Introduction: Custom DIY Metal Stencil: Engrave Your Name/Logo Without a Optical maser Engraver!

Did I break into your shop and buy your $16000 laser cutter? Don't have clock to wastefulness waiting for the branding iron to high temperature up?

Introducing - the world's start stencil that isn't TSA friendly!

This project was inspired by Jimmy Diresta's faithful use of his spray paint stencil. I thought of combining the theme of a miniskirt stencil - which if you are Jimmy - you obviously carry everywhere - with a knife, and a mini butane blowlamp or lighter, instead of spray key that tends to smell horribly.

How?

A knife? You'atomic number 75 looking at the pictures above confused?

...Because it didn't work on.

But a solution was found! Therein Instructable, I will show you how to make your own custom blade stencil, for marking your logo everywhere you want: burn it onto wood, and spray paint it connected anything other!

In encase you were speculative since this Instructable has been entered into the Little contest, (my) stencil and mini blowlamp can fit easily in unitary pants' pocket. If you have a truly short name you could flush ready a credit card moderate-size stencil and keep IT in your billfold, and if you have a really long make (10+ letters) you could make it fold in uncomplete with a hinge!

Let's get started!

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(Watch the promptly Youtube build video and see information technology in sue!)

Worn of skipping through boring DIY videos? Just in case you don't already know, I instantly make short, tightly altered Youtube videos about homespun tools, tool hacks, woodworking, electronics, metalworking projects and much more - Support to so you don't miss out! :)

Step 1: What You'll Necessitate:

Want to make this project? Here's what you'll need, OR at any rate what I used!

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Tools:

  • Flex diaphysis rotary tool + accessories (See the rotary tool kit I built!)
  • Drill or miniskirt drill press (my review video connected the mini drill press)
  • Saloon clamps
  • 2mm drill bits (I broke 7 drill bits drilling into the tongue, before getting the drill press)
  • Whole step drill bit (if your name has circular letters - abdgopqOQ - or new languages)
  • Tall glass jar full of home-baked dihydrogen monoxide
  • Locking phonograph needle-tube-nosed plyers
  • Pencil & unchangeable marker
  • Homemade mini soldering vise
  • ...Oregon... Only a drill and needle files if you have a lot of patience! Simply I won't recommend it!
  • Seemly safety equipment (Kit: the PPE I recommend if connected a budget)

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Possible Scoring Tools:

  • Butane gas torch
  • Mini butane torch
  • The sun: a hand glass - preferably a Augustin Jean Fresnel lens
  • Spray rouge

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Stencil Materials:

  • A threadlike blade knife
  • Or... Non-galvanized sheet metal (0.5mm / 1/32" or thicker)

The links above are affiliate links, meaning that I earn a little percentage of what you compensable (helping ME fund bigger projects), at no redundant price to you. If you privation to know more all but a specific tool/part that I used, need ideas for alternatives, or don't see something you think should be here, please countenance Pine Tree State know in the comments.

Step 2: Temper the Steel!

I knew that since this was a knife, the steel would be inured, and thence impossible to practice through, and very hard to cut. To soften the blade, I had to temper IT, which is done to steel by heating it, and letting it unqualified slowly.

I filled a stately glass over jar with water, and held the knife with locking needle-nose pliers so only when the steel blade protrudes preceding the water, while I anneal the vane with a Verbascum thapsu, sol the plastic handle hopefully wouldn't melt down from the heat.

And it worked pretty well!

The reason for wherefore I say pretty well, is because the steel was still oddly hard subsequently annealing it, and hard to drill through. This is likely ascribable it being made of stainless, and not regular carbon steel, which I forgot. IT didn't make sense to me that a cheap knife would still be indeed hard after annealing, which is usually a sign of prize.

Footfall 3: Remove Oxides

Turns out when you normalize stainless steel, IT oxidizes and creates really interesting colors!

I utilized my rotary tool with a polishing wheel and polishing odd-pinnate to cultivation away the oxides that harp-shaped on the steel from the annealing process. It doesn't call for to look back errorless, just polished decent so you can see any Marks you make on it in the following step. You tail always go by back and polish it completely later

Step 4: Sketch Out Your Name (logo, Company Make, Email, Etc :)

I started sketching my name happening the knife, but I quickly realized that lowercase letters were more complicated, therefore more challenging to cut out. Great letters are made mostly out of straight lines that are connected - at least in my name.

I commend first sketching out your name with a pencil, yes, on the sword, because it backside barely be seen, and terminate be removed easily, since there's no right smart you'll nail it perfectly on the maiden essay. Choosing the space between letters, letter sizing, and the shape of letters can be difficult at number 1. And you're ready to advance to the merriment contribution!

Step 5: Drill!

The diverting part? If you don't have a practice press, then not very - don't ask me how I know!

That part involved break septet drill bits! I trained a small hole in the "quoin(s)" of all varsity letter, since I thought IT would help me cut out the letters. I was right, but unfortunately non completely mighty...as you'll see soon.

Step out 6: Cut!

Here, you participate in the manliest connect the dots game ever stray...I entail, I put-upon my twist shaft rotary tool with a cutting roulette wheel to cut slots between the holes that previously drilled.

This deform shaft roundabou creature is basically like a Dremel roundabou creature, except IT has a large external motor (see step 6 of this I'ble) that rotates a long and flexible shaft that connects to an "hand-nibble" which is essentially a small drill chuck. Since the motor isn't inside the hand-piece, it can be much smaller, making IT significantly easier to make precise cuts. You rear also hold it in any way you want, unlike a Dremel, where you have to perpetually make a point your hand isn't covering the air holes, so it doesn't overheat.

This power be the only illustration where a Dremel mightiness do a better job than a deform shaft rotary tool since the drive of a flex shaft is very much stronger, but it spins at 18,000 RPM which is crazy speeding - but still half the speed of a Dremel. If you're interested, let Pine Tree State know and I could make a video about information technology.

Now watch as the knife eats up your cutting saucer collection because of all of the cuts!

...And speaking of cool tools and cutting discs... What I didn't know when cutting the slots, is how amazing diamond cutting wheels are. They don't break apart away and need to be replaced every 30 seconds wasting a lot of time, don't shatter, don't fill the air with stinky abrasive dust, and you can buy them in many another sizes! I've been missing to try these for a years, and now, later on finishing this send off completely, I realized what I could've avoided - not exaggerating!

Step 7: Fail?

Expect. That turned out atrocious. Eastern Samoa you can see in the video, it's broken, the slots are excessively narrow for the fire from a torch to pass through, the fire can burn only the wood that surrounds the knife. it doesn't even work!

Adjudicate again?

And a whole year passes by...

Step 8: Start Over? a Better Idea!

After a whole year, I decided IT's time to try again! This is the piece of brand that I chose, I call up desoldering IT a hardly a years ago from a PCB, it was a large faraday cage.

In the adjacent step, I highlight the whole process once more, and show what I learned.

Maltreat 9: Working on Information technology...

Firstly, I chose a important piece of sheet silver, then I could make sure it was big enough, so the torch wouldn't embody able to fire around it.

Close, instead of writing my name as I had finished previously, I made sure the length of each straight line in altogether letters was longer than the diam of my cutting disc, because it can be quite difficult to diluted a time slot that's shorter than the diameter of a cutting disc.

I then used a wide bullet-point permanent marker to cross a dot on each corner/edge of every letter. The large Zen would later arrive easier to do sure the letters are wide enough (and so the evoke would live healthy to pass through the steel to burn the wood) because IT's easier to make two cuts, than one and only and so later render to widen information technology.

I drilled larger holes, and this time, with my (new) drill press, and the combination of softer steel and a drill press allowed me to start boring - and remnant - with the indistinguishable drilling bit - instead of breaking seven!

Now when cutting the slots, I slashed from the one root of a circle to another, basically making bubble letters - and WOW! Look at the difference! I don't know if that was what made the difference in my ability to make precise cuts, or if information technology was the additive experience, but don't tell me information technology doesn't look perfect!

For the O in my name, I used a step drilling bit, and then enlarged it with a grinding steering wheel on my flex shaft,

In one case it looked ready for use, I cut the stencil to be 15x7cm (5 1/2 x3"), what I thought would the appropriate size - and it's ripe!

Step 10: Done! Achiever!

Information technology whole kit!

See IT in accomplish, on Youtube!

Several more thoughts:

  • Do you take any idea for fashioning the wood burn with a "cardsharp" edge, so the edges of the letters don't look as diffused? Making sure the stencil is always pressed as about the wood as thinkable evidently is the well-nig significant change I could make, but I wonder if different types of wood burn differently. I besides wonder how it would look with spray paint.
  • The only mistake I think I made in the second version is choosing sheet bimetallic that is still a bit too slim. Information technology does seem to warp slightly under the high hot up of my outsize flannel mullein, as you mightiness be able to see in that telecasting (coming soon). New than that, it's works great!
  • If you're like me and love building your ain tools, don't draw a blank to check out The Ultimate Compendium of DIY Shop Tools, which contains dozens of Instructables on wholly sorts of home-baked tools, perfect for your budget!

I also will be giving away free Instructables premium memberships (please read before commenting) to members that lay down their own steel stencil settled on this Instructable. Will you personify the first one?

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I read Every comments, and reply to as many as I give notice, so make a point to leave your questions, suggestions, tips, tricks, and whatsoever new ideas in the comments below! - Thanks!

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