Looking to make a Damhorst style kids puzzle name step stool where the letters run together as in this example. I’d love to find a source for a file I can edit to change the name. It doesn’t need to be free. I didn’t find such a thing on Etsy or the other file sources I checked, only ones with separated letters. Anyone know of a source? (Hoping for a quick project without having to do a lot of design work)
Thanks!
The lettering looks to have been done by mixing/matching fonts and overlapping characters and then using Trim Vectors or some similar feature to offset one letter from another and remove the offset overlap from the other — the sort of thing which Glenn Reid’s nifty TouchType.app made quite easy to do.
Doing this sort of thing in Carbide Create would be a multi-step process:
(for the raison d’être for the halved overlap)
It might be that one could make a spiffy OpenType font which would do this sort of thing automagically, but I don’t know of one.
hang on for a step-by-step…
It will take me a bit to get through all of this! Note that the letters are separate removable pieces that fit into a cavity, so once they get drawn such that they will nest appropriately I’ll pull them out and cut them as individual pieces.
In that case, it’s much the same, just one cuts a pocket for the recess for the letters… hang on for the Step-by-step…
Note that a Step-stool design was worked up at:
so only the top will be covered below.
First, work up the dimensions — 11.5" x 7.5" is the size of a similar design which my wife had when she was young:
Ok
Set the text:
using a suitable font (Arial Black was selected above)
and “Convert to Curves”
Select each letter with a counter and its counter:
and Group Vectors
Drag things around and re-arrange as desired, adjust size/scale as appropriate:
Done
If desired, select everything:
and further scale:
Done
Group everything:
and Align Vectors
to the center of the Stock
Ok
Ungroup Vectors
Select every other letter and offset by the two dimensions needed — we will use 0.125" and 0.25":
Apply
so offsetting by 0.125" a second time:
Apply
and then repeating for the balance of the letters:
Apply
Apply
Select the outermost geometry and Boolean Union:
Ok
Make a new layer and move the geometry to that:
Select the original letters:
and offset by the desired clearance for the letters:
Apply
Make a second new layer:
and move the selection to it:
shift-click to deselect the surrounding geometry (which we wish to keep):
and delete the extraneous internal elements:
It will be necessary to work in two separate files since the letters will have a different thickness than the top of the stool, so select everything on the DEFAULT layer:
and export it to an SVG:
OK
then delete:
The narrow portion of the n is unlikely to survive long and presents a possibility of splinters so select the geometry:
and use Node Editing:
to remove a reasonable portion:
d
If desired, the two two remaining nodes may be selected:
s (to smooth)
and adjusted as need be
Done
Toolpaths may be assigned for the top to suitable depths:
and the inner geometry assigned an Inside Contour with a suitable tool to a suitable depth:
and the toolpaths/tool selection/depths adjusted as necessary until one arrives at something along the lines of:
Wow! Thank you. It will take me a bit to work through this, but I’ll post a result when I get there.
For the letters, open the SVG:
Note that the grouping of letter perimeter with counter will need to be re-done:
For each letter which crosses over other letter(s) select it and copy-paste it in place so as to create a duplicate in register w/ the original:
Then select a duplicate and a crossing letter:
and use Trim Vectors to remove what is not wanted:
until one arrives at:
OK
OK
Join Vectors
Yes
Repeat for each overlapping region until one arrives at:
The surrounding/extraneous geometry may now be selected:
and deleted:
Where necessary, geometry should be rounded:
Since letterforms rarely have straight lines which are needed for the automatic techniques to work, the notch where the e fits to the y will need to be rounded manually (arguably, the latter should have been positioned to preclude this necessity).
Draw a circle of a suitable size:
and position it so as to either use as a guide for Node Editing, or an element for Trim Vectors:
for the latter, draw in geometry to define where things will meet:
Done
Then add one of the elements to the selection:
and use Trim Vectors to remove what is not wanted:
OK
and repeat for the other element:
OK
Delete the added geometry:
Then select the two open vectors:
and Join Vectors
The letterforms may now be spaced out and cut out of a suitable thickness of material with suitable toolpaths — this is left as an exercise for the reader — if any difficulties are encountered, upload the file and we will look into it.
Note that a “kiss” fit is used above, the assumption being that tool deflection and a bit of sanding/filing will allow everything to fit — if that doesn’t work out, remake the letters after insetting a bit or other suitable adjustment.
