Print your text in reverse.
Tape it face down to the wood.
Iron it on. You'll have to experiment - some toners transfer very well, others not so much.
Route it out if needed. I'd probably use a Dremel and do it freehand. It would take a while but be more controllable than a router.
After it has been used as a weapon a couple of times, you may be asked to create something a lot ... softer.
They're students. They're more creative than you are. This bathroom pass won't last more than a day :-) Something creative will happen to it. And it doesn't matter what side of town you're on, if I was a student there, I'd make sure the bathroom pass had an "adventure" :-) Maybe it will end up lashed to the top of the school flagpole.
*******OK, so you bought a stencil kit, when you have a perfectly good computer and printer. You can print stencil font letters at any height you want on the computer. Print. Using scissors or a razor blade in holder, cut the stencil out. Apply spray paint. Etc.
You can even arrange and justify the stencil font letters, so you can review the message before printing on the printer. Now you don't need to mask anything, and one pass with the spray paint, and you're done. Cutting out the letters is the hardest part.
Paul
Just use openoffice of libreoffice and print in 80pt letters (or 37, or
144)Not sure what that bathroom pass key is supposed to accomplish mind you. Shame the students? Allow hall monitors to know to let the kid go? What? Ie not sure whatt he message is that is supposed to be being sent. (or are the students supposed to be able to use it as a weapon--
3'x3"x3/4" would make a pretty good weapon.
It limits the number of students in the bathroom at a time, during classes. If the pass isn't there, you can't go until the last user brings it back.
It authorizes you to be in the bathroom but not the cafeteria or gym.
Basically, not that useful.
I'm lazy. I'd use a laser printer to print both sides on selected paper, then cut and laminate. With a printer, you can add lawyer clauses in fine print so the teacher can sue the students for big bucks. If the school office doesn't have a laminating machine, The principal would probably know where to use one.
I'll bet it could be laminated like a convention name tag, with a safety pin. The teacher could pin it to the student's back to save the student the embarrassment of having it fall in the toilet.
Walking down the hall with a "going to the bathroom" tag pinned on one's back. Sure to cause a stir. I sense problems soon to occur.
I liked the three foot long wooden paddle, I mean, whiffle bat, I mean, croquet mallet, I mean, some kind of weapon. That sounded more like what I'd prefer. I sense problems with that, also.
Go to your nearest vinyl sign shop. Tell them what your 'sign' needs to say and what the exact size needs to be - their software takes care of the rest. Spray the foreground color on the 'pass' and when the paint is totally dry apply the vinyl using the instructions the shop provides. Spray the background color over the sign. Carefully peel off the letters when the background paint is dry. Works every time and yields super sharp results.
bathroom at a time, during classes. If the pass isn't there, you can't go until the last user brings it back.
not the cafeteria or gym.
So, if scooter throws the pass in the trash, no one else can go potty ever after? What could possibly go wrong?
dadiOH wrote, on Thu, 11 Sep 2014 10:36:34 -0400:
This is good advice, as over the weekend, I will try anew.
I want whatever is easiest to control in very soft wood, so, I will try the V-groove.
nestork wrote, on Thu, 11 Sep 2014 16:44:21 +0200:
I initially had the same concerns.
I was told, by the teacher, that some of the other teachers actually give them a bathroom plunger (the real thing!), and another gives them a long length of plastic pipe.
TimR wrote, on Thu, 11 Sep 2014 09:52:01 -0700:
That's a GREAT idea (if it works)! I never would have thought of that. Its interesting, if the toner actually transfers.
Actually, I *do* have a dremel tool, but I had never considered it as a lettering tool. I'm wondering what bit will work for lettering in pine?
Jasen Betts wrote, on Thu, 11 Sep 2014 13:11:55 +0000:
That's another interesting idea, in addition to the aforementioned suggestion to print the letters backward and ironing the toner onto the wood.
I'm also going to try the suggested dremel tool, as soon as I get the right bit.
, others not so much.
It does work, the electronic hobbyists use this to create a printed circuit board. They iron the design on to the copper board, then use acid to etch away the rest of the copper. But I don't know what kind of toner they use .
I thought of the dremel first, but in hindsight I would use a sharp chisel to outline the letters before doing that. Maybe a 1/4 inch or so on curved parts. Then for a one-off, might just keep going and chisel out the inter ior ofthe letters. Or use the dremel freehand after the chisel. The bit I 've used for similar stuff looks like a little sphere with spirals cut in i t, I don't know what you call it.
Or, get two pieces of thin veneer or 1/8th inch stock. Cut the shapes out with an X-acto knife, it will look like a stencil. Stack them on top of yo ur 1/2 inch board, glue it up. Lamination can be a good approach to 3-D sha pes.
I would suggest the purpose is so that someone cannot put the key in their pocket and take it home.
But the size originally suggested *is* a bit of overkill. Your suggest size is still pocket sized so no go!!
Daniel
If she really wants to send a message, skip that piece of raw material and use a toilet seat as the bathroom pass.
| > People that rout signs often use either a "V" groove or core box bit. | | This is good advice, as over the weekend, I will try anew. | | I want whatever is easiest to control in very soft wood, so, I will | try the V-groove. |
It seems like you're making an awfully big job out of this. Controlling a router freehand to make letters is going to be nearly impossible. Even routing a straight line against a fence is tricky. The bit tends to wander and a wood with rough grain, like fir, will cause it to wobble. Using a dremel tool might be more realistic, but still not easy. Then once you've routed, then what? Are you going to squeegee white paint into the grooves? That's a tricky job, too, if you want it to look good.
Why not just use a permanent marking pen? If that doesn't look official enough for a school bathroom pass, you can get stick-on letters at Home Depot for about $3. If that seems not durable enough you could coat them with polyurethane or acrylic resin.
For any of those options you'll probably need to first paint the wood a light color. The piece you have looks like it's a scrap of pine stained with very dark "walnut" stain. Ugly. Hard to see. And requiring you to use light- color letters. On the other hand, why not just use a fresh piece of wood? You could get a pine 1x2 for a couple of dollars, stick on black letters, then polyurethane the whole thing. Then you'll have a nice looking pass that looks official, and the kids won't need two hands free to carry it.
All for less than $10 if you have polyurethane on hand.
Mayayana wrote, on Fri, 12 Sep 2014 13:25:18 -0400:
My widowed neighbor is a lot prettier than you know.
Alas, I have given up on the idea of being a hero with the router.
I have to agree with you.
Too ugly.
This is probably the best idea as it's professional looking, cheap, and easy (KISS).
Pico Rico wrote, on Fri, 12 Sep 2014 07:59:51 -0700:
Heh heh ... that would be perfect to send the message!
Print on glossy paper (magazine pages) as the toner will release more readily from the slick paper.
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