This week, I used the OtherMill Pro to carve out my partner’s signature in steel.
Materials
scrap steel
1/8” flat end mill
1/16” flat end mill
Process
My partner had sent me an illustrator file with her signature on it, and I thought it would make a pretty neat Valentine’s Day gift if I could carve something out for her. Originally, I had brought a piece of brass in, but it was not a truly flat piece. I then found a piece of steel that I thought would work for this project.
Because of the way the signature tapers at the end of certain letters, I had to scale up the drawing and use only her first name so that I could begin the job. I asked David Rios if I could borrow his 1/16” FEM for the thinner ends.
I made sure to clean the surface of the spoilboard with acetone before beginning the job. The project started with the 1/16” bit for a few seconds, and then 1/8” for the rest of the job.
