[moyesboy2]

I've seen examples of 3D images produced inside high quality crystal glass.
This is done with crossed lasers I think causing small heat cracks inside the block.
I beleive the machines to do this come from Germany.
Does anyone know where I can get a short run of these made using my 3D image (supplied as step, stl, iges etc.)?

[ynneb]

I have seen the seen the same things, however they were acrylic.
They were done via the rapid prototyping method.
How sure are you that they were crystal and not acrylic?

[buscht]

In Las Vegas, the malls at Aladdin to be precise, you can sit down and have your face scanned in 3D and they will put it in the cube while you wait. About a $100.

They could probably do any object about the size of a head or smaller.

[moyesboy2]

Its done by laser in glass.
eg http://www.lasercrystal.co.uk/sizes3.htm
However I reckon these guys might be outsourcing to China to someone like http://www.cccecity.cn/

[cbass]

If I'm not mistaken, the images are formed not by cracks but by bubbles.

I think Ynneb is right in that they are acrylic. Multiple lasers are focused on individual points inside the volume. Where they converge, their energy creates heat, causing a bubble in the preformed, solid acrylic.

Or so they tell me.

Carlo

[cbass]

Its done by laser in glass.
eg http://www.lasercrystal.co.uk/sizes3.htm
However I reckon these guys might be outsourcing to China to someone like http://www.cccecity.cn/

Talk about false advertising. They refer to their product as "crystal". Nothing could be further from the truth.

[keithorr]

Talk about false advertising. They refer to their product as "crystal". Nothing could be further from the truth.

Where is the false advertising? I looked at their website briefly but couldn't find the misrepresentation.

Glass and Crystal are the same thing. Crystal has no legal meaning in product description or advertising. Historically, the word crystal comes from glass being "man made crystal". Usually denotes higher quality glass, sometimes used with "lead" when lead is present to help hype the product.

Saw a kiosk at a mall in Columbus OH a few years ago offering the same service as described above. The laser unit from Germany was kaput so they were only taking 3D scans and offering to ship the product.

[mxpro32]

Yeah, I have one of those crystal blocks with my face inside. It's definately not acrylic as it feels heavy and hard like glass or crystal. If you look closely inside you can see the little cracks, not bubbles.

[Inventthis]

Got my head digitized in glass in Vegas as well, not acrylic for sure.

[cbass]

I stand corrected, the material is not acrylic

The site never reveals what the material is. They simply refer to it as "crystal". I guess they are using it here to describe forms that are symmetrical and faceted, like crystals. They are probably using a purer form of glass as Keith suggests.

A real crystal is homogeneous, meaning it has a regularly repeating internal arrangement of atoms. A crystal's shape reflects its atomic structure. Glass is not a crystal. Glass is the complete opposite of a crytsal, it is random in structure. Calling a piece of glass "crystal" (if they are in fact using glass)is misleading, IMHO. They should just come out and say "ya know what, we're using crystal glass". But then it wouldn't sound as unique (=$$$).

Carlo

[greybeard]

Just for info, in the UK, all domestic glassware with a high lead content is referred to as "crystal". It's taken for granted that the purchaser knows it is glass.

[moyesboy2]

Well, I was hoping for a reply along the lines of "I've got a machine that does that and I can run you some", rather than an argument about acrylic, glass and crystal.
Yes, here (UK) high quality (or what pertains to be high quality) glass tableware is always referred to a crystal or lead crystal and is often sold at inflated price to tourists from the USA...
...but everything here is an inflated price!
How about $6.70 per USgallon for gas?

[Bloy2004]

I found these for only several dollars from a street vendor (laid out on a blanket on the sidewalk). I was fascinated and wanted the machine that does this.

[moyesboy2]

These are the mass produced chinese ones such as from http://www.cccecity.cn/
I'm sure they are really cheap with any design you want if you order a few thousand and there will be some really cheap slightly flawed ones being sold off somewhere!
I want to get some fairly large 1-2 offs and some smaller 10 offs so they are quite expensive.

[Spezzaferro]

there's a place in toronto canada that does the same thing, dirt cheap, and they also say crystal.
I talked to the guy who was running the booth. he told me he designed and built the camera himself and that he wrot the software, but the laser was purchased
you can acttualy order online by uploading an image to them. www.crystallizeit.com

[Barry_ward]

For glass it's done with a short wave (UV) laser "Excimer Laser" probably something like Krypton Floride. It's UV because it does not penetrate the glass easily. As the beam gets closer to the focal point the losses build up and the cracks are formed.

Also they are very short pulses so only the targeted area collects the heat. 99.999% of the glass is cold.

Only one laser with a 2 D (X,Y) scanner and variable focal distance (Z).

The acrylic might be done with longer wave lasers as it does not pass long wavelengths very well.

[motomitch1]

Well, I was hoping for a reply along the lines of "I've got a machine that does that and I can run you some", rather than an argument about acrylic, glass and crystal.
Yes, here (UK) high quality (or what pertains to be high quality) glass tableware is always referred to a crystal or lead crystal and is often sold at inflated price to tourists from the USA...
...but everything here is an inflated price!
How about $6.70 per US gallon for gas?

I wouldn't mind spending $6.70 per US gallon for gas if i just keep my self from buying up all the UK crystal (nuts)

USA

[tobyaxis]

Those are nice works of art. Last X-Mas eve our tree had a slight rotting problem and it fell. I went out at 2am hunting for a new tree because the little woman was very upset with what had happened. On the way back home empty handed I stopped at a 7/11 to get a cup of coffee and found these pretty things. I figured these may cheer her spirits a bit and spent $100 on 9 or 10 of these little acrylic things. She was so pleased to see these she forgot about the tree falling. Butterflys, Dragonflys, World Trade Center, Dragons and lots more.

Now I know how they were made, Thanks for the Info.