can anyone recommend a stencil making system?

[Travis Fry]

I've recently become dissatisfied with my current go-to stencil maker, who will remain unnamed. Being an accountant and all I started running the economics, and I determined that it might be in my best long-term financial interest to acquire my own stencil developing machine and make my own. Depending on the cost, it wouldn't take long for the machine to pay for itself in money saved, not even considering the possibilities of making them for others for profit.

My question is this: Does anyone have any specific experiences with any of the myriad stencil making systems out there, and, based on those experiences, can anyone recommend one? Quality is of primary importance, though price is an important factor.

Thanks in advance,

 

[BossDog]

Have a look here.
http://mickleyknives.com/html/etching_tutorial.html.

 

[Dwane Oliver]

Yep , I followed Bobs instructions years ago and made a light box , it works like a charm.
Read the tutorial Tracy posted and you will be making quality stencels in no time.
I often have customers want a personalized touch on their knives , I can make a stencel for almost anything.

 

[Travis Fry]

Thanks fellas, you've got me thinking. The link to Bob's light box is dead, but otherwise it all seems pretty straightforward. Do y'all mean something like this?

 

[BossDog]

Thanks fellas, you've got me thinking. The link to Bob's light box is dead, but otherwise it all seems pretty straightforward. Do y'all mean something like this?

It doesn't say what the wattage is but put a lid on it and it looks pretty good to go.

 

[Michael Kemp]

An alternative I've used requires that you are comfortable with computers, have an old style laser printer (an inkjet will not work), and are willing to create your stencil design in a computer drawing program. I've found that a "vector" based drawing program give me more control and infinite scalability. Then you print mirror-image your drawing. Make sure the areas to etch are white and everything else (the mask) is black. Print through the laser print onto Press-N-Peel blue: http://www.techniks.com/ - and heat transfer that to the blade. Here's how I was doing it a few years ago - I've modified how I heat the blade & Press-N-Peel but it's basically still how I do it: http://www.techniks.com/

That's my 2 cents.

 

[Bruce Bump]

I have a system with the light and everything that came in the kit. Cost me a couple hundred bucks and I'd be willing to sell it for half price. Let me know if I need to take a picture for ya. I've never had time to play with it and its still brand new.
Bruce