Mutt*Pups brass branding iron project.

[Bubba]

Muttley mentioned some time ago that it would be cool to have a branding iron to label his pickup boxes and stuff like that. Well, I offered to have a go but the winter's been so cold and horrible the project went onto the back burner, so to speak. We did chat about artwork, though. This is his original logo.

muttpups.jpg

I came up with a couple of ideas:

muttpups - Copy.jpg

muttpups -.jpg

[Bubba]

Then we settled on this:

muttpups -portrait.jpg

Well, I've made a start, today - I freehanded the artwork onto the blank, at least.

Hopefully the engraving will be tidier than the artwork! The pen was a bit "floody". The various patches will be milled to as close as I can with the Proxxon, then highlight detail can be added to the black areas with fine punches and a burin of some kind. Then the whole thing will be flatted again. That's the theory, anyway.

The size of the blank is about 60mm x 50mm.
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Mutt Pup brand.jpg

[muttley]

[Bubba]

I take it you approve? I did some milling tonight and got pretty far with it, but I realised my finest milling bits aren't fine enough. I ordered some 0.8mm end mill bits.

[Armistice]

Nice stuff Bubba - I hope there's a pickup in it for you...

The design has evolved a bit since the early prototypes, and I think, for the better...

Mutt Pup prototype

[rayc]

Simple & effective. Cool.

[Bubba]

Nice stuff Bubba - I hope there's a pickup in it for you...

The design has evolved a bit since the early prototypes, and I think, for the better...

Mutt Pup prototype

LOL. You, have the right idea - but I'm massively playing catchup with the favours, here. Mutt has been very generous.

Simple & effective. Cool.

Thanks Ray

This is last night's work. Mutt, I know we said "no border" for this, but it helps to keep the miller from cockling over while working. I'll take off the border at the end.
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Mutt Pup brand 2.jpg

[JD01]

That looks like its artistic, hard and time consuming... three things that would make it impossible for me.

Top work!

[Bubba]

That looks like its artistic, hard and time consuming... three things that would make it impossible for me.

Top work!

Ha ha, thanks! Detail work has always been something I've really enjoyed doing. Easily the hardest thing for me these days is seeing the fucking thing. I'm using powerful reading glasses and as much light as I can arrange. The dog's head is literally 1" wide.

[Armistice]

Just so I understand how you're doing this - you have a flat piece of metal, you paint the design on, and then you grind/etch/mill out the metal around the design? Or something like that?

[rayc]

Seeing metal and negative images reminds me of my Dry Point Etching era. My final work after three years majoring in Art at college was a "book of etchings". I had good eyesight before I started. Sadly the Book I made - hand stitched etc. a plate on every 2nd page and a special calligraphy jobbed specially written poem to match each, was stolen whilst in a bag snatched from a car. I assume it ended up by the side of the road somewhere - they were after the cassette player on the bag. I still have most of the plates but they were, as tradition dictates, rendered useless after the final plate was pulled. Photocopies were pinkish and wet in those days so NO COPIES. Luckily I was given a D for the work. Usually D stood for Drunk & Disorderly in my 1978.
Bubba's Brasserie of sorts.
I look forward to seeing the final work and an imprint.

[muttley]

This is last night's work. Mutt, I know we said "no border" for this, but it helps to keep the miller from cockling over while working. I'll take off the border at the end.
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Mutt Pup brand 2.jpg

Thats OK Bubba, whatever makes it easier for you... I can always grind it off if necessary..

[Armistice]

I vote "just keeps the miller from cockling over" as the TRR phrase o' the week. Possibly month as well...

[Bubba]

Just so I understand how you're doing this - you have a flat piece of metal, you paint the design on, and then you grind/etch/mill out the metal around the design? Or something like that?

Yes, exactly that.This is my tiny grinding machine. It's being used as a mini router in this picture. The router bit is 1.2mm in diameter but the final detail will be done with a 0.8mm bit. I wish I had better eyes!
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Proxxon milling machine.jpg

This is last night's work. Mutt, I know we said "no border" for this, but it helps to keep the miller from cockling over while working. I'll take off the border at the end.
.
Mutt Pup brand 2.jpg

Thats OK Bubba, whatever makes it easier for you... I can always grind it off if necessary..

You may decide to grind the outside to a more manageable size when it's finished. If you have a belt grinder and you don't mind using it for brass!

[Bubba]

Still waiting for my teeny tiny cutters to arrive, but this is how it looks so far. Sorry about the lens flare!
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Mutt Pup brand 3.jpg

[Greg_L]

Very cool Bubba! That's nice detail work.

[rayc]

Could've coped out & offered a lino cut!

[muttley]

So to get this right, you are freehanding this right? With a milling bit and a Proxxon/dremel/laminate style trimmer? What speed have got that cutter going at and how deep is the cut? One pass?

[Bubba]

So to get this right, you are freehanding this right? With a milling bit and a Proxxon/dremel/laminate style trimmer? What speed have got that cutter going at and how deep is the cut? One pass?

Yeah, freehanding. I'm not sure what rotational speed I'm using but it will be around 8 - 10,000 rpm. I've done three passes to get it 2mm deep. Each pass I let it get closer to the line because trimming is finer and more controllable when you have a bit of depth to push against.

[muttley]

So to get this right, you are freehanding this right? With a milling bit and a Proxxon/dremel/laminate style trimmer? What speed have got that cutter going at and how deep is the cut? One pass?

Yeah, freehanding. I'm not sure what rotational speed I'm using but it will be around 8 - 10,000 rpm. I've done three passes to get it 2mm deep. Each pass I let it get closer to the line because trimming is finer and more controllable when you have a bit of depth to push against.

Like you I have a few projects on the back burner and one of them is a small CNC mill I'm putting together. This sort of thing would be possible with that I imagine, but would take all the fun out of it..

Not sure when I will get round to building the cnc though... The more pup stuff I'm doing the more pressing it becomes...