Font and HDPE with an engraver

Yes…

1 Like

May i ask what i need to do to use a v bit on HDPE. Is it similar speeds and feeds as hardwood?
TIA

Soft Plastic. Slow RPMs, fast feedrate.

1 Like

Here’s a link where you can convert text to single line handwriting.
May not help but I’ve used this a few times to create custom text.

2 Likes

Thanks…would a 1/8 endmill still fall under the same category for HDPE - soft plastic?

For feeds and speeds in plastic see the videos at:

What is the best thing to cover a project of HDPE with to then paint the carved text after? Then peel away the protection.

I use shelf liner from Lowe’s. Have not tried it on HDPE but seems like it would work ok.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Duck-20-in-x-30-ft-White-Shelf-Liner/50252809

1 Like

Shelf paper, as Cullen suggested. Or the gold standard Oramask 813 should both adhere well to the hdpe when rolled or buffed well.
The problem you will likely have is getting the paint to stick to the HDPE, and not peel out when you remove the mask. There are some paints out there that claim good adherence to PE plastics.
I would recommend looking for a color-core HDPE in the colors you want.

2 Likes

Does your use case require HDPE?

PVC is more paintable.

4 Likes

Just to hammer it home…It’s pretty impossible to paint HDPE.

1 Like

Looks like im making two signs then haha
A white one and a black one.
Thank you

Have you tried with corona treatment?
Not the “jab” or anything related to a virus, but the electrical plasma kind of treatment.

1 Like

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/corona-discharge-treatment#:~:text=PVC%20treatment%20by%20corona%20discharge,properties%20required%20for%20medical%20applications.

That doesn’t look easy to apply in the garage.

3 Likes

I left my high frequency, close proximity electrical discharger in my other pants.
:wink:

We did try to dye some HDPE for a student project, but it was a process I wouldn’t want to do again and the results were sloppy. Even with that, I wouldn’t see how you could make it into a decent sign.
We did have some success painting with something like this, but it eventually just started falling off. Might be ok for a sign, though.

@Varty5 If you really want to use the hdpe for signs, consider using it for lettering and attaching to a contrasting substrate.

3 Likes

Funny you should say that, I have a 72kV one sitting in the attic. :grinning:
Have not dared to plug it in and turn it on, but my father used it to treat my RC car bodies(PC- Polycarbonate) for me (before applying paint), a long time ago when I raced 1/12 scale carpet cars.

My father was a chemical engineer who worked for several paint, stain, dye and glue manufacturers.

Yep, happens to me all the time, maybe I should make one of those “catch-all trays” that were so popular a few years ago.

2 Likes

Sweet. Plug it in and experiment.
Maybe you can start a service.

Hmm, maybe I should.
I have three of those RC car bodies still.
They were painted in the late 80’s and early 90’s, the PC(Lexan©®™) is all scratched up on the outside from racing, but not one speck of paint has flaked off.

BTW to clarify, the paint goes on the inside of the body shell, for those who did not know.

1 Like

I wondered about that given the violent nature of some of those races.

So the 30d Vee did a nice job. I went a little deep but since i cant paint it maybe it helps to see it. Thanks for all the feedback.

This was my first plastics design and first time feeling like i used the machine to invent something.

My bluetooth/wifi sterio system has 4 speakers on a single main control and no isolation. Used the S5 to make a control panel to house the tablet and isolation rocker switches for the 4 speakers.
(Powered through the front for testing)

3 Likes