VCarved buttons

[scottp55]

I suppose I should have started a "fluted" button thread as these aren't VCarved. My starter set Onsrud 1/8" BallNose Is about 9 months old, Sooo why not use a brand new Chinese TiN? WRONG!! Didn't do a test cut as surfaced cherry was right there waiting for me--big mistake. I spent a bit of time rescuing this with the Onsrud afterwards. You DO get what you pay for Usually.
Shrunk yesterdays patterns down to 1.25" which when profiled outside the line with the 3/8"Whiteside PRO gives a good size, but 2 of them got too busy and should have gone with 1/16" TaperedBN maybe. If I go smaller my use tapered 1/16"BN for all toolpaths(just a thought).
Button holes need to be spaced further apart, and I need to orient them so grain is continuous between and I must have had the "rotate parts for best fit" box checked when I nested them(but why it would rotate a round part to fit I can't figure out).
The light is funky in the afternoon and most of my pics look more like sugar cookies than buttons To bad they are only single lines(be a great cookie mold), maybe bitmap trace a preview in high contrast colors?
Black Walnut, maybe Padauk or Lacewood tomorrow. Buying 4X24" presanded scrollsaw ready 1/4" saves a lot of work(should have gone 5 or 6" width for this stuff though).

[scottp55]

Walnut today,And changed over to a .125 60VBit on someones advice on the Vectric Forum. Almost identical fluting toolpath.
Made 2 other identical blanks so I could swap out blanks instead of a tool change X3 , but don't want to dare as they are only 1.1" and the buttonholes and cutout are REALLY tight and humidity and temp change every thunderstorm(shut down 3 times). Maybe later with the bigger ones.

[scottp55]

Today. Sanded during training today I think this will be the "minimal sanding required model"
Somebody on here has "where even the scraps are interesting", Think I'll change it to "where even some of the scraps are buttons"

[genek]

Today. Sanded during training today I think this will be the "minimal sanding required model"
Somebody on here has "where even the scraps are interesting", Think I'll change it to "where even some of the scraps are buttons"

Scott have you ever used a flutter wheel for sanding. I have a flutter wheel sanding set up that I use on lots of products.

[scottp55]

Thanks Eugene, had an old one I'd never used, but only goes up to 120G. Just ordered a 150 and 220G. I used to have an inflatable drum sanding attachment I think would help a lot, but of course it's gone missing
My cat is obviously becoming a Kleptomaniac as I get older
Thanks again.

[pappybaynes]

Today. Sanded during training today I think this will be the "minimal sanding required model"
Somebody on here has "where even the scraps are interesting", Think I'll change it to "where even some of the scraps are buttons"

Scott,a few years back I cut about 25K 4" coasters our of sheets of ...I have thousands of those "diamond" shaped pieces that would make great Christmas tree ornaments...you out to look at the sanding mops from Klingspor...I find them a lot better than a flap sander for fine detail...I use the 6" ones in my drill press and 3/4" & 1" in my Dremel...
Dick

[scottp55]

Thanks Dick, I like specifics from people who use stuff. Mine looks like that, may ruin a scroll saw blade cutting up some 220G today or some fine Emory cloth?
Kinda partial to the 3MBristleDiscs now that I'm used to them. I hope I NEVER get into production work, but at least we'll know what to buy for Kirks setup.

[scottp55]

These should make pretty ones
You gotta love wood on a nice day with the tunes cranked!
Hopefully lacquer will help adhesive from carpet tape come off cleaner, not going oil on these as not enough time to cure, thinking Eugen's dipping lacquer and maybe UV wax for Padauk.

[Bob Eustace]

Scott it took me two years to wake up that Onsrud are simply the best cutters money can buy and was just fooling myself on using the cheaper brands. I have a board on the wall of the fuzzyess cutting you have ever seen to remind me never to stray. On getting a quick finish on your beaut buttons, have you messed with a terrific natural oil with a difference made in Germany called Livos Kunos natural Oil? We were huge fans of Organoil for years but since discovering this wonderful stuff have dropped it even though the new stuff is dear. Its dry in under two hours and only needs one coat. If you want more gloss you just apply more coats. It would look fantastic on Steves secret draw box project!

[Burkhardt]

Here is a material idea if you want to make small but sturdy buttons....

A while ago I laminated 7 layers of different color veneer (plain w/o adhesive) cross-wise with epoxy resin to a custom plywood for a wood jewelry project. The resulting sheet was only about 1/8" thick but very strong and machined nicely because it was completely saturated with the resin and easy to polish. Obviously way to expensive for large parts but it would make beautiful buttons. Depending on how deep you cut you expose the various colors.