Here is my biggest sign yet, it is 31 inches wide and 27 inches tall. This just about the total envelope of my X-Carve 1000mm. The cow and the lettering are .175 deep (black areas) and just the cow took 21 hours, the letters took about four hours. The front is three pieces of hickory 1 1/4" thick, glued and biscuited, the back is 5 pieces of hickory vertical glued, biscuited, and screwed to act as a strong back. I put 8 coats of spar varnish on it to protect it from the elements. This sign weighs about 60 pounds.
3 Likes
Looks great, anyone would be chuffed at making or receiving it.
But the time is off the scale. I would expect he letters to take 30 minutes and the cow carving no more than 2-3 hours, depending which size roughing bit used. 1/4 or 3/16 roughing, 1/8 or Vbit for finish.
I don’t know how to rough with one bit and finish with another. I used a 1/8" carbide end mill.
Hickory with 8 coats will survive the apocalypse. Well done!
Phil has done some recent vids with 2 stage carving. Easel makes it pretty easy.
1/4 bit can help reduce time as well.
Learn to do 2 stage carves with a V bit as detail and you will do these much faster.
That cow could have been done at 0.10" deep or a little less with same result.
We don’t need much depth to get detail in 2d carving.
Also I have been using the raster settings, i think it gives a better look.I pick the one that will either look more pleasing or follow the grain of the wood.
As Mark said 2 stage carve
1 Like