Animal Plaques

[tmerrill]

Here are some wall plaques I just finished. The animal scenes are all from Vector Art 3D's Animal Collection and carved into hard maple using Vectric's Cut3D. I finished the plaques using shellac and glaze, then inlayed them into oak bases.

Tim


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[myxpykalix]

Give us some details, man! lol. Tell me (because i don't know), what the "elevations" of these files are? It looks to me because of the different elements in one of these that the deer sits higher than say the grass below him. I realize these were premade but what determines how it is cut so the body is rounded as it protrudes from the surface as opposed to being flat. Is that controlled by the software or is it predetermined by the way the artist sculpts it?
What are the sizes of the carvings and how long did it take to carve those? It looks as if it had pretty nice detail, how do you know when you buy one of these, or make one, what is going to be the best bit to cut with? The finishing is very cool. Next time you stain something like this please take some pictures of the various stages so we can see how better to do it. VERY COOL!!!

[zeykr]

Tim,
I too would like to know more about the finishing process - that seems to be where I have the most problems. What Glaze did you use, where do you get it, and whats the process.

Thanks!

[tmerrill]

I would be glad to share the finishing details.

For products, I used Zinsser's Seal Coat Shellac and General Finishes' Glaze Effects. Any shellac should work as long as it is dewaxed. This is the first time I've used a glaze and started with the General Finishes product as I use many of their products and like them. It is water based and easy to work with. Here is a link to their webpage if you are interested:

http://www.generalfinishes.com/finis...e_finishes.htm

Scroll about half way down the page.

For machining, I used a 1/8" round nose at 8% stepover. Took about 1 1/2 to 2 hours per panel. Did an inital sanding using a sanding mop (highly recommended - not cheap, but a real time saver for 3D work).

For finishing, I started with 3 coats of shellac cut to 1 lb followed by 3 coats straight from the can at 2 lb cut. The 1 lb cut soaks in and drys in minutes giving a good initial seal. The 2 lb coats give a good buildup and produce a nice amber tint. If you wanted a lighter look, you could probably stop here and sand the highpoints to produce the desired depth and 3D effect. Did all the shellac coats in a matter of hours then let them dry overnight.

For the glaze, I applied 2-4 thin coats using a foam paintbrush. Worked it into all the nooks and crannies. Since this was the first time I had used glaze, I experimented with how to remove it in the unwanted areas. I let it dry and then sanded, but found this starting to remove too much detail so didn't continue sanding. Had more success wiping the surface with either a camp sponge or a dry cloth or paper towel while the glaze was still wet. All three produced similar, but slightly different, results so I would encourage you to experiment. The last method I tried and liked the best was let the glaze almost dry (it has a 2-4 hour dry time) and then use a fine or ultra fine synthetic steel wool pad to accent the high points. I felt I had the most control with how much glaze I was removing.

I purchased the Seal Coat at the local Lowes. Just be sure you get the dewaxed Seal Coat and not their Bullseye product which is not dewaxed. I purchased the General Finish glaze at a local Woodcraft store. The General Finish website has a link for looking up dealers in your area.

Hope this helps. I really encourage you to try the glaze, I think you'll be impressed.

Tim

[myxpykalix]

I love the way the glaze gets into the cracks and accents the smaller details. 1 to 2 hours seems like a reasonable cutting time. It's hard to tell by looking at the pic but what is the size of the carvings?

[tmerrill]

Jack,

The maple inlays are roughly 6x9 inches, the oak plaque is roughly 9 x 12 inches.

Tim

[zeykr]

Was it the burnt umber glaze?

[tmerrill]

Sorry, forgot to tell you it was the burnt umber. I also bought the Van Dyke brown but it was darker and I thought the lighter and browner tone of the burnt umber looked better for this application.

[jsfrost]

Great work Tim,

I have prototypes of a cribbage board in work using the same artwork and similar technique (1/8 ball, 8% stepover) but with maple base and walnut carving. I do some carving tool cleanup (faster than sanding) and then pre-finish sand with 500 grit Aberlon pads. I will have to try the sanding mop and compare time and results. Your shellac method sounds much easier than my multi coat multi day Tung oil process, and your glaze adds a depth I don't get. Thanks for the pictures and the details.

[tmerrill]

Jim,

I put the following response together when a member of the Vetric forum asked about the sanding mop I used. I'll repeat it here - it may help you pick one out to try:

I bought my sanding mop from Klingspor. Here is the link:

http://www.woodworkingshop.com/cgi-b...onthsBetween=0

Wow, what a link. If that doesn't work, go to Klingspor's website and do a search for item #FS99220 . It is described as "2X6 GOLD 220 GRIT SANDING MOP KIT " and currently sells for $48.95. The link to Klingspor's home page is:

http://www.woodworkingshop.com/cgi-b...=home_page.htm

I can't say its good for all applications. I decided to try one and figured the 220 grit would be slower at removing material but that would effectively give me more control. I think the 220 grit was good for this project but found it too fine when I made the sample leaf bowl that was associated with the release of Cut3D.

I have tried other ones that are only 1/4" to 1/2" thick and didn't get good results. I think action of the 2" thick one helps.

I use it in a floor drill press running at low to medium speed.

Hope this helps,

Tim