32 hour carving

[englert]

Semper Fi! Awesome gift for the Marine.

Dennis Englert, MSgt USMC Retired

[danhamm]

Another one, on the big machine cut time in half.

[shilala]

I've found that if my base is 5/8 the depth of my 3d model, no warp.
So if I'm using 1" stock, I'll only go 3/8" deep with my 3d model.
I can get around that, too. If I make a 3/4" 3d model on 1" stock, I'll just frame out the back of the sign with the approprate "extra thickness".
I've watched very carefully to come up with that 5/8 number, but your mileage may vary.

If a model is unbalanced, with more 3d work on the top of the sign (running with the grain) than the bottom, the bottom may want to cup while the top is fine.

I glue, clamp, countersink, screw, and plug my framing on the back.
Then I always finish it just as if the back is the finished product.
It's a lot of extra time and grief, and it often makes no difference to anyone but me.
The extra work makes the stuff I do ageless, and that's what I'm after. And problems suck. The extra time and lumber I put in has yielded a history of zero problems, so I just keep doing it.

[danhamm]

Scott, I guess its your way of asking how I manage the relief warping of my carvings.
Over the years I have different methods for the variety of different applications we get involved in such as relief carving for doors and large plaques we make for presentations.

On most relief carvings you are correct, I usually epoxy a stained hardwood ply pre carving to the back and make it part of the piece, if carving a 3/4 inch material it would have a 3/8 or 1/2 inch prestained ply epoxied on it before carving and if carved 1/2 to 5/8 its very inert, but messes can be created using glues as they shrink when drying and create there own stresses also pre-cutting groves and epoxying is not and exact science, so if you have a way that's working for you "salute".

[cowboy1296]

I get a lot of pictures of my plaques being presented. But in this case the uncle sent me a video. It did my old Marine heart good to see the young Marines reaction.

[blackhawk]

Dan - What type of hourly rate do you use on these long runs that you make for sale? The longest times that I have ran in 3-4 hours.

[danhamm]

Maybe a better question to ask is "how much does your machine make sitting doing nothing"

Now the real answer is, I don't know...we seem to be doing alright have no bills, all brand new machinery 2 lasers 2 cnc's and because of the season both cnc's are going flat out the big one 24 hours a day, "If" someone were to ask how much per hour I would charge them to do cut a job, my answer would be the machine gets 50.00 and I get 25.00, but most of the time there are many jobs being done at the same time.
But, the biggest thing is I am doing what I want to do, never wishing I was somewhere doing something else.
I think if you are mentally trying to get a certain price from the machine and yourself, then its probably best to sell it, as I seen so many pieces of equipment just sitting getting old because the price point wasn't good enough.

[chiloquinruss]

"the biggest thing is I am doing what I want to do" The best answer I've seen on this forum in a long time and most answers are pretty good! Russ

[danhamm]

Thanks Russ, I ran one more of the same design, smaller different wood again, am very pleased with all 3 cuts, am going to do one more "for me" will do it when things slow down a bit and it will be 34 x 48 in size and 2 inch depth.

[MogulTx]

Excellent outlook Dan. And great looking work, too! Merry Christmas to you!

(And don't wait too long before cutting the nice project for yourself. We sometimes tend to put ourselves at the end of the list--- and never get down to the end of the list!)

Monty