Setting the stage
Let me start by saying that this writeup is going to be a bit more casual (lol) and more of a blog post than my usual already laid back write-ups; that is to say, if you're an employer, maybe just look at the pretty pictures, and if you're my current employer just close this page please. Maybe look at my stratasys instead.
The idea of Project Seal came from a place of good intentions, a happier place one might say. A place before I realized how much of a pain in the ass this project would be. So, in order to properly paint the picture in your head, I am going to use this project as a metaphor for a relationship. No reason whatsoever for doing that, I'm definitely not offloading here.
The idea of Project Seal came from a place of good intentions, a happier place one might say. A place before I realized how much of a pain in the ass this project would be. So, in order to properly paint the picture in your head, I am going to use this project as a metaphor for a relationship. No reason whatsoever for doing that, I'm definitely not offloading here.
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Like all relationshi--- I mean projects, Project Seal started from a bad idea. Why not jump right into a project, 3 months after your last project just ended, and letting it consume your life and thoughts. I'm talking about projects here, stick with me. This project is a wax stamp, and it's on a tight schedule cause it needs to be done by February 14th, no reason whatsoever for that either. Only problem is, I've never made a stamp, I can't design a pretty stamp face, and I sure as hell can't freehand engrave. So, I did the only logical thing a caring person who wants to handmade a gift for someone else does, and I turned to chatGPT.
Now I can hear you from here! "Is it really handmade if you had chatGPT design the stamp face, for my girlfriend I would have..." and yes, I'm gonna fucking stop you right there. I hand built the CNC conversion thats going to cut this damn thing so yes its hand made, I also thought it would be easier to spline fit the filigree so it really didn't save much time, and also she's not my girlfriend, she made that very clear. I'm just her valentine for now, whatever that means. So shush you reading this from home, let me use my chatGPT. |
Stamp design from chatGPT after a couple of iterations
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Tracing the stamp design
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Finished stamp, yes I mirrored it, no I did not forget the first time I started the CAM
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Machining
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Me, knowing nothing about stamps and engraving settled on the arbitrary decision to use a tapered engraving tool with an included angle of 30 degrees, tip diameter of 0.005" and an engrave depth of 0.5mm. I'm also gonna do this on my personal CNC mill, with a 5000 RPM R8 spindle with an amazon collet that probably has just as much runout as the entire tool tip diameter. Some back of the vice math tells me I've got about 6.5 SFM at the tip, instead of the desired 300+ SFM for brass. What this tells me is machining this stamp is going to be painfully slow and I have to turn it off while I am at work, just like my relationship.
However, any day is a good day when I get to break out the coaxial indicator! I love when I can justify buying expensive tools and only have to use them twice then they come in handy for a personal project. It fuels the tool hoarder in me. And after cleaning the part up on the lathe to get a nice surface finish (only god knows how perpendicular my spindle and table are so faced floor surfaces aren't the cleanest) It went right into the mill for about 12 hours of in the cut time. For those of you that don't know, I've got an upstairs neighbor above my shop, I'm pretty sure she hates me more than I hate me right now, which, is saying something. 
This was a failed attempt at a radial 3D machined toolpath. What you are looking at is about 5 hours of run time
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One of my favorite tools, the coaxial indicator
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Backside engraving
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Doing what all normal people do with a CNC lathe, I jogged it around by hand to machine the backside of this part using the arrow keys on the keyboard like I was trying to look busy at work with an excel table. Then, as if this project hasn't already taken enough years off my life, I went and did the backside engraving I had added in CAD back when I thought I was boyfriend material. Just kidding.
Parting off the part, would be really funny if it had fallen and dented the face
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The Seal
Well, it's certainly not perfect, but then again neither am I; and isn't it our imperfections that make us who we are? Our weird quarks, our scars, our jealousy, our history that we take with us? Or maybe I'm just trying to justify being flawed, either way, I don't have enough time to make another one, and who knows, its 2:19 pm on February 14th, and I'm writing this write up instead of delivering this like I thought I would be doing.
My Roommate saw the final product and asked how much it would cost for me to make him one; and that really made me think. Between design time, toolpathing optimization time (6.5 SFM!!! thats fucking slow! original cut time would have been 22 hours), in the cut time, and making the handle, I can't even afford this project. So what does that say about me, that I am willing to spend countless days after work making a gift I can't afford for someone else? Does that make me a simp? A fool? Or just another person in love. Only time will tell.
My Roommate saw the final product and asked how much it would cost for me to make him one; and that really made me think. Between design time, toolpathing optimization time (6.5 SFM!!! thats fucking slow! original cut time would have been 22 hours), in the cut time, and making the handle, I can't even afford this project. So what does that say about me, that I am willing to spend countless days after work making a gift I can't afford for someone else? Does that make me a simp? A fool? Or just another person in love. Only time will tell.
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