V-Carved Cedar "cookie"

[steve_g]

Here’s a project fellow ShopBotter Bernie Tenpas and I did recently…
It’s a 28”Diemeter cedar “cookie” address sign. The blank was bought from a guy advertising on Craig’s list for $30.00. The cookie was hand cut from the log with a chainsaw and varied more than an inch in thickness. We surfaced it with an Amana insert surfacing bit with very good results! The finished blank was 4” thick.
Not having V-cut end grain before, we generously applied Minwax wood hardener to the entire face… I’m not sure it was necessary, but we got really sharp, clean V-cuts that required absolutely no clean-up!
Several coats of spar varnish gave us a glass smooth surface, we rattle can sprayed the color without masking, wiped the surface clean with a no-nap rag of mineral spirits while the paint was still wet, with very good results…
I’m not sure how the customer will use it, but it would look really nice propped up against a rock in a rock garden!
SG

[scottp55]

Nice Steve!
Of course it's bigger than my cutting area and my Z could hack the rough:)
Been using kids hard maple building blocks for test cuts on buttons(1.75 and 2") as it gives me 6 faces in a small area to show people protos.
Very surprised at how clean it cut on the end grain. Had to stop using end grain for time to sand estimates as it wasn't real world accurate and buttons are all flatgrain.
Did have to cram a lot of stuff into 1.5" square a couple months ago, and initially used a flatgrain face with a 30degree engraving, and had tearout on the tiny islands on the e,a,r's in pic. This one in pic was about 20% lighter because it was ALMOST spalted Maple and I was worried.
Cut Clean.
This one was finished with 3 coats Linseed/Beeswax and had cured for 2 more days before I decided to personalize it. May have helped? Endgrain was also the best surface for 3D carving the little owls when I carved 2 flat and 2 end on 1 block.
Really sucks up the finish and goes deep doesn't it:)
Read somewhere about a guy VInlaying endgrain cutting boards with good results using a 30degree to make Male deeper and less susceptible to the knife.
Too bad endgrain buttons would be weaker than a kitten.
Did you even have to clamp that sucker? :)
Did you run DC? How does wood hardener affect cut? My Linseed shavings just Sat there even though spindle was blowing directly onto them...didn't see a speck of dust flying in the sunlight.
Hope you don't mind the pics?
Thought maybe it might give some people ideas(straight off machine).
Looks like you had fun!
scott

[steve_g]

Scott…
Thanks for re-posting your end grain V-carve photos… I remember now when you originally posted them but It wasn’t anything I thought I’d ever do so didn’t pay close attention! We didn’t run the DC and the “chips” just sat there… no drifting around! I don’t know how much the wood hardener had to do with the clean cut but I used it before on a 3d cut in western cedar (not end grain) and was very pleased that time as well!
SG

[scottp55]

Thanks for close-up Steve.
Haven't cut Cedar yet.
Got a couple punky sections on Quilted that Scott S. recommended using Hardener on, but never seem to remember while I'm actually IN the store.(tried CA but not happy with it)
Got some "Wood Pile" Maple and going to try to 3D something where a branch came out, but endgrain there was exposed one winter and has VERY mild checking.
Probably a good first test as I'll muck up depth unless I creep up on it.
ON my list now(watch me leave the list at home and space it entirely:) Again!
Still wish I had you "Stash"!!
Going to try a full depth "Butterfly" thanks to you on some 8/4 Curly cutoffs that seems to have cracks expanding daily with this humidity.
Going to use the"Cut Male first" and creep up on a perfect fit for female like you did with offset.
So used to sanding the Male to fit it was a revelation:)
Nice having a CNC!
Thanks,
scott
endgrain on those little islands was WAY stronger than flatgrain because of the direction of the fibers. May come in handy for someone making a 3D that's going to be handled a lot with fine vertical details?

[steve_g]

Just to satisfy my own curiosity, I cut todays cookie without the use of wood hardener… it still had a nice clean v-carve at the surface, but… the V’s weren’t as clean down deep. The very shallow tendrils were clogged with chips and had to be scraped clean. It took two men an hour to clean it up to save the $11.00 can of hardener…
SG

[knight_toolworks]

looks good. I have flattened many discs. this one customer brings me these tropical tree rings. but the last time they were over 100 pounds. it was a pain to get them on the table. what I do is st a rectangle that approx size do a flattening say 1" or more it does to really matter at 1/18" at a pass find the high spot zero on that then make sure the first pass is the cleanup pass so I can see any high spots. when all is flat I let that pass finish and its done. I like it they don't need any hold down but maybe a wedge to keep them from rocking.

[scottp55]

Thanks for close up pics Steve G.
Solution seems simple, pay the two guys $5 an hour and save a $:)
Used to use a coat of thinned lacquer just before carving buttons and fumes for the 2 shops(not properly vented and too darn cold to waste the heat)were bad, but it made a difference, so swapped to water based GF Woodturners Finish after 220G(and knocked off raised grain with 320G) and is better but just doesn't penetrate quite as well. 2 days ago tried to save time/money and did one Maple batch with, and one without----spent an extra hour with my burnisher on the "without" doing what you did....amazing what we do to save a $, BUT it's always good to know.
Funny that majority of that seems to be at 30-45 degrees to the grain:(
I struggle with that constantly on button cutout. The entire surface of the button is almost burnished EXCEPT for 2 points at that angle to grain(and swapping to climb cut rotates the "bad" spot 90 degrees). Tried "last pass" strategy and better,but not perfect(same with a last pass at .01" in control pass depth).
Anything anybody has done to fix that (or minimize) would be greatly appreciated. It doubles our sanding times:(
"The Greenery"...Perfect for the leaves you like so much and are good at:)