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Maker's Mark - Your Thoughts?

4K views 32 replies 16 participants last post by  WildBill 
#1 · (Edited)
Hey folks. I've wanted to come up with some kind of maker's mark for my slingshot builds. I've been looking at some of the great designs used by people here and I've tried to use that to come up with something myself. I had thought about going the route of making a design then getting a custom wood-burner attachment with the design on it - that may still be the plan, but I came across a method of printing your design with a laser printer on regular paper then using acetone or laquer thinner to transfer the design to the wood. I tested that method this weekend. It needs some more practice, but the initial tests were very promising and allows for a very inexpensive way to transfer designs, lettering, etc. of very high quality. Of course you would need to make sure the transfer is protected with coat of poly or other sealing finish to keep it from wearing off. I like that this method can be used on uneven, rounded or even angled surfaces.

A while back I was messing around with some slingshot designs in Visio. I was trying to be 'creative' and just let the lines flow where they would. As I would draw and move the lines around, one of them I accidentally went too far and created a funky little design. It had a sense of familiarity so I added a little more and suddenly I had a design that had some essence of slingshot, but wasn't a slingshot. There is something almost human in the form when I look at it. I toyed around with adding bands, a ball of ammo and a target and you get what you see now. Later I dropped in some initials and the date just to see if that looked okay.

Design is NOT my area of expertise. I'm in very unfamiliar territory, but I'm giving it a shot.

So, what do you think? I'm not yet convinced it's the right one, but I think it's to a point where I could put it out there for you folks to give me some feedback. Do you like it? Hate it? Would you change something? If so, what? Criticism is fine as long as you're gentle. I may be a big guy, but I'm sensitive :p
 

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#28 ·
I think I would somehow have to go with the hawk idea too. That is your signature already and I think you could maybe have the hawk holding your initials in it's talons. Just another idea to confuse you:D
 
#29 ·
Thanks for all the great feedback folks! Point taken, this idea is probably a bit too intricate, and maybe a bit too abstract. Back to the proverbial drawing board. But then again, how often do first drafts of ideas end up being the final product. Thanks again!
My first drafts are almost always the final product, they rarely work and or turn out to my satisfaction though. I wonder if maybe I should rethink something...
 
#30 ·
Some more great ideas folks! My main problem is I'm no artist. If I tried to draw a design it would look like a 4-year-old did it :). I may have to try and perhaps find an existing shape, that's not too highly detailed (to make reproduction and transfer easier) and that I can personalize easily. I like the ideas about the hawk, maybe just some wings with something else. Maybe I could pull some elements from our family crest (Irish):



Maybe a stag opposite a hawk each clutching bundles of TBG and multiplex ;)
 
#31 ·
This is a symbol I have been using for the last 11 years, the blackbird is a line drawing representation of a much more detailed picture I drew when I was 16 back in art class, its very simplified but still gives the image.
If you have something personal to you like that you could easily stylise it for such purposes
Skin Temporary tattoo Finger Handwriting Art
 

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#32 ·
There's always old west style cattle brands. I considered Lazy S (an S on its side) before I came up with the lucky penny. They're made to be simple and unique.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Livestock_branding

I like your current design, but think it looks better without the bullseye.
 
#33 ·
Due to my not being very active right now due to the move, I just now saw this thread. I glanced at the feed, but I did want to say a bit about the maker's mark you came up with.

Dude, it looks like a guy that has to go to bathroom real bad and unfortunately had a bit get past his pinch.

I really don't mean that in any way derogatory- Indeed, I think that you, Erik, are one top-rate fellow and I admire you quite a bit. The mark is a good start and I presume that you'll refine it as you go.

I already have a 'maker's mark' for my furniture line(s), but it's way to big to put on a slingshot. I do it with a decal as opposed to a burn or inking since I have the surface area to use that method. If I do a makers mark, I'll have to come up with something specific to my slingshot efforts, but until this very moment I hadn't really given that any thought. Perhaps I should...

-Wild Bill
 
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