Author Topic: Carved Wood workshop plaque ( Doubleboost's Workshop )  (Read 8875 times)

Offline micktoon

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Carved Wood workshop plaque ( Doubleboost's Workshop )
« on: January 15, 2014, 05:11:23 PM »
 As there seems to be a quiet spell in people posting I thought I would hit you with more wood projects ( I do like working in metal too ....honest .... but the shed is a lot warmer than the garage ! )

 I have been doing a few wood carved workshop signs for people that have helped me out over the last year, the wood all came from an old pub that was getting pulled down and is good mahoghany about an inch and a quarter thick about 30mm, the whole lot would have got thrown on a big fire if I had not saved it.

 First the wood is cut to the size that will take the lettering, this top bit has been sanded a bit before the photo so it looked even more rough than it is here, the bottom bit is for John's sign and the top bit for someone else that might be reading this !



The wood is then routered around the edge to give it the classy look lol and sanded nice and smooth for the lettering to be marked out.


I then lay tracing paper with the lettering traced from a book onto the wood, center and square it up. Carbon paper is then slipped under the taped tracing paper and the letters transfered to the wood.






The next step is to make shallow stab cuts roughly along the center of all the letters , this is so when you do angle cuts from each side the wood has a break to run to in the fibres, otherwise it may run to beyond the far edge of the letter in question. You can see the fine cuts in all the letters and some I have started to cut deeper from each side.



The basic idea is to cut at a 60 degree angle just each side of the cut center lines in three passes until you reach the outer drawn in edges of the letters and in therory you should have a constant depth that meets in a crisp vee at the center line of the letter, I normally do all the straight lines first, then go around all similar curves so you do not have to swap tools any more than you have to. You can see the vees forming here.

First the straights, done with straight tools.


Then the curves, done with varied curved cross section gouges, it takes several tools to get around one curve as it tightens around the letters shape.


Once you have all the letters carved as good as you can get , the top surface is sanded again removing all traces of the drawn lines, its amazing how much the lines make the lettering look neater, once removed you can see any small waves etc in the lines of the letters and slowly go around shaving off edges to neaten things up.



Its almost there in this shot, someone with more skill and experience would not have to go back over as much as I have to get things tidy but with care the finished job looks ok. The lettering is not perfect if someone who knows about these things looks at it but overall I am happy with it.



The plaque is then sprayed with sanding sealer and a light sand off.



Then a mix of bees wax and  pure turpentine is rubbed in with an old toothbrush into all the vees of the letters as well as the rest of the surface.



This is then buffed off with a shoe polish brush to get into the detail followed by a buffing with a soft cloth and the job is done !



 I have done a total of six now and am so sick I dont have the energy to do one for myself lol.
 
 That bit that was resting on the top at the start ......................... jb3cx ............You have a sign for your wall mate.




 To think this wood would have been chucked on a big bonfire by builders is a disgrace really.

  Cheers Mick


Offline awemawson

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Re: Carved Wood workshop plaque ( Doubleboost's Workshop )
« Reply #1 on: January 15, 2014, 05:26:07 PM »
Excellent work Mick  :thumbup:

Andrew
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline Stilldrillin

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Re: Carved Wood workshop plaque ( Doubleboost's Workshop )
« Reply #2 on: January 15, 2014, 05:41:17 PM »
They're beautiful, Mick!

Thanks for explaining, center line. Before angled cuts........  :thumbup:

David D
David.

Still drilling holes... Sometimes, in the right place!

Still modifying bits of metal... Occasionally, making an improvement!

Offline krv3000

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Re: Carved Wood workshop plaque ( Doubleboost's Workshop )
« Reply #3 on: January 15, 2014, 06:39:02 PM »
well dun mick

Offline Brass_Machine

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Re: Carved Wood workshop plaque ( Doubleboost's Workshop )
« Reply #4 on: January 15, 2014, 10:05:10 PM »
As there seems to be a quiet spell in people posting I thought I would hit you with more wood projects ( I do like working in metal too ....honest .... but the shed is a lot warmer than the garage ! )

No worries about that. Post as much as you want on this topic. It is enjoyable to read.

Unbelievable. I can't believe you went from this:



To this:


The new owners will be proud!

Eric
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Offline SwarfnStuff

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Re: Carved Wood workshop plaque ( Doubleboost's Workshop )
« Reply #5 on: January 16, 2014, 01:33:34 AM »
It's amazing how much "good" stuff gets tossed because that is easier, more cost effective to the builder Or for that matter other trades people. Thank goodness for people like you who can turn other's discards into fine items of interest and beauty. Keep rescuing stuff and share the results with the Mad Collective. Great work and well presented.
John B
« Last Edit: January 17, 2014, 12:13:02 AM by SwarfnStuff »
Converting good metal into swarf sometimes ending up with something useful. ;-)

Offline Pete W.

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Re: Carved Wood workshop plaque ( Doubleboost's Workshop )
« Reply #6 on: January 16, 2014, 08:23:22 AM »
SNIP

The wood is then routered around the edge to give it the classy look lol and sanded nice and smooth for the lettering to be marked out.


SNIP

  Cheers Mick

Hi there, Mick,

That's a fine job.   :bow:   :bow:   :bow: 

I don't know why, but when I read the above, my mind jumped to the subject of climb milling!   :loco:   :loco:   :loco: 
You know, 'counter-clockwise round the outside and clockwise around the inside'.  But, for me, that always leaves two corners where there's a risk of splitting out.  How do you avoid that?

Somewhere, I've got a nice piece of mahogany - it was the counter-top in a corner shop on an East London housing estate that got demolished to make way for a link-road. 
That too was destined for the bonfire but was rescued just in time.   :clap:   :clap:   :clap:   
Best regards,

Pete W.

If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, you haven't seen the latest design change-note!

Offline spuddevans

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Re: Carved Wood workshop plaque ( Doubleboost's Workshop )
« Reply #7 on: January 16, 2014, 08:39:58 AM »
  But, for me, that always leaves two corners where there's a risk of splitting out.  How do you avoid that?

I can't speak for Mick, but I've always been told that to avoid the splitting out you route the end grain 1st, ie you route both ends 1st, then any splitting out will be routed off when you route the sides. (if you are only routing the ends then you may need to use some sacrificial pieces on the ends where it would split out)


Tim
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Offline dsquire

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Re: Carved Wood workshop plaque ( Doubleboost's Workshop )
« Reply #8 on: January 16, 2014, 05:41:16 PM »
  But, for me, that always leaves two corners where there's a risk of splitting out.  How do you avoid that?

I can't speak for Mick, but I've always been told that to avoid the splitting out you route the end grain 1st, ie you route both ends 1st, then any splitting out will be routed off when you route the sides. (if you are only routing the ends then you may need to use some sacrificial pieces on the ends where it would split out)


Tim

That's exactly the way I have done it many times. A sacrificial piece on the side would give it some place to split out ensuring that the original was perfect.  :D

Cheers  :beer:

Don

 
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Offline micktoon

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Re: Carved Wood workshop plaque ( Doubleboost's Workshop )
« Reply #9 on: January 16, 2014, 06:23:34 PM »
Hi Lads, thanks for the comments, as for the splitting out , I did the end grain first which did split out a little bit, I sort of nibbled away at the ends carefully too as Tim mentioned, then did the sides and that removed the slightly split areas. If you were not going around the whole thing and just wanted to do the ends I think you would have to used sacrificial bits of wood to be safe or you would more than likely spoil things with bits split off at the corners.
  Cheers Mick

Offline jb3cx

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Re: Carved Wood workshop plaque ( Doubleboost's Workshop )
« Reply #10 on: January 16, 2014, 07:28:07 PM »
First class micky,I'm glad I don't have a long name like johns,as you know I don't have that much wall space left ,so that size Is just right,can't Wait to hang it up  :D :) :)

Offline micktoon

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Re: Carved Wood workshop plaque ( Doubleboost's Workshop )
« Reply #11 on: January 17, 2014, 05:10:00 AM »
Glad you like it Peter ................ I bet I am more glad than you that your name is not as long as Johns and does not have as many 'O's and 'S's in it lol  :lol:, I dont think John could have got much longer a name if he tried  :drool:

Offline Fredbare

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Re: Carved Wood workshop plaque ( Doubleboost's Workshop )
« Reply #12 on: January 17, 2014, 12:39:17 PM »
Nice work Mick, thanks for sharing.

John