With Valentine’s Day around the corner, it seemed appropriate to share Generator member (and board member!) Bill Gottesman’s laser-engraved candy hearts.
We’re sharing this from the Showcase — the part of Generator’s online Maker Forum where folks can show off their projects. The Maker Forum is free to join and open to the public!
In Bill’s words:
“I use the laser engraver before every Valentine’s Day to make custom conversation hearts for my family.
For example, in the picture below “Check Mate” and “e4” are a reference to a newfound interest in chess one member had, and “[heart] Roger” was another member’s interest in Roger Federer.”
“I buy a box of conversation hearts, file off the stock printing to create a blank canvas, and engrave in the laser using a specially cut template to “register” the hearts properly.”
“I then use a small fluid writer pen by Kemper to apply thin food coloring to the engraving by capillary action. After it dries I sand off any spills. Then I put them back in the original box and re-glue the top shut.”
“I once wanted to see how small the laser could engrave, and was able to fit the entire Lord’s Prayer onto a Good ‘n Plenty.”
“I used a jig to help. I engraved one line at a time, then rotated the candy a little bit to get ready for the next line.”
“One more valentine photo, from this past February. Some valentines were images, some were words. All had a personal meaning for the recipients.”
