A quick little graduation plaque, v-carved and then epoxy filled, came out pretty nice 
The recipient has an old truck hence AI generated Benny the Beaver driving an old truck.
13 Likes
Looks perfect!
2 Likes
Could you describe a bit more your epoxy method? You make it sound so easy 
.
Is it carve out at set depth (how deep do you find is effective?) then pour in the black epoxy and sand any over splash?
1 Like
Could you describe a bit more your epoxy method?
The pocket for the epoxy in this case was about 1.5mm deep, it’s a standard vcarve toolpath done using VCarve Desktop, and a 30 degree bit. So wider lines the bit plunges in more and finer lines are more shallow, there is also a flat area in the really wide bits that are cleared using an 1/8" bit.
After carving coat with shellac to prevent the epoxy bleeding into the grain.
Circle carved image with a ring of hot glue
Pour in the epoxy, and let it cure, total depth is about 2-3mm at this step.
Remove the hot glue with some isopropyl alcohol, comes off really easily.
Clear the epoxy using a 1/4" end mill to just a tad above the surface of the wood.
Finish off by sanding, going through grits 150-400.
Final finish with Rubio.
The whole process took a couple of days
5 Likes
I will say that the epoxy came out so flawless that it almost looked printed which kind of hid the effort that went into making it
1 Like
Thank you Damian for taking the time for the detailed reply. I agree that it looked so flawless I was super interested on how you achieved it!
I had never considered epoxy pours until now, I appreciate the primer/best practice as I start to dabble.
One last question: I assume you use VCarve just because that’s your CAM of choice. But why the vcarve tool? Would not a straight downcut end mill achieve the same conditions to pour the epoxy?
1 Like
You can’t get the same level of detail if you just use a regular end mill, with a v bit your lines can be super thin, as just the very tip of the bit is cutting.
The hat is a good example, with just a straight end mill you couldn’t get those sharp points, they would be the same radius as the bit.
1 Like