Laser Cut Nameplate

I like to work with a laser cutter, and try to go a few times a year to the Fablab in Leuven. For our mailbox I wanted to have a sign with our house numbers together with our names. On a previous visit, I asked the employees there if they new a solution for this. There response was Rowmark.

So, I knew for a brand to look for, but when opening there site, there were lot of possible solutions. I went for the Rowmark Lasermax (link), as it was suitable for outdoor use. I looked on the net, and found a company that sells this product. After ordering, I was notified that they only deliver to companies, but for once they were willing to ship to an individual.

So now it was time to start drawing. Well, there is not a lot to draw. I used inkscape, as it is free, and it is also advised by the Fablab. My original design was slightly different, but at the fablab I noticed that the brushing lines on the material were vertical instead of horizontal. On the drawing above is the corrected version.

So, finally I went to the Fablab. On the internet I found the settings to use for the bought material. I asked an employee for help to insert the values in the program. I made some printscreens, to add with this instructable.

Also, on the sheet there's a message to not remove the protective foil while handling, but the employee advised me to do anyway, as they had the best result when it was removed. And I am not regretting it.

When returning to home, there was no time to loose, and placing both cutted pieces on their place. The sheets I bought were also equiped with an adhesive layer on the back. For the mailbox this was fine, however on the sign below the doorbell it did not stick enough to the wall. So for this sign, we used some strong glue.