I’m going to try engrave the swan logo onto the chopping board, and I’m going to be using a mini engraver sent to me by a company called GearBest to do this. Out of curiosity whether this works. So I’m going to use something called Benbox which is the software provided with this thing, anyway.

So this is the chopping board – it’s oak. That was levelled on the CNC machine, and this is the engraver that I’ll be using. And if it works this is potentially how I will personalise or identify things I’ve made in the future.

Ok two fucking hours later, and I’ve managed to get it to move. After everything I said in the previous video. I had this problem before and it seems like you have to punch in the details, the numbers in manually before it starts doing stuff – dah. They are on a folder in the installation software .

Ok so this is a screen capture of the folder with the software in it, and these are some of the files and document you can access. Including a map of the shield, something to do with the driver location which you can test in your driver folder, and also how to use Benbox folder with a series of images with the steps you will need to take to use the software. You don’t have to shutdown you antivirus software, it can install with that on. I recommend keeping that on. It is a little bit fiddly as you have to put these numbers in. And it seems to be the case that you have to do that every time you use the software. I’m just going to let the slideshow run so you get an idea of what these are. So this information should be in your software folder, don’t delete it. Make sure you select the right firmware appropriate for the model that you’ve bought. And it’s basically a bit of trial and error before you work out the right procedure for using the software but it does work.

So I’ve got a bit of cardboard underneath here. It did turn on and I did manage to burn through the cardboard into the table. I’ve obviously got the machine the wrong way around and I’ve obviously burnt into the table again FFS. Well I guess this is a laser engraver after all.

So I’m doing several tests on cardboard, later on birch ply and eventually I will make the laser engraving on the chopping board. This is just so I’m confident it will engrave the way I want it to.

I do have a fan on, at least it’s kind a pulling – you can see it pulling the smoke up there but I should really have something to exhaust this out. And I have open a window.

I’ve just re-edited the original file so the beak doesn’t have as much detail in it, so hopefully the section will come out a bit clearer. It’s trail and error of learning how to prepare the file for (the material) doing this

The point where the laser engraving is marked by the cross-hair in the circle.

So it’s just finishing up the swan. It looks pretty good.

So the swan looks like she fell asleep with her mascara on.

So I am engraving the chopping board now. I had to raise one end up so it could rest correctly. It’s pretty mesmerising to watch through green tinted goggles, but it would be much safer to shield the laser behind some king of enclosure.

Probably should have stuck it a bit closer to edge or it would have been nice doing it along here, but you live and learn.

I think it might be fun to engrave some more drawing on the back of the board, but firstly I need to get some proper extraction. There are also alternative software including T2 laser and Estlecam but I’ve not used them so I cannot vouch for their success or failures.

Anyway I hope you found that interesting. Please do sacrifice a thumb and I’ll see you in the future.