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Thread: Your Ideas for writing a word on a turned chalice

  1. #1
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    Your Ideas for writing a word on a turned chalice

    I am in my annual inactive period, looking at ideas for the next active, creative season. So here is an open question:

    How would you add lettering to a chalice or other turning?
    Simple, like the word "Hope".

    I have done calligraphy long ago so that would be an option: maybe paint or ink marker.
    Burning tools are possible.
    Silk Screening - never tried it on a round surface.
    I don't want to invest in laser equipment, but hiring someone to do it if there is a way to make that work.
    I have never carved lettering. Might be something to try on a thick enough cup.

    Have you ever done this?
    Any clever guesses?
    Veni Vidi Vendi Vente! I came, I saw, I bought a large coffee!

  2. #2
    Engraving stencil and a dremel?

    How are the fires, Brian? Thinking of you.

  3. #3
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    One callmaker used to use block letters, and then added stippling all around the letters. I looked for an example, but couldn't find any. He only had 3 letters, I believe they were his initials. But the initials and the stippling was like a band around the call. The best I came up with is the cross on this link. https://vanheldengamecalls.weebly.co...pot-calls.html

  4. #4
    Woodburning is what we used. Create the letters on the computer, transfer to the cups and use a good woodburner (not a soldering iron).
    Here's an example (our original artwork):
    greenman_color_raw.jpg

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Prashun Patel View Post
    Engraving stencil and a dremel?

    How are the fires, Brian? Thinking of you.
    Prashun, thank you for asking. So many people have been affected, but they have not been in my immediate area. One is about 19 miles north and one friend evacuated. We have a lot of students in Northern California who are having to plan their travel home around the active burn areas. Of immediate concern is a mobile Home community 19 miles north that lost 60 homes. Most of them were elderly people - a lot over 80. At that age it is not just a matter of insurance, but limited to end-of-life energy.

    These changing weather patterns across the country are really disrupting. We just are not used to having 87° weather and <10% humidity in December.
    Veni Vidi Vendi Vente! I came, I saw, I bought a large coffee!

  6. #6
    "These changing weather patterns across the country are really disrupting. We just are not used to having 87° weather and <10% humidity in December"

    I've also been hearing that the wind patterns are constantly changing during this fire, so it's been impossible to get in front of it. Good luck. This has been a humbling year.

    To your question, I have also signed things with Sharpie, sealing with shellac both under and over it. The trick is to spray the shellac, so the writing does not smear. Then I varnished. My caveat to you is that i have only done this on the underside of tables or benches; places that don't see substantial wear. I cannot comment on the durability of this on a chalice.




  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Roy Petersen View Post
    Woodburning is what we used. Create the letters on the computer, transfer to the cups and use a good woodburner (not a soldering iron).
    Here's an example (our original artwork):
    greenman_color_raw.jpg
    I think the word I am looking for is "WOW!"
    Veni Vidi Vendi Vente! I came, I saw, I bought a large coffee!

  8. #8
    Lots of pen makers use decals printed from an inkjet or laser printer and then a hard finish on top.

  9. #9
    Before my house and shop burned down, I had a small engraver's pantograph system for engraving words onto metals. The arms were adjustable so the letters could be made fatter, taller, narrower or shorter than the guide letters. It came with a drawer full of brass guide letters and a vise to clamp the work. I did engrave some large curved surfaces with it. It only had a diamond point stylus to do the engraving, but it worked. The whole unit was only about 12 x 14 inches and about 7 inches high. Mine came out of an F. W. Woolworth, where it had been used to engrave bracelets, etc. It looked pretty much like this one from Hermes:
    https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Hermes-...AAAOSwBRFaJbix

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Kent View Post
    I think the word I am looking for is "WOW!"
    Hey, thanks!
    My wife is the artist there, I just made the "canvas". I'd fiddle with the cup in between steps to do "stuff " to it that improved the look and feel of the finished cup, but she breathed life into them.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Kent View Post
    I am in my annual inactive period, looking at ideas for the next active, creative season. So here is an open question:

    How would you add lettering to a chalice or other turning?
    Simple, like the word "Hope".
    I would carve it. A little easier if you use a font with lots of straight lines!

    I've carved many letters in hard wood with chisels. For example I've carved several grave markers for temporary use until the tombstone is made.

    I use chip carving knives in softer wood. For round things it is difficult to hand carve in end grain so I carve in side grain on the wood or on end grain turnings, probably the orientation of your chalice.

    Here is some side grain on a turning, a Beads of Courage box:
    BOC_A_comp.jpg

    Here is some flat, a sign for my shop:
    chip_mess.jpg

    These are the knives I use for chip carved letters:
    chip_carving_knives_small.jpg

    To get a section of soft wood with side grain all the way around in a turning you can glue up a blank with a section of softer wood like basswood, buckeye, etc. This is such a glue up for chip carving (I didn't do letters on this but the principle is the same). Since gluing endgrain to endgrain is not recommended, I did what Frank Penta recommended and glued thin layers of wood between the other pieces with the grain going across. (The one in the background is turned entirely from soft basswood just for carving.)

    chip_goblet_glueup.jpg chip_carved_goblet_c.jpg

    You can also carve letters with a small bit in a rotary tool.

    To get the letters on the wood as a pattern to work from I draw them out on paper, wrap around the turning with a piece of graphite (not carbon) paper between, and trace with a fine tracing tool. You don't need to carve very deep. You do need to practice on scrap!

    When carving on the equator of a turned goblet be aware that as you move "north" or "south" the grain becomes endgrain. It takes a bit more control as the shape slopes away from vertical.

    JKJ
    Last edited by John K Jordan; 12-11-2017 at 6:11 PM.

  12. #12
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    I have labeled the bottoms of some of my items with black sharpie. Like Prashun mentioned, you need to be careful to not dissolve the writing with the overcoat. I have had success using triangular cosmetic sponges and poly to overcoat (and have also sprayed on Poly) but when I hand coat it I only wipe across it once.

    I bought a calligraphy stylus and a bottle of silver paint but I was disappointed with my ability to "write" with the stylus. It barely worked drawing straight down lines, but didn't work going sideways. I saw an ad for Ka-In-Nor writing pens that I might try.

    For doing bowl bottoms, I've been thinking about buying one of those cheap Chinese laser printers and print/burn on a very thin piece (like perhaps a piece of veneer). Then I would trim and glue this in. Another project....

    I will follow this discussion to get better ideas.

  13. #13
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    I turn thin goblets, so carving would be out for me. I use wood burning and give goblets as wedding gifts to family. These are miniatures:
    DSC_2071.jpg and this is one of my goblets:
    Amelya_Goblet-2.jpg
    Retired - when every day is Saturday (unless it's Sunday).

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