Sandblast texture

[bob_s]

Joe
My background is photography and 2d digital graphics, I have been trying to solve this, but so far the problem seems to be in the cad/cam software.
I have found that for me the issue is apparently in Aspire. It uses 65,000 steps of gray to describe the height field, but when you import a texture it will only see 0 - 255. That is why you get only a shallow depth change. There also seems to be an awful lot of "noise" regardless of how big or clean the bitmap file is.
I took the liberty of altering your plank file to enhance the grain and importing it. The attached images show the 3d preview and the expected output when cut with a .125 ball nose at 9% step over. It isn't bad, but it isn't right either.
If anyone has any ideas about how to get the cad programs to accept files in a different way i would love to test it. I can create a B&W file with any characteristics needed including 16 bit depth, just can't get it into the CAD program.
Bob

[joe]

Bob,

Thanks for posting your experience. I've been down this road also with much the same experience.

Glen,

Dan's textures are all cartoonish. That's his field and he's good at it. Do you remember Jewel Vern's Voyages. Those design live on today and are know as Steam Punk. Everything is powered by kooky steam engine contraptions.

[chiloquinruss]

Bob and Joe, thinking out loud, what if we had a layered wood grain image? What we would have is a woodgrain file to cut but there would be several layers to be cut, each one generating its own cutpath. These when combined together would give you a great deal of depth and individual controls (I think). You could even have bit changes and use several different bits to gain resolution to the wood grain. Just a thought. Russ

[joe]

Russ,

Fortunately we have real wood available. I like it better than synthetics. It's fun to carve, sand and paint.

Sometimes we get going down the wrong path. That's what is happening with synthetic boards and expensive 3D programs.

I appreciate your input and would like to see what you come up with.

[wmcghee]

Joe, what is the method for gluing up Pine boards to use for signs? And what kind of glue, just yellowglue, i.e. Titebond.

In my area, Pine is the only readily available material within a 30 mile radius. Actually I think its Spruce, it is more white and I think looks great for making rustic looking furniture. Also, and I Googled this and couldn't find much info. But I have always heard that Hemlock, which I've been told is the same wood as Spruce, is naturally bug resistant.

[joe]

Wayne,


The Yellow Pine I'm using is plantation grown. It comes from Lowe's and is cheap. Let me caution you it's green. Squirrels were in living in it a week ago. This wood will not normally be flat or strait so you have to be chosey.


First off, look at the ends of the boards for vertical grain. Then lay them on the floor to see if they are flat. The centers will need to be removed on a table saw. For me the glue up is Weldwood Plastic Resin Glue. I mix it up to the thickness of pancake batter or peanut butter. A stiff 1” chip brush is good for painting on the mixture.


I have no experience with Spruce or Hemlock. I'd have to run tests outside. Here's what I do when testing. Cut slabs up and throw them outside against a fence. In six months you'll know .