Good information Erik, thanks.
1 Like
Thank you for posting this. I wish I had read it before I finished my last piece, I have so much to learn.
1 Like
Agree, a bad finish job is just as bad as the bit going all over the place. Itās like a major piece of the puzzle.
1 Like
Here is one of the pumpkins the wife wantedā¦cut, sealed with polyurethane, then threw on the black paint. Quick hit with the orbital sander to clean up the excess. Orange paint to follow.
Merlin is the dog (her baby) 
4 Likes
That turned out great! What font did you use for the lettering
(I want to try carve some tombstones for Halloween and that would be perfect)
I used Zombie Holocaust from: Sinister Fonts: Chad Savage's free, original horror, scary and Halloween fonts
The font had to be cleaned up big time, lots of garbage in the middle of each letter, looks great but was not meant to be cutā¦lol
1 Like
A 4 inch coaster using the center part of the Aztec Sunstone cut in 1/4" cherry and resting comfortably in cherry sawdust, I got rid of a bunch of the really tiny vectors, Fresh off the mill, need to clean up some of the fuzzies and make 3 moreā¦finishā¦make a holder for the setā¦ This was cut with a 1/8" 60 degree v-bit at 60 ipm.
5 Likes
Are you going to pour epoxy over it?
Not really sureā¦havenāt decided. Iāve never used epoxy before. Come on over and give me a hand
1 Like
My V-bit skills are really lacking. I am using Vcarve Pro and find it amazing you did that whole carve with a 60 degree bit. I have lots of learning to do with this software. I would love to turn something like that out. Looks nice.
You have to remember to set your flat depth in V-Carve to give the nice smooth flat areas. For this coaster I have the V-Carve toolpath set to start depth 0.0 and flat depth set to 0.05.
This is a very shallow carving.
Good info, tons of stuff to learn. Every time I look at their training videos Iām amazed at what this program can do. Thanks for the tip. How long did it take to carve that?
Decided to go with the very center of the design for the Coaster Holder. Same settings as the coasters. I first did 5 holes (for 1/4" dowels) on the backside and cutout out the holder sides. Flipped them over and did the V-Carve on the front. I will trim the dowels to size after I finish and put cork backing on the coaster. I will probably round over the corners of the holder (should have done that when I cut them out).
2 Likes
I like how the center fills the coaster space better.
1 Like
I redid the holder and eliminated the dowelsā¦I didnāt like them. Now I either need to shorten the width of the holder or make more coastersā¦I think Iāll make more. I picked up a some sheets of thin foam to attach to the bottom of the coasters after I finish them.
6 Likes
For removal of the fuzz after carving, I use these:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000DD2CY?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00
Works great on the cherry I have been using, doesnāt scratch or leave any marks on the wood just removes the fuzz.
1 Like
Great minds do think alike!
I picked up this set at Harbor Freight last week. The soft nylon brush is great for cleaning out the vwheels and getting the gunk off the makerslide rails.
1 Like
Also, try a square cut from a scotch-brite pad attached to the mandrel. Chuck it up in a rotary tool like a Dremel and it makes quick work of the fuzz.
2 Likes