Custom bouquet gift

Follow our tutorial to create a custom bouquet gift Using Trotec engraving materials. All materials used in this tutorial are available from our engraving supplies webshop.

Preparation

Material required:

Optional:

Hot air gun
Bench vice
Work gloves

Laser machine used:

Speedy 400 flexx, 100 watts
2" lens or 2.5" lens for TroGlass Clear 10mm
Vacuum with honeycomb laser cutting table resp. acrylic grid

Any Speedy laser engraving machine can be used to create this sample.

Tip:

Any left over material can be used for the "blossoms."

Step by Step

Step 1: The design

Create your own design or import our template. If required you can adapt it to your requirements. Send the base plate job for laser cutting to the laser using the below driver settings.

Print settings:

Process mode	Resolution	Cut line
Cut Job	1000 dpi	none

Halftone	Others
Colour	Optimised geometries, inner geometries first

Step 2: Laser cutting the base plate

Put the TroGlass Clear on the acrylic cutting grid of your Trotec laser machine and insert the 2.5" lens. Then laser cut the base using the following settings. Parameters will vary depending on the laser machine used and its available laser power.

Laser Cutting Parameters

Colour	Process	Power (%)	Speed (%)	ppi/Hz
red	Cut CO2	95	0.2	20000

Passes	Air Assist	Z-Offset	Advanced
1	on	-3 mm	-

Information:

We used the standard speed optimised parameters TroGlass Clear from JobControl^® laser software for this task.

Step 3: Design "grass"

Send the design for the grass to the laser using the below settings.

Print settings:

Process mode	Resolution	Cut line
Standard	500 dpi	none

Halftone	Others
Colour	Optimised geometries

Step 4: Laser engraving and laser cutting the "grass"

The next step is to put the dark green transparent TroGlass onto the acrylic cutting grid of your laser machine. Use the 2" lens for this and all following tasks for this application. Laser engrave and cut the design with the following parameters, which will vary depending on laser machine and available power.

Laser cutting and engraving parameters

Process	Colour	Process	Power (%)	Speed (%)
Engraving	black	Engrave CO₂	14	20
Cutting	red	Cut CO₂	100	1

ppi/Hz	Passes	Air Assist	Z-Offset	Advanced
500	1	on	0mm	High Quality
1000	1	on	-	-

Tip:

Select the bottom to top laser engraving process so that dust does not settle in the engraved areas.

Step 5: Design "Stem"

Send the design of the solid wood stem to the laser using the driver settings below.

Print settings:

Process mode	Resolution	Cut line
Cut Job	1000 dpi	none

Halftone	Others
-	Optimised geometries

Step 6: Laser cutting "Stem"

Change the acrylic cutting grid against the honeycomb cutting table and position the walnut sheet. Cover the rest of the engraving area with paper to maximise vacuum. Use the following parameters to cut the wood:

Laser Cutting Parameters

Colour	Process	Power (%)	Speed (%)	ppi/Hz
red	Cut CO2	100	1	1000

Passes	Air Assist	Z-Offset	Advanced
1	on	-	-

Tip:

Covering the engraving area produces a vacuum which is essential for a clean and consistent laser cut.

Step 7: Design "Blossoms"

Finally, send the design of the abstract blossoms to your laser.

Print settings:

Process mode	Resolution	Cut line
Cut Job	1000 dpi	none

Halftone	Others
-	Optimised Geometries, Inner Geometries first

Step 8: Laser process "Blossoms"

Put the maple veneer sheet into the laser, and carefully cover the rest of the engraving table with paper. Then cut the blossoms using the following parameters:

Laser Cutting Parameters

Colour	Process	Power (%)	Speed (%)	ppi/Hz
red	Cut CO₂	100	1.2	1000

Passes	Air Assist	Z-Offset	Advanced
1	on	-	-

Tip:

If you cut the entire sheet, focus on the middle of the material to compensate for any differences in thickness.

Step 9: Assembly

Put the stem into the base and decorate it with the blossoms. Depending on your design you can combine large and small blossoms. Finally, position the grass into the base, and this inventive Mother's Day bouquet is ready.

Handicraft tip:

Twisted blades of grass are good for creating an eye catching piece. To make these, position the "blades of grass" into a bench vice or another heat-resistant holder. Take a hot air gun and carefully heat the filigree grass, then deform and twist the hot acrylic.

Important: Wear gloves when working with hot acrylics to avoid burns

Hold the acrylic in place until it is cooled down. With a little practice, you can create impressive designs.