resin and its surface tension to create a smooth top surface. See more about that process here.
Deep Creek Lake Photo Frame
Laser engraving this pre-made but unfinished wooden frame made a beautiful gift for my fiance's family. The addition of the photo inside (taken by Anour Esa) from the Lake made the gift even more special.
Personalized Puzzle Piece Serving/Cutting Boards
For a friend's wedding, I designed a set of puzzle piece cutting/serving boards. After buying pre-cut puzzle piece cutting boards, I laser engraved the custom design onto the back side of the boards (so to not cover the stamp from the original manufacturer). I then encased the engraving with food-safe epoxy resin, using the doming technique to get a smooth edge (doming technique info). I then covered the unfinished wood with cutting board oil. To the right is the final result, and photos of the process are below (some identifying information has been covered).
Single laser-engraved piece
Full set after laser engraving
Full set after curing the epoxy layer
Single piece after curing the epoxy layer
Close up view of epoxy layer
Wedding Photo Frame
For a different wedding, I engraved an unfinished 8x10 photo frame and finished it with a layer of resin. Adding the invitation in the frame for the gift allowed the couple to add their favorite photo or to keep it as a keepsake of their wedding (details of the wedding blurred).
Below are a photo of the unfinished frame, and a close up of the resin layer.
View of the frame just after laser engraving (still in the machine!)
Close up view of the resin layer on the top surface of the frame
Wooden Coasters
When my cousin got engaged, I made them a set of coasters as an engagement present. These were made from unfinished 4" x 4" cradled wood panels (designed for painting) and laser engraved. These were sealed with wood polish/wax to preserve the wood and to maintain the texture of the engraved surface.
Funeral Photo Frames
For my grandmother's funeral services in November 2019 I engraved unfinished wood frames, but left them without the resin coating. One had her name engraved in English and one was engraved in Greek since there were funeral services both in the U.S. and in her home country of Greece.
Kotidis Family Dogs Tiles
My parents have seven dogs that they love so dearly. For Christmas (2019) I made them a set of wooden tiles, one for each dog, with a photo of the dog engraved on it. The tiles were made from unfinished 6" x 6" cradled wood panels and were laser engraved. I added each dog's name to his/her photo with red sticker letters, and encased the whole design in a layer of resin. The tiles were hung in their house (left photo), and below are some photos from the process.
Set of photos after laser engraving
One of the finished tiles
Close -up of the resin coating
Close up of the clean edge of the resin coating
Deep Creek Lake Photo Engraving
For my fiance's family for Christmas, I engraved a photo I took at their Lake House onto unfinished 8" x 8" cradled wood panels. The panels were then finished with wood polish/wax to preserve the texture of the engraving, making for a more rustic look and feel. The photo on the left is the panel just after engraving, and the photo below is two of the panels (for two family members) after finishing.
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