Valentine's Day
Keychain

Valentine’s Day is a special time to celebrate the love that you have for your significant other, and one way to do that is by creating a unique and personalized gift. In this tutorial, you will learn how to use your laser machine to laser cut and engrave a keychain out of wood for your sweetheart. This one-of-a-kind keepsake can be crafted in any word or design that you prefer and is a symbol of your love that can be carried everywhere.

Preparation

Materials needed

TroWood Solid Wood- Alder prefinished (3mm thick)
key ring

Trotec Laser used

Speedy 360
80 watts
2.0 inch lens
Honeycomb cutting table

Valentines Day Key Chain

ZIP

Download now

ZIP

Download now

csm_ValentinesDay-key-tag_89ed609724.png

PDF

Download now

PDF

Download now

Step by step

Step 1

Step 1: Design and finalize your application graphic

For this application, you can utilize the complimentary template below or create your unique design. If you decide to make your own file, verify that your graphic does not contain any elements that are too narrow which can cause the keychain to break easily. They keychain will be much more stable if you ensure that single letters are connected (see screenshot). Using prefinished wood, you can also achieve a light surface appearance by laser engraving the workpiece with reduced power and high Z-Offset. Download the provided laser parameters below and try it out for yourself!

Step 2

Step 2: Begin laser processing the workpiece

To make your keychain, you will need a piece of prefinished alder wood that is around 3 mm thick. Other types of wood can be used for this application, but please note, laser parameters will vary and require adjustment based on materials used as well as your specific laser system.

Position the 2” lens and place the honeycomb cutting table in the laser machine. Next, place the workpiece within your laser engraver and cover the surrounding open areas with paper or cardboard to create maximum vacuum suction.

Laser Parameters:

For this application, we used a Speedy 360 with 80 watts power and the following parameters:
Cutting: Power: 95% - Speed: 1.8% - Frequency: 1000 Hz - Air Assist: ON
Cutting-in: Power: 10% - Speed: 2% - Frequency: 1000 Hz - Air Assist: ON
Engraving white: Power: 18% - Speed: 60% - Frequency: 500 ppi - Air Assist: ON - Z-Offset: 2.00
Engraving dark: Power: 50% - Speed: 60% - Frequency: 500 ppi - Air Assist: ON - Z-Offset: 2.00

Tip:

To avoid retyping the laser parameters, you can utilize the JobControl-files at the bottom of this page. Additional information on importing files in JobControl can be located here.

Step 3

Step 3: Finishing the workpiece

After you have laser engraved and laser cut the keychain, cleaning the material edges with a dry cloth may be necessary. Once completed, attach a key chain or ring of your choice and your personalized gift is finished!