This is the United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) ornament, laser engraved on hand turned of Bradford Pear from my state of Georgia.
Detailed photographs are imported into Corel Draw, where I systematically trace/draw/color then layer each detail of the patch. As many as 2000 individual nodes (a single mouse click) may be used to complete a design.
Ornaments are each free-hand turned, but have a minimum 2.5" diameter.
I take a finished disk and set up the Epilog laser based on the 1/Thousands of an inch diameter, then engrave the design.
To finish, I drill a tiny hole in the top and insert a brass screw eye to string a length of cord for hanging.
Each ornament is provided with an ID card that identifies the wood type.
THE PROCESS START TO FINISH:
- Find the wood.
- Mill the wood (rough)
- Season the wood (6 to 12 months to airdry)
- Flatten one surface of @3" square blank on power sander to mount on lathe
- Free hand turn each ornament
- Finish with Danish Oil
- In Corel Draw, build customized template based on customer input
- Set up Epilogue laser and engrave
- Clean smoke, resin and burn marks from engraving
- Drill pilot hole for screw eye, then insert the screweye
- Measure hanging cord length, cut then tie together and done