I’m new to Glowforge. Mine has arrived but is still in the box, until after Christmas, of course. But I was wondering about materials. Specifically pre-cut materials. Here is an example: Amazon.com: 3-Inch K9 Blank Crystal with Elegant Red Gift Box : Home & Kitchen Something that is already in the “right” shape, depending on the application, and has a box to put it in, all I would need to do is design something to etch onto it. The one is the example seems pricy to me, so I was wondering if any of you know of other resources for pre-cut materials for various purposes and having a box for each to go along with them (doesn’t need to be a gift box, but a blank retail box would be nice), would be a plus.
You’re on the right track by checking Amazon but if you’re looking for rock-bottom pricing a lot of times a place that’s direct from China can be even less expensive.
If it were me, I would probably be looking for a source of the boxes and the source of the materials separately, you’ll probably have a lot more options there. I usually reach for AliExpress when I need something kind of like this.
You’ll need to keep an eye on your shipping times, it could be a bit longer than something like Amazon… But it’s usually pretty reasonable.
Oh … thanks so much for the quick reply. I just looked at aliexpress. Do you, or anyone else have on tips for keywords searching for the right materials (that will work with the glowforge)? I’ve tried co2 and such but I get a lot of baby dolls! LOL … don’t know why. For example, I like the ornament from the example that gave from Amazon, but I wish it were oval instead of a circle and the gift box would be throwaway for me because I’d want more of a retail box. But I like your idea of getting boxes from a different source too. Thanks! I may want to buy a few before the tariffs take effect next year if they are coming from overseas.
You’re unlikely to find anything by searching Ali by the type of laser sadly, you’re going to want to focus on what the item is. Try searching for “3-Inch Blank Crystal”, or if the size doesn’t matter but shape does “Oval Crystal”.
Doing a search tells me that K9 crystal is optical borosilicate glass. Borosilicate can be engraved with a laser - but it’s difficult, and the engraving tends to be clear…probably not what you’re looking for.
So maybe “oval glass ornament” or “oval acrylic ornament” might get you closer - but I do concur that getting a small sample and testing is the way to go before you invest in a bulk shipment.
There is so much data in this forum about materials and how they do in a Glowforge. I’d start here first
A company like Johnson Plastics Plus, www.jpplus.com , offers ready to engrave blanks and this is just one example of places to get ready to engrave surfaces. You might also try Hobby Lobby or Michaels if you want wood surfaces. So glad you joined the forum before you even opened the box. This is one of the best features of your Glowforge. There are so many experts on here that you can easily get help with almost any issue. Welcome.
Everyone is so helpful! Such an awesome community that I’ve joined. Quick question: I’m seeing this word a lot when looking for blanks, sublimation. For instance, with the Johnson Plastics site, I see a category for engraving blanks and then a separate category for sublimation blanks. I’m curious as to what the difference means and if there are words that I should stay away from for use with my glowforge. Thanks!
Material: Typically made from materials like acrylic, wood, glass, or metal.
Process: Used for laser engraving or cutting. The laser burns away the surface material to create a design.
Finish: The design is etched into the surface, which can be left as is or painted over.
Applications: Commonly used for personalized gifts, awards, and signage.
Sublimation Blanks:
Material: Usually made from polyester-coated items like mugs, tiles, or coasters.
Process: Uses heat and pressure to transfer dye from sublimation paper onto the blank. The dye turns into gas and bonds with the material at a molecular level.
Finish: Produces vibrant, long-lasting, and durable designs that are resistant to fading, cracking, or peeling.
Applications: Ideal for creating custom apparel, drinkware, and promotional items.
Sublimation is a printing technique, the polyester surface takes the ink from a sublimation printer.
It’s not ideal for lasering but it’s also not directly harmful. Some people have gotten very good results with lasering sublimation blanks on performance models. I have yet to see if anyone’s tried it with an aura or spark but considering the surface is generally white and highly reflective I have a feeling that the aura will struggle to work with it.
If you don’t have a sublimation printer… If you are want to engrave on a white material, you’re probably better off painting surfaces white and then engraving them.
When possible I find it far easier to cut my own shapes as it is far easier to put the engraving where you want instead of a bit off that can be very obvious, and the shapes are a lot cheaper than precut.
If you have an Aura there are a lot of restrictions in what will work as it will not touch clear acrylic. However, the CO2 lasers are much less restrictive.
As for the glass formulas, borosilicate glass is much less likely to break or chip (which is what engraved glass is doing) but it is also not very brilliant, Lead glass is very brilliant but as much as 90% lead, and thus a mess except in very reducing atmospheres. Normal soda-lime glass is usually “glass green” but can be made with more expensive materials. Someone with a glass furnace could make them but that would likely be very expensive. Far better to use clear (or glass green) acrylic.
Thanks. When I open my Christmas present, it will be the GF Pro HD. If using my GF for cutting the shapes will be more economical, and doing so will ensure accuracy with the design on them, then that is the way that I should go. I just can’t fathom at the moment, how I will be able to tell the GF software to cut the oval shape so that the edging is faceted (not sure I’m spelling that right), like in the example from my OP. I’m guessing that I’ll purchase an acrylic sheet that will fit inside the unit and be the right thickness, and then, once I figure out how to use the software to create these, that it can just create a small batch of these using the same sheet as one task. If that makes sense. Geeze … I’ve got a lot to learn!
I would download and experiment with Gimp and Inkscape as many hours as you can before opening the Glowforge. They are completely free as they have been created by advanced users and not as anyone’s big business. There is a wide range of assistance from their websites or YouTube and probably more.
Making any shaped polygon you wish is easy, though making a set of polygons like the surface of a diamond is a lot harder because the laser only cuts straight up and down. (I had a hard time getting that through my head at first) Even so, many folk here have made really exotic solids with unpronounceable names, while I have only done cubes and the occasional cylinder.
As stated, you can’t cut/engrave plain sheets into faceted pieces like you show in your original link. Those were manufactured with those features pressed/molded in.
You can cut interesting shapes, however, and engrave onto the flat surface.
Actually, they would be a pain to do but possible. As a high LPI (640) variable engrave black at the edge to white at the inside. Or just done with a hand tool by hand. If you wanted a smooth surface then kick the LPI up to 1360. Multiple sharp edges such as you see on the top of a diamond would be closer to impossible without other special tools.
I doubt that those originals were press / molded
You could certainly engrave the shape, I have done that, but polishing for a glass-clear finish would be incredibly laborious. In fact, it would be simpler to create them mechanically in the first place.
I indirectly know someone who owns a metaphysical store, the daughter of a friend of mine may be buying it as the owner is retiring. They produce their own branded products along those lines and that type of stuff is manufactured in bulk then customized. The person who provides them is protective of their source because they don’t want to lose the customization business.
Faceting machines exist for a reason. Like @eflyguy, I’m convinced these things are cast, then faceted. In a factory that puts out many thousands of awards plaques, the material costs would be far lower this way and would justify the tooling cost.
Lasering the shape is impractical and will not look good without tremendous manual labor.
Thanks again, everyone, for all the helpful insights! I really appreciate the time you’ve taken to share your experiences. I guess what I was envisioning wasn’t necessarily “faceted” but more “elevated,” something beyond a basic straight cut. From what I understand, it seems like the Glowforge primarily handles straight cuts. That said, I’ll take a closer look at the catalog and explore what others have created with their Glowforge. Even if the cuts are straight, I’m curious to see how they’ve been used creatively to achieve a more dynamic or intricate look. Thanks again for pointing me in the right direction!
I do make angled cuts by elevating one side of the material. I use this to make “roofs” of things, or 3D stars, for example. I’m working on a bird feeder right now, in fact.
