Rotary Engraving a Yoyo on my Glowforge

taylor.a.jenkins · June 8, 2020, 9:00am

I had an urgent request this weekend from a really good friend of mine to engrave around the rim of a yoyo. I had been noodling on this idea since I got my Glowforge a couple years ago, so when the request came, I knew I had to try it. I did, and with success! I designed and cut my rotary fixture out of a single sheet of proofgrade medium draftboard. The current design will work with cylinders measuring 1.5" to 2.125" diameter, and can utilize the full travel of the machine. I think it will be possible to do smaller diameter items, with some simple modifications I’m considering.
The Yoyo had a 2.1" diameter.

lightner · June 8, 2020, 2:34pm

Can we see a photo?

tjleasa · June 8, 2020, 2:39pm

Intrigued, to say the least.

kanati · June 8, 2020, 2:45pm

Rotary attachment???

dklgood · June 8, 2020, 2:48pm

You have our full attention.

UrJac · June 8, 2020, 8:20pm

I’d certainly like to hear more about the solution for the solution.

beerfaced · June 8, 2020, 11:02pm

He’s leaving us hanging.

wesleyjames · June 9, 2020, 4:34am

Walk the dog? Cradle? Round the world? Pendulum?

Oh common @system… the whole post isn’t that long to quote!!

reynoso · June 9, 2020, 11:52pm

Video please!

taylor.a.jenkins · June 11, 2020, 2:21am

More info will be forthcoming, once I have time to put it together for you. I’m tweaking some things on my design, after which I will make a proper video. Unfortunately I missed my opportunity with the yoyo, so I’m open to requests. Probably next week.

taylor.a.jenkins · June 15, 2020, 11:41pm

Here is a test engraving with my new fixture, on 1.25" Dowel.

beerfaced · June 16, 2020, 12:30am

Looks great. Can’t wait to see what kind of fixture you’ve created.

davidgal2 · June 16, 2020, 12:33am

Very nice results. Darkness is uniform around the dowel.

randy.cohen · June 16, 2020, 5:24am

Be interesting to see how the rotary fixture was implemented. Typically, you’d disconnect the Y axis from the gantry and drive the rotary fixture as the Y axis instead… best of my knowledge there are no hooks like that in the GF and you can’t open the lid to manually index the fixture. So it’s a mystery now, I want explained!

taylor.a.jenkins · June 16, 2020, 6:13am

Video doesn’t want to upload, but here are more pictures.

taylor.a.jenkins · June 16, 2020, 7:33am

Finally got a video link working! This shows the engraving of a 1.25" diameter dowel.

taylor.a.jenkins · June 16, 2020, 8:34am

Another video engraving on a 0.375" diameter dowel.

karaelena · June 16, 2020, 8:48am

Ah. Your manually advancing it via the pass thru slot.

Well specifically using the gantry to drag/roll the object.

drvegetable · June 16, 2020, 1:08pm

Now that is brilliant!

cindyhodesigns · June 16, 2020, 1:23pm

That is so genius!