First Project

[bbrozo]

Here are several pictures of the first real work I've done with my ShopBot. It is a sign made from a cedar plank (2.75x17.5x55") with a couple of dished out 3d models. One is a single calla lilly. The other is a group of calla lillies. It is finished with 3 coats of a transparent stain. The lettering is about .5 in. deep and is stained but catches the shadows well for a good contrast.

This is a sign for a shade garden I am making for my wife (she passed away last year). A couple of years ago, we had this area leveled out for a vegetable garden but it didn't do very well the first year since it did not get enough sun. I had suggested a flower garden instead to her and am just now getting around to doing it. The sign is just the first step. Next, I will be rototilling, building a decorative fence around the garden, garden layout, planting and, finally, making a garden bench along one side.

There will be a few parts of the project that I will be using the 'bot but the sign was the first piece.

Thanks for looking and sharing your thoughts. I only managed to break one bit and have one board for a test run go walking unexpectedly across the table before I did this. Not bad, I think...

http://i882.photobucket.com/albums/a...n/DSC00234.jpg
http://i882.photobucket.com/albums/a...n/DSC00235.jpg
http://i882.photobucket.com/albums/a...n/DSC00237.jpg

[rb99]

Nice work.

Some stain on the 3d work could show it off better but still works fine.

RIB

[phd1658]

Bill,

I think it's really great! My condolences on your wife's passing. I am sure she was a very special lady. I've got some cedar planks I've been meaning to carve myself. Did you have many "fuzzies" or tear outs on the 3d? I haven't goten around to carving any cedar at all. Thanks for posting and good luck with the garden!

Bill Munroe

[bbrozo]

Thanks Bill. You're right - she was my soulmate and this is my way of doing something for her.

And, the cedar carved beautifully. On one of the models I used a stepover of .15 (I think) and .09 on the second. Next time, for cedar anyway, I think I'll use a roughing pass and drop the stepover to .04 or .05. The reason I say this is with a 1/8" ball nose, I ended up with little ridges in the carving which I think is a combination of the softness of cedar and a stepover that was set too high.

There were no fuzzies at all and no tearout. There was no tearout even when I surfaced the plank prior to carving. I expected some tearout around the knots but had none.

Bill

[myxpykalix]

I like the rustic look of the sign. Sometimes simple is the most elegant approach. good job.