Best woods for 3D work

[Davo]

I've been keeping with the dish models to skip a roughing pass and letting it slowly work to the depth

Would it make much difference for me to rough it first? def. saves me some time to skip roughing with the dish models... But I do sand some... So I should probably try it

I would run my rpm faster but I fear it would kill my router after hours and hours

Gets hot enough as it is on the motor area

[Brady Watson]

I only have spindles on my CNCs and I have 3ph. I can't stand the sound of a 110v router. It grates my nerves. I know not everyone can afford one, so that's not meant to sound smug.

The only real way to tell one way or another is to try one with roughing & one without & compare the two - side by side in the same wood, same bit, same feeds.

Usually the low dished clipart reliefs don't need roughing, but this of course depends on scale.

-B

[steve_g]

Matt…
Professional grades of MDF are denser and have higher resin content than big box goods. Plum Creek is a brand designed to be made into molding, Medex is a brand of MDF used in damp locations and Exteria Sheet goods are just plain water proof! Your supplier may not carry all varieties… Here in the Dallas TX area I’m unable to find Exteria.
Using these products is night and day difference from the big box goods! Fine details don’t crumble away. Perhaps others in the Chicago area can suggest suppliers…
I’ll attach some product photos of items made with Medex, They were finished with various stain techniques and sculpt nouveau. Feel free to ask more about anything that catches your eye!
SG

[Brady Watson]

Fantastic examples, Steve. Gotta love the SN stuff.

Here's Extira's site: http://www.extira.com/

I used Medex moisture resistant MDF for my spoilboard early on...I can get the same product, but it was the absolute best material. Super stable & machined cleanly.

-B

[Xray]

@X-ray, you seem to be able to machine any wood and have it come out brilliantly. What kind of machine do you have? I have the same bits from precisebits as you do, but I'm assuming my 2002 benchtop PRT is no where near as good as your machine.

Not a SB, I don't like to ruffle any feathers so I avoid talking about my machine.
Its no where near top of the line, but more modern than 2002. I'd like to think that with some tweaking and trial & error, you can produce works every bit as good, maybe better.

[scottp55]

Excellent examples Steve!
Still remember that "Fish" fossil from when I first started scoping out CNC forums
off topic...sorry Matt;
Brady or anybody, Medex for spoilboard substrate on Desktop better choice than BBply? Using Bill Young's "Wedging Top" with inserts and getting Very slight flexing when clamping hard, as the outside of cutting area fences are not supported by the extrusions. Is it as stiff/stiffer than BBply? Can 2 layers be glued together using PU glue(Gorilla). Used PU because it foams when it reaches dowel/insert holes, and easier to pluck out excess,and only one surface has to be glued which reduces excess.
Picked up a sheet of 3/4" HDO as well, but not sure how PU would bond to the epoxy coating or Medex.

[danhamm]

I have had pretty good return from Pine and cedar. the wolf is blue lodgepole pine and the bears is big its 4x6 ft. and of cedar.

[dmidkiff]

Dan I like the bears but the blue pine makes the wolf really pop for me. Is that the beetle kill pine we've all heard about?

[cowboy1296]

Thanks to the tree huggers we have lots of beetle kill in Colorado. I did some 3-d in poplar once and it was really stringy, so i dont care for the softer woods. I tend to stick with black walnut or cherry and have some african mahogany on hand to do a 3d plaque in the near future. Anyone want to weigh in on African Mahogany and with pictures if you have them. I had toned my speed down to 10k recently but noticed that my flat area of a plaque was not flat so i increased to 13k. but with Bradys suggestion i just ran out to the garage and stopped a project and sped it up to 16 k. Almost everything that i do is 3-d and still have the same router after 5 years. but i do tend to change my brushes fairly often, so i always keep an ample supply on hand. Loosing steps because of bad brushes can be costly.

[Davo]

Dan: how long did those big pieces take?