F Engrave (FREE V CARVING) and 20° V bit info

Text that small would be a challenge for any engraving bit. Nice job!

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Where did you get the bit? I see quite a few carbide and other metal engraving bits on Amazon.

Also, is F Engrave required, or can I replicate this with Easel and just adjust the depth?

Plywood is horrible for engraving small text, if you are getting results that good in plywood it will look perfect in a nice hardwood (just do not use oak).

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Yes - two identical final passes works well to clean up. If you surface sand BETWEEN the final passes, it works even better. Somehow the sanding helps break stuff free to make the final pass even more effective.

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My rage is always ready.

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I keep a spare can of rage on the shelf for when I break a tool.

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Why are you sanding the shellac off?

I just wipe the wet paint off. I don’t need to sand.

After I wipe off the paint, I let the paint in the carving dry and then apply another few coats to seal everything. I do a very light sanding with 1000 grit between coats just to keep everything smooth and clear.

Mineral spirits can be used to clean any stubborn paint that does not wipe off the shellac.

Alcohol will remove the shellac.

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I have not tried that but it should work if you have a good way to align the work between cuts.

I’ve done the same using an airbrush, a lot less overspray… of course a lot more expensive than a can of spraypaint, but I tend not to over-paint when using an airbrush.

With a spray can I get caught in a loop of “just one more spritz” and wind up with runs.

Yes, I had to let the shellac dry for a few days to avoid this problem… Last time, I did one week and it did not clog the sandpaper.

Dave Rhoten the sign carver on youtube (20+ years) uses Minwax Sanding Sealer on his boards before he carves them, He has a lot of videos on sign carving free hand with a router and finishing technics

Can you take a picture of your bit or post a link to where you bought it? I’ve got a few, but there seem to be many types of V bits.

Thanks.

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@PhilJohnson or @RobertCanning can one of you take a screen shot of your F-Engrave settings, I want to give it a shot

Thanks

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Thanks

Thanks Phil

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It sure will be nice when the V Carve functionality gets added to Easel!

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Is there a good tutorial for getting started with F-Engrave?

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