VCarved buttons

Thanks Bob, Bookmarked, will try.
G.!, You trying to make MORE work for me?:)
Last time in Rockler showed Dad the premade blanks out of similar stuff, Very wild colors but very pricey. NOT trying to be a button Mogul, just the fluting toolpath made the array functions made it easy to create pleasing patterns that were fast and easy to make original designs and I thought people might be interested. Could be good for Northern machine and Kirk and a part time finisher we may pick up.
Me I'd just be happy making special ones for Aunt's once in a while:)

Long day, but only had to change bits 3 times and Z 3 times (and RR a lot):)
LOVE Padauk ( I thought cherry carved nice).

OH NO!! Here he goes again! :)
Don't!! Decide to make buttons out waste rips of roughsawn Quilted OR use 8/4 rips for 1.25" buttons(Claro was OK but saw marks didn't give good adhesion on carpet tape--They were flying like popcorn, and all I had was my trusty air nozzle and a small shield :) ).
4 new patterns using fluting(linear and smooth), and 3 brand new bits that needed dialing in. 2 60's and a 45 degree.
Designed at 4AM and cutting late(and changing my mind) caused most of my problems:)
Quilted is picky as heck and you can barely tell it's quilted:(

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Originally Posted by scottp55

OH NO!! Here he goes again! :)
Don't!! Decide to make buttons out waste rips of roughsawn Quilted OR use 8/4 rips for 1.25" buttons(Claro was OK but saw marks didn't give good adhesion on carpet tape--They were flying like popcorn, and all I had was my trusty air nozzle and a small shield :) ).
4 new patterns using fluting(linear and smooth), and 3 brand new bits that needed dialing in. 2 60's and a 45 degree.
Designed at 4AM and cutting late(and changing my mind) caused most of my problems:)
Quilted is picky as heck and you can barely tell it's quilted:(

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Scott Have you thought about onion skinning them. This way small parts stay in place till either planned or sanded. I do onion skin a lot on small parts.

Morning Eugene, Yep, first 3 small batches were screwed and onion-skinned(more like potato-skinned), but took too long the way I did it. With scroll saw ready wood(sanded to thickness when I get it) and carpet tape actually got time machine time down to 1:30 each button.
This was a play day on my "official" day off:) Like I said I created most of my problems by going with the random thin rips. Was mainly trying out some "S" flourishes a guy on Vectric gave me and the new Kyocera 1/8" engraving bits (like them and only $4-6 each).
Like the Fluting/circular array toolpath for these as you can increase/decrease size of button and it doesn't really affect the times or the look as much as VCarving does(and no flat depth "look").
Needed some "Unique" buttons for a customer/friend up North.
Plan on trying onion-skin again as a Vacuum jig is next.
Thanks! Padauk today and the 22" inlay gets unclamped :) Be nice to work with 4X24" sheet stock instead of the rips.
scott

Nice when things go smooth. Also nice that half of these were sold before they went on the Desktop and customer said all the designs were good, so "Just make me ones YOU like best." :)

Purpleheart, same exact design. Yesterday.

Look great as usual Scott. What do folks use the buttons for?

Thanks Dick, We only started selling any about 6 weeks ago. Knitters and weavers liked the 2-3" proto's I did, but wanted more intricate designs, larger holes for their yarn and squares and ovals in something more exotic than the Maple/Walnuts one-of's we had.
These are a 1.25" pattern but the cut-out is a profile cut outside the line with a 60 VBit, so actual size before sanding is roughly 1.4".
A quilter near Houlton bought half the Padauks , and is giving 7 to her daughter in CO for Christsmas. Not sure exactly what for yet, but also sending her some other samples in different woods and designs to show her "sewing circle" friends as they are all professionals and can give me good feedback.
Have the 9 fluting toolpath ones pretty much dialed in, but was slightly amazed by the difference in using a smooth fluting toolpath vs a linear. And then further amazed by the Massive difference between using a 30,45,60,90 degree engraving bits on the same exact pattern! They almost look like totally different patterns, and that's just using the same .1" Maximum depth and 100% Flute length.
Mom used her first ones for knit scarves, but pretty much anything that should be hand washed.
Just tried dipping 4 of them in melted "Glass Fill" candlemakers wax last night, and all the excess came right off on a paper towel. Started at 15 seconds on on Maple, but after no ill effects actually went up in stages to 5 minutes and still flat with no excess in the little grooves or button holes at all.
Then tried Walnut/Padauk/Wenge (all I had fully sanded) and actually left the Walnut IN the wax overnight as it cooled and then reheated this morning:)
Not as much of an effect as I thought on bare wood though. Think I'll try a coat of 50/50 Tung/Citrus and another in Watco Danish and then the wax on the next ones.
Thanks G. and Andrew:)

Bloodwood carved while Dick was here. Cut the bottom row with a 60 degree by accident(long day-should have been a 45) so wood was thinner than a 45 would have been and had tearout at the unsupported 12 and 6 o'clock grain. creative sanding or carving chisel work coming up:)