Router Forums banner

Carving with the router

13990 Views 29 Replies 8 Participants Last post by  kp91
Hi all
I would be interested if anyone has done any carving with the router. I saw a design and I was wondering if it could be cut with the router.
Has anyone any idea. I will give it a go.
Tom

Attachments

See less See more
Status
Not open for further replies.
1 - 20 of 30 Posts
Well, you could part with $2000 and buy the Craftsman CNC machine.. That way we would have a test person to report on it for us.. :rolleyes:

Other than that, perhaps something with a flex shaft.. That could be a tough one Tom..
It looks a lot like a design that could be made with the Milescraft Spirocrafter.
http://www.milescraft.com
I got one for christmas and haven't been able to use it yet. Uses a template guides and small carving and inlay bits.

Corey
Mike, as you know Sears doesn't build any of the tools they sell. The CompuCarve is made by CarveWright. To visit their site just add: .com to watch the demo and see items they have produced.
Yes, I've seen the site..
Tom,

I saw a guy a few years back at a woodworking show in the States who carved entry doors with a router almost exclusively. He used a bit that looked more like a 1/4 inch round nose carbide burr to hog out most of his material, then finish up with a bowl bottom bit or small spiral bit. It was amazing how fast he could do his carvings. Unfortunately, I can't remember his name.......

He did it all free hand, no guides, just a big clear sub plate.
2
Thanks to all who responded to the posting.
What I was trying to find out can this be achieved with the router in the plunge mode with the aid of template guides, without the need to go and purchase any expensive equipment.
Well the answer is yes today I went to my workshop to prove it could be done and I have posted the results. This opens up another method of using the guides I had never considered before. I will leave you to put on your thinking caps and see if you can come up with the answer before I submit the solution to the problem.
When I went to my workshop with the necessary drawings required to make the template I was unsure of the final results that I could achieve and I am very happy with the technique I used though I would change the design slightly based on an elliptical shape. So I will get back to the drawing board and make the necessary changes to improve the design.
Anyway I would be interested in your method if you were interested in the challenge to Carve with the router without the expense of purchasing the jigs that were considered for purchase.
My expenses were a piece of MDF 400 x 300 x 9mm and the material fitted into my original jig holder See "introduction to the use of template Guides"

Tom

Attachments

See less See more
I knew it.. That was a trick question all along.. :)
I can see how an inside template would be used, and I'm thinking that one double-back taped to the wood, then rout around the outside of it..
Hi Tom,

Yes, I thought it was a "Setup" too... I just KNEW that you were going to show us how you did it...

But, no, you just show us the finished project...

I'll bet it wasn't done with a 40mm guide! :) :) :)

Making the original for routing... how did you make it?

I wasn't sure how all of those lines were supposed to be handled...

OK, Tom, you have more pictures for us... yes? :) :)

Thank you for coming through! :)
See less See more
4
See the item below

Bj :)

Hi Tom and Harry

All I'm saying is it's not the same :), If I ask you to carve a pine tree and you carved a elm tree,,, hummmmm ,it's not the same both are trees but not the same.
If I gave you a pattern and I ask you to copy it,,,,and you came back with one that was almost the same but not like the one I gave you.

But you did a great job doing your tree. :)

Maybe we should ask Charles M. ( forum member ) to take the pattern you posted and put it in his new CarveWright machine and make one just to show how it should look when you use a real carve router to make it.
If you get some time go to the CarveWright web site and look at some of the items this machine as made, all I can say is WOW, it was done with a router bit and a machine that you and I can now buy without paying $15,000.oo or more for a CNC router setup.
It's a new age of routers and computers and it's only get better for the small wood shop. :)
If you want to play you must step up to the pump so to speak just like the computers.

http://www.carvewright.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=6&sid=cbf4fd161824fb9fe99f1f33506759b8
http://www.carvewright.com/forum/
http://www.carvewright.com/

Like the ones below


Bj :)

Attachments

See less See more
Hmmm seems to me if you want the carving to look like the original photo what is needed is a pattern or template guide for one quarter of the design that has the three different shapes cut out in it. It could then be rotated to duplicate the other sections of the design. The center circle needs just that .. a circle over the center to rout around and carve that out.

Corey
Joe Lyddon said:
Hi Tom,

Yes, I thought it was a "Setup" too... I just KNEW that you were going to show us how you did it...

Joe sorry but this was no set up I looked at the problem then I set out on the computer to draw it out. I was not sure if it could be done at the time that was the reason for the posting to see if anyone had something like it without the need to leave the workshop to purchase expensive Jigs etc.

But, no, you just show us the finished project...

To understand how the template was made you need to know a few tricks using the template guides. (That is to say if you are going to use guides)

I'll bet it wasn't done with a 40mm guide! :) :) :)

Wrong again I used two guides the 40mm and the 30mm with a beading cutter with the 30mm and a 10mm straight cutter with the 40mm Guide

Making the original for routing... how did you make it?

As I said there is a need to know something about the use of the guides before you would attempt the project. All I was interested in finding out was has someone else produced another method. I suppoe I should leave it up fro a week at least to see if we can have a few members commenting on the method they would use before I submit what I think is the answer.

I wasn't sure how all of those lines were supposed to be handled...

Not sure of you statement

OK, Tom, you have more pictures for us... yes? :) :)

I will certainly submit my answer as I said in a weeks time when others have had the chance to comment. I even went out today to purchase a piece of solid timber as one of my students commented over the phone to me "Why did I not use a piece of solid timber?" again I had to make sure it did work first and I had to post a sample in veneered chipboard quickly so that others would see it is possible and maybe they would like to give it a try the same way as I did. My past student was no other than Harrysin he never misses the opportunity to let me know what he is thinking and I must admit I appreciate his comments. I suppose I should not have published the results so quickly. As you may well be aware I am a retired schoolteacher and I always gave my students the opportunity to try and work it out the various problems for themselves before I gave them the answer. So set to it and see if you can come up with an alternative answer to what I did. There are more ways of skinning a cat so they say.

Thank you for coming through! :)
All I ask is for others to at least give it a try before they hang on to someone feeding the answers all the time I am sure there must be others who will produce the same project and not necessarilly the same way as I have produced it.

I must confess I enjoyed the challenge I presented to myself and it gives me great pleasure to achieve the answer.


Tom
bobj3 said:
See the item below

Bj :)
Hi Bob
Harrysin contacted me regarding if I could interpret the comments and the arrows on the pic that you submitted Unfortunately I too was at a loss regarding your comments I'm sure readers would appreciate a further explanation as Harry and I would> I am pleased to hear from Harry that he will make the effort to try and produce a template as he has been converted to the use of the guides a number of years ago.
.Tom
challagan said:
Hmmm seems to me if you want the carving to look like the original photo what is needed is a pattern or template guide for one quarter of the design that has the three different shapes cut out in it. It could then be rotated to duplicate the other sections of the design. The center circle needs just that .. a circle over the center to rout around and carve that out.

Corey

Corry
Your on the button now what about going for it
Tom
Tom, what I wasn't quite sure of was if what you were after was a way to do a line carving like your drawing or a separate carving to be applied to something as in your photos above. It's a neat piece, reminds me of the stuff you saw in the 50's and 60's... the atomic generation :) Are you going to apply this to a cabinet or something?

Corey
Hi Tom

see add on notes and snapshots to the 1st. post :)

Bj :)



template tom said:
Hi Bob
Harrysin contacted me regarding if I could interpret the comments and the arrows on the pic that you submitted Unfortunately I too was at a loss regarding your comments I'm sure readers would appreciate a further explanation as Harry and I would> I am pleased to hear from Harry that he will make the effort to try and produce a template as he has been converted to the use of the guides a number of years ago.
.Tom
bobj3 said:
Hi Tom

see add on notes and snapshots to the 1st. post :)

Bj :)
Bob.
I was not answering your posting you refer me and others to. I see you have edited your first post I was answering to since it was first published.(sneaky) You could have answered my posting instead of refering me and every one else back to a posting you had changed by adding more information.
It would have been more fitting and I would have appreciated it more if you had submitted a new posting to keep the progression correct especially if new readers were to come on scene. If they had not spotted the change they might think I am an idiot or something.

I hope others noted that it had been edited especially any newcomers to the forum.

I will go and answer that new posting
challagan said:
Tom, what I wasn't quite sure of was if what you were after was a way to do a line carving like your drawing or a separate carving to be applied to something as in your photos above. It's a neat piece, reminds me of the stuff you saw in the 50's and 60's... the atomic generation :) Are you going to apply this to a cabinet or something?

Corey
Corey
Now I understand
I was thinking that the design may be used on a small door or on a drawer front They may have to be modified to suit the various sizes of material that was to be used. It was just an idea or a challenge I set myself to see if it could be done.
My apology to all, I should have put the word "Carving" in brackets as it seems that some members of the forum may be thinking I was suggesting I was competing with a wonderful $1990 dollar Carving machine. That was never the intention.
Thank for you interest comments and reply
Tom
No worries Tom. Everyone understands that the challenge was to try and re-create the design using a router. This is not the first time there has been a misunderstanding of intent, I'm sure it wont be the last. It is our "uncommon" common language that causes it.
Thanks Tom, either way it is possible to do either a line carving or a separate piece to be applied without the aid of a 2000. machine :D With the line drawing or carving my first thought was a cabinet door carving as well. Funny thought, I could duplicate that drawing you say almost to a T I think with the milescraft jig as it just happens to have the patter for 3 different sized leaf like items like that :). Really......whether it is 40mm or otherwise Tom, it is nice to get people to use templates and guides and that is something I am just starting to explore! Appreciate the posts and thoughts Tom.

Corey
1 - 20 of 30 Posts
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top