Mobile from TroGlass Pastel

Manufacture this individual mobile out of different acrylic materials.

Preparation

Required material

TroGlass Pastel 3mm (for the bodies of the elephants) each 1/4 plate in mint, yellow, orange, lilac, pink, light blue
TroGlass Satins 3mm (for the ears, hearts and for the tire for the suspension) each 1/4 plate in lime green, yellow, orange, violet, fuchsia, blue
Cotton thread or silk

Machine used

Speedy 360, 80 watts
2" lens
Nozzle with large opening
Air assist low
Acrylic cutting grid table

The mobile can of course also be produced with other machines of the Speedy laser engraver series.

Tip:

Combine the colors according to your wishes and individual requirements! The motif is also very suitable for processing material residues.

trotec-laser-nursery-mobile.zip

ZIP

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Step by step

Step 1

Step 1: Create your own design or use our template

Make sure that the cutting gap corresponds to the thickness of the material, so that the individual parts can then be inserted into each other.
Cutting according to our template:

1x suspension ring large
1x suspension eyelet small
8x elephant (in different colours)
8x ears (with desired motives in different colours)
Heart large (in desired number and color)
Heart small (in desired number and color)

Use the desired colour combinations to create the print jobs for the respective acrylic plates.
Now send the corresponding job with the settings below to the laser.

Print Settings

Process mode	Resolution	Cut line
Standard	500 dpi	none

Halftone	Others
Color	optimized geometries inner geometries first

Step 2

Step 2: Laser process TroGlass

Now make the parameter settings. The parameter settings apply to both TroGlass Pastel (3mm) and TroGlass Satins (3mm). Our suggested parameters may vary depending on the laser machine used and the available laser power.

Leave the protective film on both the top and bottom of the acrylic sheets. Place the material on the acrylic grid cutting table in the laser machine. Cover the remaining surface to create the best possible vacuum. Perform the laser process for each acrylic sheet accordingly.

Laser parameters

Color	Process	Power (%)	Speed (%)	ppi/Hz
Blue	Cut CO₂	10	1	1000 Hz
Red	Cut CO₂	50	0.2	5000 Hz

Passes	Air Assist	Z-Offset	Direction	Advanced
1	ON	-	-	Correction 10
1	ON	-	-	Correction 10

Step 3

Step 3: Assemble the elephants

After the laser process, remove the parts from the laser unit. Peel off the protective foil from the top and bottom of the individual design parts.

Prepare all cut out parts.
Put the ears together with the respective part of the torso.
Combine the colours as you wish.

Step 4

Step 4: Attaching the thread

Now thread a thread through the hole at the head of the elephant.
Then feed the same thread from the other side through the hole in the fuselage.
The resulting crosshairs fix the ears to the elephant's trunk.
Knot the thread above the ears.
Follow these steps for all elephant models.

Step 5

Step 5: Assembly

Now thread two threads of the desired length for the suspension into the opposite, larger holes on the ring. Also pull the thread through the small oval ring for the suspension.
Hold the tire by the suspension and adjust the length of the threads so that the ring hangs horizontally. Knot the ends.
Finally, hang all elephants and hearts in the desired arrangement in the holes provided on the ring.

Preparation

Materials

6 TroGlass Pastel 1/4 sheets (1/8" thick)
- A 1/4 sheet in each of the following colours: Mint, Yellow, Orange, Lilac, Pink, Light Blue
6 TroGlass Satins 1/4 sheets (1/8" thick)
- A 1/4 sheet in each of the following translucent colours: Lime Green, Yellow, Orange, Violet, Fuschia, Blue
A spool of thin cotton or silk string (minimum 10 ft.)

Trotec Laser and Accessories

You can create your mobile with any laser engraver from the Speedy series.

trotec-laser-nursery-mobile.zip

ZIP

Download now

ZIP

Download now

Step by step

Step 1

Step 1: Prepare the Design and Send it to Your Laser

To prepare the artwork for your mobile, you will require the following components.

1 large suspension ring
1 small suspension eyelet
8 elephant cutouts
8 elephant ear ear cutouts
8 heart cutouts (large and/or small)

You can choose whichever colour combinations, as well as ear and heart designs, you like best for your mobile. We suggest using the TroGlass Pastel sheets for the bodies of the elephants, and the TroGlass Satins for the ears and hearts.

We prepared a template (above), which you may download and adjust as desired.

Once your artwork files are finalized, send them to your Trotec laser using the settings below.

If you are preparing your own custom artwork for this project, ensure that the slots for the elephant ears corresponds to the thickness of the material. If the slots are too big or too small, the pieces won't properly fit together.

Print Settings

Process mode	Resolution	Cut line
Standard	500 dpi	none

Halftone	Others
Color	optimized geometries inner geometries first

Step 2

Step 2: Process the TroGlass Sheets

Leave the protective film on both sides of your TroGlass sheets. Proceed to place the first sheet you want to process on the acrylic grid cutting table in your Speedy laser. Cover the remaining work area with scrap paper (e.g., standard printing paper) to concentrate the laser's vaccuum suction on your material. This trick will prevent it from moving while being cut and engraved.

Select the design you wish to cut from the sheet in your laser, and enter your laser processing settings. The recommended parameters below apply to both 1/8" TroGlass Pastel and 1/8" TroGlass Satins.

Please note that the optimal processing settings may vary based on your particular laser and its maximum wattage.

Repeat this process until you have all of the required components for your mobile.

Laser Parameters

Color	Process	Power (%)	Speed (%)	ppi/Hz
Blue	Cut CO₂	10	1	1000 Hz
Red	Cut CO₂	50	0.2	5000 Hz

Passes	Air Assist	Z-Offset	Direction	Advanced
1	ON	-	-	Correction 10
1	ON	-	-	Correction 10

Step 3

Step 3: Assemble the Elephants

Once you have processed all of the crib mobile components, peel away the protective foil from both sides of each piece.

To make an elephant, simply insert an ear cutout into the slot on a body cutout.

Step 4

Step 4: Secure the Elephant Ears to the Body

Once all of the elephants are assembled, select one of them. Thread the string through the first hole on the elephant's head (i.e., the one in front of the ears, closest to its trunk). Then continue to feed the same string through the hole at the back of the elephant's ears (as pictured below).

Finish by cutting the string, leaving enough to tie a knot above the elephant's ears to keep them firmly in place.

Repeat this process with the remaining elephant cutouts.

Step 5

Step 5: Construct the Mobile

Take the large cutout, and choose a larger hole on the outer edge of the ring. Thread a long (for example, 3 ft.) piece of string through that hole, as well as the same-sized hole directly beneath, closer to the interior of the ring.

Take the small-oval-shaped ring, and thread the same piece of string through its centre. Finally, thread the string through the large holes directly opposite to the first and second holes you threaded. Do not yet tie a knot.

Repeat the same process with the remaining large holes on the large ring. Be sure to thread the string through the small ovular ring. Once you are done, lift the mobile by the small ovular ring (see the image below).

Adjust the length of the strings as desired, and tie a knot at the ends when you are ready to move to the next step.

Finally, cut pieces of string to hang all of the elephant and heart cutouts to complete your mobile.

IMPORTANT

This project is intended for decorative purposes only. Ensure to keep all parts out of the reach of infants and children.

TroGlass Pastel Acrylics

In addition to nursery decorations, TroGlass Pastel acrylics are ideal for spring-themed décor and dessert cafe signage.

These materials feature one matte and one glossy side, and are available in six different colours: mint, lilac, yellow, pink, orange and blue.

Despite their delicate appearance, TroGlass Pastel sheets are durable! They boast high colour stability, and are highly resistant to bleaching and fading.

SHOP THE COLLECTION

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