A wood finish question

[kneadle]

Hello,

I'd like to apply some printed-lettering to some hardwood (maple)before I finish it. I've been told that what I want to do is find a company that will print off some decals that are rubbed into /onto the wood.

Does anyone know how I can DIY? Or what kind of printing company I'm looking for?

Dave

 

[Bill Fitzpatrick]

Some "dry transfer" lettering might do the job for you. Check with stationery stores.

 

[Lisandro_P]

I did the lettering for my previous JLH case with Letraset over the wood, after the final sanding and before applying laquer. It worked great, and i imagine any dry transfer method would work well as long as the wood is dense enough (no big pores, etc).

 

[kneadle]

Ok, those are nice suggestions, but you'd know I couldn't be doing "normal" lettering.

I have a font for the Qumran Isaiah scroll handwriting. It's just beautiful stuff, and I want to somehow get that writing printed so that I can get it onto Maple (that's a non-porous wood).

In essence, it's the same thing as getting a picture from the computer to wood.

Dave

 

[kneadle]

Upon investigating Letraset, it appears that I have found a solution! Thanks.

Dave

 

[wotan2525]

I see you already found a solution but I was going to recommend laser engraving the speakers and then either placing laser cut inlays or something similar into it. This is the type of equipment that I deal with, here is an example of something pretty complex that one of our customers did.

 

[kneadle]

how does that work? That looks very nice, and I'm having trouble understanding how letraset actually works.

Dave

 

[Lisandro_P]

Letraset it's a transparent sheet of "stickeable" letters and symbols. You place it over a surface, scratch it on the other side (with a pencil or something) and it's transfered. Then you protect it with someting (clear laquer f.ex.) so it won't come off. Works kinda nice for simple lettering.

 

[peranders]

You could blaster maybe. Make a mask of thick cardboard, plastic, metal.

 

[kneadle]

Letraset it's a transparent sheet of "stickeable" letters and symbols. You place it over a surface, scratch it on the other side (with a pencil or something) and it's transfered. Then you protect it with someting (clear laquer f.ex.) so it won't come off. Works kinda nice for simple lettering.

Yeah, but what about a custom graphics? Can I DIY that somehow?

 

[pinkmouse]

You could try that iron-on T-shirt inkjet paper, it might work 😉

 

[leadbelly]

You could try that iron-on T-shirt inkjet paper, it might work

If you were gonna go that route, you can actually get blank decal sheets especially for inkjet printers. And if you are serious about custom decals, I think Microscale does them. This is all very common in modelmaking, especially trains. You may just want to pop into your local hobby store.

 

[kneadle]

Exactly. A hobby store. They can do custom? That would be great. And probably inexpensive, eh?

eh?

Dave

 

[cyclotronguy]

You can print from your computer using mirror text. Copy to scale on a thermal photocopy machine. Then use the photocopy as an iron on transfer.

Cyclotronguy

 

[leadbelly]

Exactly. A hobby store. They can do custom? That would be great. And probably inexpensive, eh?

eh?

Sorry, I have no idea of the cost, as I've never done it. My guess is that the blank decal sheets are cheapest. Another technique used in modelling is to have full sheets of couloured decal sheet, and cut out whatever lettering you want with a modeller's knife.

 

[Lisandro_P]

Well, you can get creative with assorted symbols (circles, lines, bullets, etc) when using letraset, but it's a bit irksome, to say the least...

 

[peranders]

You can carve the text but it takes maybe skills.

 

[psychokids]

Hello,

I rescently used a product called lazertran with very good results. Mine was on aluminum but on their website they use it on everything from tee shirts to ceramic tile. Wood should work too. You just print out a high quality proof of your lettering on a laser printer or an inkjet, take it down to kinkos and copy it onto the decal sheet. It soaks off the backing and you put it on and it dries quite hard and is only i think a few mils thick. Dont run the sheets through a normal hp laserjet or anything unless you like the idea of picking it out the back with needlenose pliers in tiny pieces... Not fun at all. Its worth the trip to the copy machine. Heres the manufacturers website. www.lazertran.com .

-Chris

 

[kneadle]

Thanks

If I can't figure out how to get custom graphics affordably dry-transferred using Letraset or some other dry technique, then Lazertran looks like a viable and affordable technique.

At any rate, it is certainly possible to get a nice printed graphic (or, in my case, strange font) onto wood without special skills, equipment or high cost.

Any other suggestions, though, are still welcome.

Thanks all,

Dave

 

[jbateman]

You might try contacting this guy:
http://www.dynaart.com/index1.html

He's been offering a method for making PC boards at home for many years. At the link above there is a listing for decals "coming soon". Maybe he can tell you what he will be offering.