Despite it being the weekend, I couldn’t resist spending a couple of hours in the shop today working on my entries for the Sign Invitational. With the routing of the sign faces complete, it was time to weld up the steel frames and then laminate them between the layers of Precision Board. I also used my shop time to carve the woodgrain into the edges and ends of the signs. With these things complete, it is time to begin the fun part - the sculpting! Stay tuned…
Test drive
With the new bits in hand from X-Edge, I couldn’t wait to get started on my Sign Invitational pieces. The CNC cutting files had been ready for some time. Yesterday, I loaded and zeroed the new 1/16th tapered ball nose and set it in motion. Since the signs will be double sided there were two opposite sections for each sign. They measure about sixteen inches wide. One is six inches tall and the other is about 11 inches. The cuts were up an inch and a half with heavy textures throughout. Even though the bit was tiny and the overlap was set at 70% the ShopSabre router tore through the machining in a much shorter time than I imagined. The pieces were finished in a couple of hours. The detail on the cuts with the new bits was amazing! While the machine was warmed up, I also cut the interior sections with slots to accommodate the interior steel. I’m itching to start assembly and may even sneak into the shop tomorrow for that task. I’ll be documenting this project from start to finish. Stay tuned…
First day of summer vacation!
Henry’s first day off school (for the summer) was today. That, of course, meant he was eager to come to work. We made some significant progress on his parade float in the first hour. Then he and I went for a leisurely lunch at the local deli. After lunch, we went back to the shop. Henry, being seven years old and with a rather short attention span, was ready for a new adventure. He wandered over to the Hazelnut Inn to watch the crew work. They were sculpting the last of the concrete in the Copper Crown garden. Henry pitched right in, of course. Matt or his dad would do a quick layout of a crack in the plaster, and then Henry would finish the carving and provide some personal embellishments. The skilled team (including Henry) managed to polish off the sculpting. Next week they will begin the painting. Stay tuned…
