"Blasted" look?

[sam]

Is it possible to create the "Sandblasted Look" on a routed sign. If it is possible, can someone please give me some sound advice, techniques , bits to use, and pros/cons on this subject.

[joewino]

We do it all the time. In our ArtCam Pro software we simply import a black and white photo of a piece of sandblasted wood and the software does all the tool paths to recreate the sandblasted look in HDU. We use 1/8" round nose bit with a 50% stepover, but a 1/4" would work...just not as much detail. It takes a long time, but the ShopBot is working while I'm doing something else.

[joe]

Sam,

Ray is on the right trail. I've investigated this process and haven't found an easy way without 3D.

My best efforts have been by reducing the background down with a flat bit, followed up with a 1/16 bit in 3D mode. Even then it's not as good as the real thing.

Here's the problem. If you take a photo of a piece of sandblasted wood. Lets say it's 12"X 24". When this is enlarged to 4'X8' all the detail is also enlarged. A deliclate 1/4" knot is now 1" along with the widened grain. The final affect is kind of cartooney. That's OK for some work. It's not even close to the real thing however.

Last month I sandblasted some panels just for this process. I used Redwood, Pine, Cedar, and Cypress. They turned out beautiful. I was so encouraged. However when put into practive it was a disapointment.

The real problem is ME. I'm too pickey.

[ed_lang]

Joe,
You are not too picky! I ran into this same effect when taking pictures of wood for backgrounds used in simulations of signs with PartWorks. When it gets blown up, it does look "cartooney"! A new phrase for me now!

I am going to play with taking photos and stitching them together when I get time to try and simulate the larger areas a bit better.

I am also going to experiment more with PartWorks carving effects. Maybe if I make the width small and the strokes longer and less random it will do a good job. At least then the pattern will not repeat and will cover the entire substrate.

Ed

[sam]

First off,...Thanks Raymond, Joe, & Ed.

For what it's worth, I am running ARTCam Pro 9 software, and the items we used to blast and still use with the router are Redwood, Cedar, Sign foam, Oak, and Extira.

When a B&W photo is imported........i'm guessing when it is selected for the path/bit chosen it does the grain detail itself?

Sam

[wooden_innovations]

You could take the wood background and mirror the picture to the right and attach it to the original. Then take the new picture and mirror it to the top and attach it to the 2nd picture made. All grain lines will match up and you won't loose resolution. If you use only a sample of the squared pattern, many people will not notice that the pattern is mirrored


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[joewino]

Well, for once I agree with Joe Crumley. The real problem IS Joe. You said it Joe, not me.

Seriously, Joe isn't pickey...he just does things the right way.

[joewino]

Sam...our procedure for producing the woodgrain in ArtCam Pro 9:

We import the shape that we want to be woodgrain into ArtCam from from Gerber Omega (as an .ai file).

Go to Reliefs>Texture and then choose "selected vector" and choose "From File" and click on "File" and then open the file containing your woodgrain photo (.jpg).

Set the Z height and click on Subtract. ArtCam takes it from there.

[joe]

Looks like were all in the stitching business now. I'm not going to get my hopes up but it does seem to have merits.

I'm probably in for sandblasting several 8 foot pieces of redwood, taking photo's, and getting past this hurdle. I know this process will render the detail I'm looking for.

I posted this querry some time ago on the ArtCam forum. A couple of guys said they do it all the time, however when I requested a photo or two showing the results, the screen went blank.

O Well, it's fun anyway.

[john_l]

Do you have to have a full size photo? If the sign is 3x8 that would be very large file.

If the software is capable of rendering the relief from a .jpg or other picture file maybe something like this would be the answer... http://www.onlyphotoshop.com/Tutorial-Wood-Grain-Pattern-c-52.html

I don't really use photoshop either but it looks to me that this fella makes his own repeatable wood grain.

[myxpykalix]

Check this out:
http://www.spiralgraphics.biz/
you can create your own wood grain textures with this free app.

[joe]

John,

File size isn't much of a problem. What we are looking for here is the flow of lines which represent wood grain. Even if the're a little soft that would be ok. After all this is renedered with a 1/8" bit.

Jack,

I've tried end joining wood grain in Photoshop and it's a mess. I couldn't seem find the technique to create wood grain on the web site you listed. Once again I'd sure like to see a sample of the finished process.

[joe]

Rodney,

The technique you posted is a good one for me. This is a process know as Match Booking and has been used for furniture veneering since, for ever. You jogged my interest.

This technique should be made to look like what it is. Lets say you take a pix of a wood burl or knots and make it look a duplicate. Could be very good but not to be confused with the free flowing river of grain.


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[xbinbc]

Hi Guys, 2 weeks from ordering my bot.
I have been using a local shop for foam and cedar signs. Here is a cedar sign I sent out.
I did the background in photoshop using eye candy plug in. I sent the cedar background as a dxf file. What do you guys think? Turned out nice when finished. I'm hoping the bot will do this. Hoping to be a long time contributor soon.

Jon

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[signtist]

Jon Shoring, Could you please elaborate a little more on the exact process your doing. That woodgrain looks perfect to me. I use V-Carve Pro right now. Is this company using a 3-D software?
Is it done with a 1/8" ball bit?

[xbinbc]

I will try and get some more info on Monday for you John.

[joewino]

OK, Joe....just so you won't keep complaining about not seeing some of this stuff. Actually, I've posted several times with this woodgrain effect, but I know that you are getting along in years and the memory is not what it used to be.


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[joewino]

And here's another:


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[mountie1808]

I use eye candy as well. It's an affordable way to do digital effects that translate well into 3D. The software itself is from Alien Skin and is available from many places, including fellers.

My question, Jon, is how are you balancing the resolution of the size of the image you create for the background, the resolution, and the size bit for finishing so that you get the smallest possible non-bitmapped grain?

Mike

[xbinbc]

I haven't been able to get any info on this.
The fella who did it isn't to happy I have ordered my own machine. I do know he used my eye candy wood background and he uses artcam pro.
I wish someone with artcam made us 3 files 2'x4'. 3'x6' and 4'x8' so we all could use the background file. I can't spring for artcamm pro.
Between using corel, signlab, illustrator and photoshop I am fine. All I need is the background file. I have been experimenting and when I get closer I will share.

[xbinbc]

I haven't been able to get any info on this.
The fella who did it isn't to happy I have ordered my own machine. I do know he used my eye candy wood background and he uses artcam pro.
I wish someone with artcam made us 3 files 2'x4'. 3'x6' and 4'x8' so we all could use the background file. I can't spring for artcamm pro.
Between using corel, signlab, illustrator and photoshop I am fine. All I need is the background file. I have been experimenting and when I get closer I will share.

[mountie1808]

Here's a couple of files that I created using eye candy for a woodgrain background. It took me all of 5 minutes and looked great though I don't have a picture of the routed piece that was done from this. These were only a practice pieces and fell by the wayside quickly.


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And then here's a fish scale pattern that I also created in eye candy for a mock-seafood restaurant. It routed great, and I look forward to seeing it painted. FYI, all of these files are significantly lower resolution than the files that I routed.

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[ckurak]

The method mentioned above by Rodney is called "Book Matching." I do this with veneer work. The consecutive leaves of veneer, as they are cut from the log, are opened as if one was reading a book.

In particular, Rodney shows a 4-way book match. This would use four consecutive pieces of veneer. Here is a 10"x19" test panel that I constructed some time ago that illustrates a 4-way book match in the center area. If I remember correctly, this is some walnut burl veneer in the center. The light border is bird's-eye maple, and the outside is sapele.

The first photo shows the test panel without the distractions of labels.

The second photo shows where the four pieces are joined using Rodney's notations. The "A's" help visually locate points on each piece that were next to each other in the log.

The third photo shows which pieces went where. The four pieces of veneer started with #1 on top, #2 below that, etc. Then, pieces #1 AND #2 were "opened" (flipped) downward together. Finally, pieces #3 and #2 are "opened" to the right. This is only one way to do it. I could have flipped #1 AND #2 to the right first, then flipped #3 and #2 downward.

Charles


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[joe]

jon,

What would you do with an ArtCam file? Wouldn't you need the program to run it? The extension might be a problem.

[bleeth]

If you create textures in Artcam from photograghs it is often useful to run a succession of smoothing passes over the relief after you create it from your photo. I recall for a a demo of doing tree bark James Booth ran 10 smoothing passes on the relief that was made from the photo. I think if I were going to start with my own photo of a board I would take a shot of a larger plank so there was minimum tiling required. If I knew I had to tile I would select a plank that wasn't knotted. I would then soak it with water or lightly sandblast it to bring out the grain and use a wipe on wipe off staining step to accentuate the grain as much as possible.

Charles: Great looking table top. If you get into more of this I have found Herzog veneers in NC to be a great source of exotics. They sell partial flitches of high figure stuff and post pics on line.
In the meantime I have an Artcam relief file of woodgrain that is tiled. If anyone wants it send me an e-mail and I'll send it to you. Note that if you don't have Artcam you can't use it.

[brucehiggins]

I just downloaded the trial version of Alien Skin Textures and this is my 1st attempt in a scrap of cedar. Pretty good affect for a quick stab at it I think. I saved the redwood texture from PhotoShop, used Corel Draw to trace bitmap and add text, used .5 inch vbit to profile letters, pocket cut the rest .2" deep, then contour cut the woodgrain lines w/ 1/4" bullnose bit .3" deep. The letters are about 3" tall. I would sleep w/ my shopbot if my girlfriend would let me.

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[xbinbc]

Hi Guys, great input on this. Joe, I was hoping
vectric software could import an artcam file or the shopbot software. Bruce, great job on the samples. After using corel what program did you use for toolpathing.I like it. My bot is here in 2 weeks. Can't wait
Thanks
Jon

[brucehiggins]

Jon, I used PartWorks. That program and the shopbot are amazing. I will get more done when I get over watching the machine work. I have had it set up for 2 weeks and spent a week dealing with electrical and computer problems. Here are two other things I made today (I do need to set up the website I am advertising!):

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[brucehiggins]

Joe C,
Alien skin textures allows full control of the size of the grain, size of the image, etc. and it even has a "seamless tile" feature. Here is an example of that feature. I created one tile and then pasted a copy to the right and below.

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[mountie1808]

I use enroute 3d. It has the capability to import bitmaps and then apply the bitmap to the surface. It reads the greyscale as dark=deep, light=high. It's a quick way to add texture.