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Report

Commemorative event medallions

Instruction
LewisCountyCentury&Paddle.xcs
LewisCountyCentury&Paddle
.xcs
Application scenario
Laser processing
Machine & module
xTool D1 Pro
10W
Material used
37 mm (1.5 inch) wood discs
15

Information

      Wooden coin medallions to commemorate small, local events. These examples include a bike ride and a kayak float.  The coins were handed out to all participants.
    

Instruction

1

Step1: Collect graphics

I used one side of the coin for the title of the event and the other for a map.  I downloaded free graphics of the chainring, bicycle and kayaker.  For the kayak trip map, I zoomed into the appropriate area with Google maps, took a screenshot, and cropped down the desired portion.  For the bicycle map (sorry, this gets complicated), I downloaded the gpx file of the route from Strava (having recorded the ride using a Garmin bicycle computer), and uploaded it to the website gpx.studio. I zoomed into a view of the whole county and took a screenshot of it.  

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Step2: Design and layout

I opened a file in Xtool Studio and crated a 37-mm circle.  I made 3 more copies of the circle for each side of two coins.  I cropped the graphics down to exclude extraneous material and used manual cutout to make the backgrounds transparent. The outlines of the county for the bicycle map were faint, so I redrew them using straight lines. I used manual cutout with the eraser to eliminate the parts of the map outside of the county lines, except that I left all of the Mississippi River in there because it's kind of cool.  I imported the graphics, sized and placed them. I typed in the text, sized and placed it as desired. 

3

Step3: Burn it!

Commemorative event medallions instruction: step 3 - Burn it!
Preview
Commemorative event medallions instruction: step 3 - Burn it!
Preview
Commemorative event medallions instruction: step 3 - Burn it!
Preview

The 37-mm circle is set at 1% power and 80 mm/s speed.  I didn't want to burn it, but use it to define the work area and properly frame it.  I do this type of thing for almost all my projects. The other elements are set at 100%, 70 mm/s.  Your results may vary.  Maps can be faint, so you may have to use slower speed to darken them.  Fortunately, these coins are cheap, so you can practice on a few to get the settings just right.  I marked the center of the coin and used that as a reference point for the engraving.  I engraved one side of, for example, 10 coins, then turned them over and engraved the other side.  When I turn them over, I try to use the same orientation. In other words the bottom of one side is the bottom of the other side.  

Blank coins: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DWK4GUE?th=1

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xTool Supplies Used in This Project

xTool D1 Pro
xTool D1 Pro

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