Carving out large areas

Carvey
1

I am trying to carve a wooden box for some medals, and I need to carve out large areas.

The largest bit I have is 1/8" and it obviously takes a long time to carve it out.

Can anyone recommend the best bit to carve out approximately 150mm x 150mm x 8mm deep? Also, can I order this from Inventables?

2

Inventables doesn’t carry what you’re looking for.
I don’t have any links to paste here, but I would suggest either a 1/2 or 3/4 bowl bit or (if you’re looking for sharp corners at the bottom of the pockets) 1/2 inch end mills can be found on Amazon…

3

Oh brilliant. That sounds like it will do the job. I presume I will need to buy a bigger collet as well.

Thank you so much for your response, appreciated

4

You can find bowl bits with 1/4 shank.
This is a bowl bit, however Whiteside also makes larg bits that will cut a hard corner at the bottom of the pocket.

Whiteside Router Bits 1372 Bowl and Tray Bit with 1/4-Inch Radius 3/4-Inch Cutting Diameter, 5/8-Inch Cutting Length and 1/4-Inch Shank https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000K2ADLY/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_dMKgybCDYG0M6

6

Hi Robert,
Thank you for the warning. I am new to all of this, and bought Carvey for one express job, to make medal cases. I’ll only be doing about 10 at a time.

I am planning to use a 1/4" bit. It will drop my carve time from 6 hours to 50 minutes.

I notice there are expert settings with regards to speed. Should I be considering to reduce the speed of the passes the bit makes? I assume this may help.

Thanks again for your reply,

8

It really depends on the material you are carving but the Carvey does struggle with with any bit over 1/4".

I have used a 10mm round-over bit to make some pen display boards for a mate but the DOC and feed rate had to be reduced so much it was quicker to use a smaller bit that could be pushed harder.

9

Thank you for posting this questions I was looking at the same thing. The boxes though that I was carving are only about 3.5 hours to carve out with a 1/8" bit.

10

Hi Russ,

I think I have worked it out. The box is going to house some medals being presented to people all over the world.

I originally constructed a very handsome box by carving out the sides, bottom and lid. However, I can still carve out the entire box from one piece of wood when I reviewed the thickness needed. Today I will design the new solid box to be carved from one piece, much thinner than the original. The carving time will be similar to yours, which will still be quicker than assembling the old box made from many pieces. It will also be absolutely perfect. I will share photos with you when I am finished.

Thanks for your comments, and help from all others, most generous.

12

Hi Robert,

I would be delighted to share my box project once I have everything fitting like a glove. I am very close as Easel makes it very easy to get things millimetre perfect.