I LOVE Acrylic!

djfb · December 17, 2021, 2:53am

What? You didn’t really have bacon? Suffering’ succotash!

Docsis · December 17, 2021, 3:09am

… I DID have the bacon. I NEVER joke about bacon.

djfb · December 17, 2021, 3:10am

kittski · December 17, 2021, 7:55pm

These are so awesome and you’re going to have some really happy family members! I share your love of acrylic, and it has led to me becoming a hoarder which is supported by my local TAP Plastic store supporting my habit. I have stacks of the stuff everywhere. )

ellencadwell · December 17, 2021, 9:14pm

Those look fantastic! The recipients are going to love them!

larry1 · December 17, 2021, 9:50pm

I agree, THANKS for the long explanation of your process. I can imagine that the spider man elicited a few naughty words while cutting and assembling.

ovm.steve · December 17, 2021, 10:41pm

Did you make up the really good bacon sandwich??? That’s just not right! Never tease about bacon!!!

EDIT:

ALWAYS READ ENTIRE POST BEFORE COMMENTING

Try · December 18, 2021, 1:39am

Docsis:

The bottom layer is wood or MDF (cut to the same shape). Black is the outline. I discard all the “inside” pieces since all I want is the outline. I use inkscape to separate all the different colors. Using red for example, I cut out the whole pattern again in red acrylic so each piece is in the correct spot (like a jigsaw puzzle). Before removing it from the Glowforge, I use masking tape to keep all the cut pieces attached to the sheet, and gently remove and place it on the table on top of another board. I remove the masking tape I placed to hold it all together and slowly lift off the sheet, leaving the pieces exactly in place on the board, then one at a time, remove the masking on each piece and place it it in the correct place in the black border. Since the pieces are laying on the board exactly as they are in the black outline, it’s easy to know where the pieces go. Repeat until all colors are inserted. I place another board on top, hold tightly, and slowly turn the whole thing over. Then I use spray-on glue on the wooden cut out piece and place it on top of the “now upside down” project, line it up and let it dry.
It takes time, but this way, I dont have to try to glue each piece in one at a time.
You can also just start with the black outline upside down and place each piece in (flipping each piece over of course) but I found this more difficult actually.
Of couse, all of this isn’t necessary if there are only a few pieces… but that spiderman had several hundred I think, and some were so small I had to use tweezers!

There may be a simpler way, but this is the way I’ve been doing these that have lots of pieces.

Sorry… I didn’t realize I just wrote a book!

Magnificent
When I think that I could not test your method and achieve such nice things since my glowforge broke 2 days after receiving it … I start to cry again when I see it there in my living room but unusable

awebs76 · December 18, 2021, 2:37am

Wow these are works of art, no wonder you love acrylic!

Docsis · December 18, 2021, 4:54am

are you asking if I am a medical radiology guy? no, I am not.
??

LJoliver · December 18, 2021, 5:53am

That is a great step by step, thank you! it 100% looks worth it. Are you talking super 77 for spray on glue? I am also thankful that you mentioned that you use wood for the bottom, I keep trying to glue acrylic together with acrylic glue and it just never seems right or when I’m using clear acrylic it tends to off gas and make the pieces cloudy.

Deleted · December 18, 2021, 6:08am

OH oh! OH!!! modem protocols!!! ( Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification) I kept thinking DICOM!!!

duh!

Docsis · December 18, 2021, 6:42am

There ya go! I retired after 38 years working for a cable company. I worked in a master headend and was responsible for wiring and maintaining the CMTS’s, optical transmitters and receivers and fibers for over 200 fiber nodes across the city and a few surrounding small towns. I loved my job, and miss it, but love being retired!

Deleted · December 18, 2021, 2:48pm

Yup - did IT tech support, since 1985, worked in a colo freezing my butt off
moved to vegas 12 years ago, worked for a medical office doing ‘bio-tech / radiology support’
was Covid retired.

Jon

alindblade · December 19, 2021, 11:52pm

Totally awesome. Thanks for sharing!

cassandramillier · December 20, 2021, 3:35pm

This slight exaggeration just made me laugh my butt off. Btw, bacon is LIFE

mrinken · December 20, 2021, 3:40pm

Looks awesome!!!

3pm111 · December 20, 2021, 7:58pm

Sweet designs, printing, and placements!!!

quixotequest · December 21, 2021, 7:32pm

I like your approach to just have a solid bottom layer into which the pieces can fit inside and sit atop. I’ve done some single-layer ‘stained glass’ designs where I was adjusting kerf so that a single layer of the pieces would fit snugly enough together into the ‘framework’ black so that I could glue all together reliably with Weld-On – and well, it ended up being incredibly time intensive and had several pieces of waste when I cracked them fitting together. Your way seems much more pain-free!

cassandramillier · April 18, 2022, 2:05pm

Fellow canadian eh?