The Ornament Jig is now available!
The wait is over for a way to perfectly engrave glass ornaments! Explore the resources below and contact me if there is anything further I can assist you with.
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What parts come with each order?
The Ornament Jig was based on the idea that great designs don't have to be too complex. This solution uses a well-designed 3D printed part, an o-ring, a single machine screw, and various size shim rings to hold your ornaments in the perfect position while engraving.
Currently each order ships with one 3D printed part, one o-ring, one machine screw and two different sized rings to make it possible to engrave at least four different sizes of ornaments.
Currently each order ships with one 3D printed part, one o-ring, one machine screw and two different sized rings to make it possible to engrave at least four different sizes of ornaments.
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What additional parts do I need to make it work?
You have options. Since the 3D printed part is designed to fit snugly inside the opening of a 3/4" schedule 40 PVC pipe fitting, you can customize the exact tool for the job.
The best solution for my rotary was to get a single 2" PVC pipe coupler and one 2" to 3/4" PVC reducer bushing (both pictured above). When pressed tightly together, this provides the perfect base to set on the wheels of my Epilog wheeled rotary attachment. You can also use a 1-1/2" PVC pipe coupler and a 1-1/2" to 3/4" PVC reducer bushing instead of the 2" version. This smaller size works really well for the smaller ornament sizes since it's circumference is closer matched to the circumference of the smaller ornaments. I have a spreadsheet that easily gives you the correct numbers for graphic compensation on the link below.
I personally use my custom Rotary Clamp, but the standard Epilog rotary clamp works fine for this application as well.
If you happen to have a chuck style rotary, you don't need any additional parts! Simply chuck the smaller end of the 3D printed part snugly into the jaws of the chuck, insert your ornament, and laser away!
The best solution for my rotary was to get a single 2" PVC pipe coupler and one 2" to 3/4" PVC reducer bushing (both pictured above). When pressed tightly together, this provides the perfect base to set on the wheels of my Epilog wheeled rotary attachment. You can also use a 1-1/2" PVC pipe coupler and a 1-1/2" to 3/4" PVC reducer bushing instead of the 2" version. This smaller size works really well for the smaller ornament sizes since it's circumference is closer matched to the circumference of the smaller ornaments. I have a spreadsheet that easily gives you the correct numbers for graphic compensation on the link below.
I personally use my custom Rotary Clamp, but the standard Epilog rotary clamp works fine for this application as well.
If you happen to have a chuck style rotary, you don't need any additional parts! Simply chuck the smaller end of the 3D printed part snugly into the jaws of the chuck, insert your ornament, and laser away!
What settings would you recommend?
Settings are always a tricky thing because each laser is going to be different. Even lasers of the exact same model and wattage can vary drastically. Here's the equipment I have and the settings I used:
Laser: Epilog Helix 60w (Going on 2 years old)
Artwork Considerations: My artwork was set to 40% black in CorelDRAW before sending to the laser.
I had my power set between 28 and 36. Ornaments that had the mirror-like finish under the paint seemed to like the lower power.
I ran these pretty fast at 90% speed at 300dpi
Laser: Epilog Helix 60w (Going on 2 years old)
Artwork Considerations: My artwork was set to 40% black in CorelDRAW before sending to the laser.
I had my power set between 28 and 36. Ornaments that had the mirror-like finish under the paint seemed to like the lower power.
I ran these pretty fast at 90% speed at 300dpi
What ornaments has this been tested with?
I have personally tested this design with four different sizes of ornaments from Walmart and two different sizes and styles of ornaments from Hobby Lobby. In both cases, the ornaments I chose were glass ornaments made specifically for those two stores. The sizes ranged in diameter, but included 1.75", 2.25", 2.5" and 2.625" diameter ornaments. Here are some of the ornaments I tested.
