Becky Stern is a Content Creator at Autodesk/Instructables, and part time faculty at New York’s School of Visual Arts Products of Design grad program. Making and sharing are her two biggest passions, and she's created hundreds of free online DIY tutorials and videos, mostly about technology and its intersection with crafts. Find her @bekathwia on YouTube/Twitter/Instagram.
Portland, OR company Grove makes these customizable (upload your artwork) engraved iPhone cases from bamboo. [Thanks, Michael Mandiberg!]
Commenter Chris notes that the artful designs are laser-etched, but do you think they CNC mill the bamboo into the shape of the iPhone?
16 thoughts on “Custom engraved bamboo iPhone cases”
Chrissays:
The site sells a “laser engraved artist series”, so I assume they are all lasered and not CNC’d.
Marc de Vincksays:
Yep, laser all the way. Notice the square corners, fine lines, and “burnt” interior. A CNC router would take forever too!
RocketGuysays:
From the maker:
“When we first started making these cases—we’re making them via CNC technology—which is basically a reductive process and you have to hold the piece some how.”
Or maybe you were just speaking to the engraving, in which case you’re right.
Marc de Vincksays:
Strictly the engraving. I can only imagine how long it would take my CNC to engrave that art. Oh, and I really like ’em!
Lennertsays:
OMG! I just love them. They are so awesome. I wish there was a way for me to buy them in Pakistan .
chuck alliedsays:
Hi Makers.
The case itself is made via CNC which leaves a negative that can be upcycled into a picture frame, card holder, etc. Uploaded artwork is then laser etched onto the back of the bamboo case, hence the partnership between Ken Tomita (www.tomitadesigns.com – wood worker) and Joe Mansfield (www.engraveyourtech.com – laser engraver) to form Grove.
Becky Stern is a Content Creator at Autodesk/Instructables, and part time faculty at New York’s School of Visual Arts Products of Design grad program. Making and sharing are her two biggest passions, and she's created hundreds of free online DIY tutorials and videos, mostly about technology and its intersection with crafts. Find her @bekathwia on YouTube/Twitter/Instagram.
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The site sells a “laser engraved artist series”, so I assume they are all lasered and not CNC’d.
Yep, laser all the way. Notice the square corners, fine lines, and “burnt” interior. A CNC router would take forever too!
From the maker:
“When we first started making these cases—we’re making them via CNC technology—which is basically a reductive process and you have to hold the piece some how.”
Or maybe you were just speaking to the engraving, in which case you’re right.
Strictly the engraving. I can only imagine how long it would take my CNC to engrave that art. Oh, and I really like ’em!
OMG! I just love them. They are so awesome. I wish there was a way for me to buy them in Pakistan .
Hi Makers.
The case itself is made via CNC which leaves a negative that can be upcycled into a picture frame, card holder, etc. Uploaded artwork is then laser etched onto the back of the bamboo case, hence the partnership between Ken Tomita (www.tomitadesigns.com – wood worker) and Joe Mansfield (www.engraveyourtech.com – laser engraver) to form Grove.
For an excellent presentation of the entire process check out the talk they gave at AIGA Shift: http://www.grovemade.com/blogs/news/1559832-grove-presents-at-aiga-shift (~6 min)
Thanks! I added the video to the post.
My pleasure! Pretty cool how much use they got out of the materials and process itself.