Cookie Stamp from Corian questions

[Mayo Pardo]

I'm experimenting on a scrap of corian and wanting to make a cookie stamp.
Or something I can roll the cookie dough onto and have it impress and cut the cookies.

I'm trying the stamp mode in the Trotec Job control and because my laser is only 30W, it's not going very deep.
So for multiple passes, do I want to periodically refocus or should I just do all passes at the original surface height of the corian?

I'm hoping to get at least a 3/16 deep pocket to indent the cookies but wondering if the laser beam spread as it gets deeper is going to ruin the image.

BTW, I tried HDPE first and it does not work... it bubbles up and stays warm for quite a while.

[Keith Downing]

Interesting idea. Just out of curiosity, why wouldn't you do just do a wooden roller. They're pretty common, and not too hard to get a deep engraving in. Is the issue that you want it to cut out the cookies in a shape as well?

[Mayo Pardo]

I don't have a rotary device yet, so I can't do a roller at this point.
I do have some unfinished maple flooring that I could try though it's in relatively narrow strips.

The shape is not unique - just round. The image within the cookie is the issue, and whether I can get it impressed deep enough within the cookie dough to make something that shows up after baking.

[Kev Williams]

For multiple passes of full on raster-routing like you're doing, the beam isn't going to run into a narrow kerf like with cutting, so I'd think it would be a good idea to re-focus. Might even be a good idea to focus in about .02" closer than normal when cutting into already-cut material...

[Mayo Pardo]

Thanks for the suggestion Kev.
I tried some of the maple and it worked much faster than the corian for me, so that's what I plan to use.
After seeing how the design came out though, I have a feeling it's too detailed for cookie dough.
The good part is, I can eat the results no matter how bad they look!

[John Bion]

Mayo,
This is a small wax seal stamp I made years ago and use many times a week, made from a corian scrap on the lasers, with it is a discarded seal imprint (of poor quality) for illustrative purposes:
Colonial Classics Wax Seal.jpg
I have to leave the wax to cool and firm before using the seal or the wax will bind to the Corian, I suspect that this would possibly be a problem with the dough too. The details on this are very fine.

[Mayo Pardo]

Here's the end result of the maple wood cookie stamp
CatCookiesWeb.jpg
They're cat cookies for dogs...

[Makrel Johnson]

I like it! The details came out very well.

If your cookies are pretty regular in size (which they look like they are) you could try just lasering them directly.
Initial setup could be a pain, though. I think the stamp turned out great! Nice detail.

[Merritt Conner]

Don't discount Makrel's idea, tried it on toast once with good results. Was tempted to raster an Elvis image and sell it to the National Enquirer.