What is the piece you are "PROUDEST" of?

[kevin]

http://www.kdunphy.com/angleokitch.htm

This was made 12 years ago in montreal out of a garage no bot

Gene looks killer
the bike wow
the sign amazing

[scottp55]

Thanks everyone. Sorry for the hissy fit that started this, but not the results. Beautiful work and comments. Woke the next morning and found both computers hooked to the net "FRIED" by viruses, just got this design computer working but laptop still firing on one cylinder. Good thing to be "Unplugged" as the time got my head straight. The Desktop is just another tool in my shop but allows me to do stuff I never could do before. When I finally got back on line 3 hours ago, was pleasantly by the feedback. Thanks people. I could do this pic by hand but the 10 year old would be driving by the time I was finished.

[myxpykalix]

If you go back and look at Randall Newcomb's picture he posted of the indian. We could all buy that file and carve it and come out with fairly the same results.

HOWEVER...it is the post cutting detail that makes a piece stand out like this. I'm not that good at finishes but when you look at his piece and the way it's finished it accentuates the details in the carving where you can clearly see the muscle structure in the horse and the indian and other details. That's the difference in some like him that go to the amount of detail after the cutting which makes it stand out so nicely.

I think he, or someone wrote a tutorial on this finishing technique which was quite good.

As for me, this is one of my favorite pieces because i wrote the spiraling app (with a lot of help) that allowed me to do things with my indexer that couldn't be done at the time (2006) and i had to figure out how to make jigs to hold it in such a way that the downward and lateral pressures wouldn't just break it.

I think the next one i make is going to be a hollow spiral with intertwining contrasting species (not just two different species glued together)

[scottp55]

Jack, What's the dark wood you used in the outer spiral? Still can't wrap my Brain around the indexer and on the Desktop the size of the piece and setting it up just doesn't seem worth the bucks yet. Have to research the probe now as Dad wants to buy one, but I seem to remember problems with them. Maybe save the bucks and use it for Aspire? Is the probe any good just using the VCarve and cut3D. Good work everyone. Time to warm the spindle up and try to copy our carvers climbing "cookie monster". Latest is visiting a Vets home in Van Buren,Maine next week and see if any of the new Vets would be interested in becoming Carving apprentices or would like to work on the Desktop when it moves up to Presque Isle. The carving community up there is strong and they are interested in what we are doing and are already offering blank designs for hand carved finish work if the vets are interested in one-on-one apprentice work. These are recent hard-core vets that had severe difficulty fitting back in "The World". Hope it works. Might be another way for the 'bot to blend skills.

[myxpykalix]

The inside spiral is maple and the outside spiral is walnut. It may have been a piece of wormy walnut, hence some of the design in the wood.

As to the probe, I had one and i didn't find it worth the money vs. my usage. Keep n mind if you have to probe something it could take several hours to do and your machine is tied up the whole time. Their are easier alternatives. I'd save my money for something more efficient.

As to the indexer, i can't speak to spec for your machine re:size but indexer in general is one of the most creative addition you can make for your bot. I've made all manner of cylindrical types of carvings and you can do the same thing...(only smaller!)

Other guys have set up indexers for their machine putting off the shelf parts together, i would recommend you look into that. I think you would be very pleased to add a indexer to your tool box

[scottp55]

Thanks Jack, Will pass along to the BOSS Need more ammo so still searching probe vs. laser scanning items as needed.

[cowboy1296]

Of course the one that does not warp. This one comes to mind but i cant take credit for the finishing, which was done by a furniture maker.

[myxpykalix]

Rick,
That is real nice Where did the file for the frame come from? We have some high end frame shops around here and they just have frames that look like they were cut on profile cutters, nothing custom carved. That might make a good intro piece to walk in to show them (the frame).

[scottp55]

Just going into these in more detail while Desktop runs a celtic border for the second time to clean it up(vac isn't running and music turned down-25') Amazing work. R?what was the finishing technique? Can't find it yet. B. ran and owned bike and ski shops in 70's and 80's -BEAUTIFUL(tourng frame guy myself- $500 mountain bike would NOT sell in Maine in '81!!! Did sell $1,200 monocoque time trial bike left over from Mexico City record trials-the back-up.How many spokes on a two-flange wheel? infinity OR two?). Beautiful work on everything.
Cutting cherry today- Celtic cats. Thanks for getting me back in the groove. Scott

[cowboy1296]

If that question was directed at me, I am not really sure. The finishing was done by someone else. Alder normally is spotchy and if it is splotchy in this job its blended in well. I have a feeling that the top coat was sprayed on but again i am not sure.