I think these are laser made. If not, they should be. I can totally see myself doing something like this. Its really cool and very well done. Did I say I can’t wait to get my Glowforge? I CAN’T WAIT!
Eric
Very cool, but definitely don’t want to be cutting vinyl with lasers as it will produce some nasty gases (harmful to both you and the laser).
Some old 78s are made with shellac, but most common day records are made with PVC which they generally just call ‘vinyl’. Cutting them with a laser will create chlorine gas. You dont want that!
However, you can probably recreate the effect with acrylic…
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I met a vendor at the Brooklyn Flea Market in Industry City recently that laser cuts vinyl for all his work. Clocks, phone cases, lamps etc… He said that along with protective suits and respirators all the major components of his laser cutter are powder coated to protect against corrosion and even then some parts he still has to replace very frequently.
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not worth it lol
Many years ago, there was a Kickstarter company called Record Monsters, that sold laser-cut records that you assembled into various creatures. It was pretty cool, but their words on the experience were interesting:
“No on vinyl, yes that is final. Don’t cut vinyl with a laser cutter kids. We had a way to do this in a safe way, but we will never match the two again. Don’t do it, for real.”
Alas, toxic is toxic, the whole world 'round.
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Too bad, My collection dates back to the '60’s, so many cool album covers… a few hundred pounds of them. Boo.
If you really wanted to get the same effect I could see cutting a stencil and using that as a guide to cut either with a dremel or a super sharp knife. Not as awesome as doing the whole thing with a laser but I’ve been considering this route
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Yes, stencil and a hand fret saw or an electric scroll saw.
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Yeah, I have many years of experience with a jewelers coping saw, but by the time I maneuvered a hairline blade through the design, it would be a part of my family. 
It’s all good though, I don’t hold any visions of making a living with my basic - I spent 40 years doing that.
This is for me. A new avenue of creative expression that will fill many remaining years, providing a creative vent that spans more different materials than a few alloys of precious metal. Learning lapidary extended my satisfaction with jewelry for twenty years, but inevitably I have a need to move on to a new learning experience.
I am thrilled to finally have access to a technology that I have lusted after since I first saw a laser engraved design on wood thirty years go.
But those albums… stupid chlorine. Boo.
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