The sign for Cap’n Elias’ Shipwreck Cove at Vala’s Pumpkin Patch is a good size, measuring in at four feet wide by almost six feet high and just a little under one foot thick. It is going to be a beauty when we are done! It is fabricated of nine layers of Precision Board glued over a sturdy, welded steel frame. Our ShopSabre CNC router did the carving and cutting thus far, and now it is time for the handwork which is the fun part.

As soon as Henry got to the shop after school, he enthusiastically volunteered to help. I spread the glue onto each layer, and then Henry did the misting of the water with a spray bottle to activate the glue. After helping to lift each layer of HDU into place, he then planned out where I would put the screws to clamp things tight. We made great progress with his expert help. Since we used a fast-set glue, it wasn’t long until we could begin smoothing out the edges and start to carve in the wood grains. Henry, as always, was eager to give the tools a go.