Step1: Cut wood back and front, engrave front, add any personalized engraving..
Step2: Cut shell veneer, attach with 3M sheet adhesive (came with veneer)
Step3: Cut acrylic pieces to match front and back
Step4: Heat sublimate images onto acrylic
Design Files
This Photo Pendant was an idea I came up with and designed myself. The front and back of the pendant are made of laser-cut 1/8" walnut plywood. Front piece of pendant is inlaid with abalone shell. Images are laser-cut 1/16" white acrylic, and images have been sublimated onto both sides of the acrylic, so that it holds 6 images total. Back inside or outside of pendant can be engraved with a special message from your loved ones. Even more special if you use their handwritten message to engrave it and make it more personal! Findings went thru some trial and error, but I finally landed on using D-rings held together with a screw-post. Great gifts for any special occasion - Mother's Day, Birthday, Christmas, or just because!
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Step 1: Cut wood back and front, engrave front, add any personalized engraving..
Preview
Preview
Setting 1
Process Method
Laser Cut
Process Material
3mm Basswood Plywood
Power(%) or Cut Pressure(g)
70
Speed(mm/s)
11
Pass
2
Other Parameters
Engrave was set to power 60, speed 80, 1 pass.
I set the size of the cuts to 29.8mm x 29.8mm for the wood and for the acrylic.
The engrave area size is 22mm x 22mm.
Veneer cut size will be the same (but remember to adjust for kerf).
This step cuts out the front and back piece with the hole arranged in the same place, with the engraved portion being the area that you will add your cut veneer to.
Step 2: Cut shell veneer, attach with 3M sheet adhesive (came with veneer)
Preview
Preview
Preview
Preview
Setting 1
Process Method
Laser Cut
Process Material
Shell veneer
Power(%) or Cut Pressure(g)
100
Speed(mm/s)
50
Pass
1
Other Parameters
Veneer size is cut to
This step will cut the inlay shape out of the veneer. I used the 3M adhesive sheet that came with the veneer,
but you can probably use loc-tite or a jewelry/bead glue.
Step 3: Cut acrylic pieces to match front and back
Preview
Preview
Setting 1
Process Method
Laser Cut
Process Material
Transparent Acrylic
Power(%) or Cut Pressure(g)
100
Speed(mm/s)
12
Pass
3
This step cuts out the acrylic pieces in the same shape as the front and back piece. They will sit flush to the front and back pieces and no pieces should be sticking out. The hole on each piece should line up.
Note - White acrylic in image is still masked, hence the tan color…
Step 4: Heat sublimate images onto acrylic
Preview
Preview
I used a printer with sublimation paper and sublimation ink to print images to just larger than the cut acrylic piece. I used recommended settings for heat pressing the image onto the acrylic (400 degrees for 60 seconds) and then placed a book over the acrylic to keep it from warping while it cooled. You can print on only front of the acrylic plate, or you can print on both sides, allowing for anywhere from 1-6 images within the photo pendant.
Once heat sublimated images have cooled, you can then sandwich them between the front and back wood plates, and place the D ring over the top (search Amazon for “D-Ring screw in shackle” that had the 13mm, 16mm and 19mm options in the box. Lace a chain of your choice thru the D ring (I prefer a longer chain, as it holds the pendant at a nicer length to be able to show friends and family pictures of your loved ones!).
This step cuts out the front and back piece with the hole arranged in the same place, with the engraved portion being the area that you will add your cut veneer to.
This step will cut the inlay shape out of the veneer. I used the 3M adhesive sheet that came with the veneer,
but you can probably use loc-tite or a jewelry/bead glue.
This step cuts out the acrylic pieces in the same shape as the front and back piece. They will sit flush to the front and back pieces and no pieces should be sticking out. The hole on each piece should line up.
Note - White acrylic in image is still masked, hence the tan color…
I used a printer with sublimation paper and sublimation ink to print images to just larger than the cut acrylic piece. I used recommended settings for heat pressing the image onto the acrylic (400 degrees for 60 seconds) and then placed a book over the acrylic to keep it from warping while it cooled. You can print on only front of the acrylic plate, or you can print on both sides, allowing for anywhere from 1-6 images within the photo pendant.
Once heat sublimated images have cooled, you can then sandwich them between the front and back wood plates, and place the D ring over the top (search Amazon for “D-Ring screw in shackle” that had the 13mm, 16mm and 19mm options in the box. Lace a chain of your choice thru the D ring (I prefer a longer chain, as it holds the pendant at a nicer length to be able to show friends and family pictures of your loved ones!).