I’ve been doing a number of signs with lettering and graphics in soft pine. Things are getting better but there is always a bit of post processing to be done. I have a hard time getting a smooth transition between roughing tool and v bit tool.
I picked up a Dremel kit that has little nylon brushes that seemed to work well but they only last a few minutes. The sharp point abrasive stones didn’t last long at all.
What are you guys using for post processing tools besides just folding up some sand paper to get into the right spots?
Yeah I’m thinking I need a bit more than that. You can see the transition on the perimeter of the letters. I suspect it was a slight touch off error during the tool change. Maybe some dust was under the touch plate. Pretty awkward to clean up
Unfortunately, the soft pine is actually quite unforgiving when it comes to fuzz. Since it cuts so easily, strands turn up all over the place. Did you use finishing passes?
No I didn’t put a finishing pass on the carve just because it was already a 2hr long cut. It would have probably helped. It just sucks that pine is so readily available in nice flat glue ups. I haven’t found anything else reasonable priced that’s nice and flat.
Might just have to start doing my own panels I guess…
Here in Norway, you can get shelf plates of different types (pine, oak, and others) at cheaper large hardware chains. (Biltema) Maybe you have something similar where you are?
I’d also recommend checking out the nearest lumber yard. It’s amazing what some people regard as scraps, that sign making hobbyists like us would regard as treasures.
Second hand furniture shops might also have great finds.
I had some improvement with turning on climb milling vs conventional milling with some poplar fuzz. Also lowered my feed rates. Didn’t totally fix the problem but in doing some test cuts i found obvious differences in the sample cuts.
Also moving to Norway (at least from the pictures) seems like a smart idea. My wife had a foreign exchange student live with them for a while in high school, and we’ve joked about visiting. I think she was from Bergen??
This is definitely the way to go, I pick up some relatively big pieces (30 x 30 cm) offcuts of oak, iroko, ash, all for next to nothing. They would end up as firewood as far as the yard is concerned. Much bigger than that is obviously tricky, although I have been very lucky finding kitchen work surface offcuts, some of them pretty large. I do anything to avoid using pine and related softwoods, I feel like it’s a false economy.
Yes it would change it for all milling. Might be an option to generate a cleanup pass with just climb. But also try lowering your feed rate. I got greedy when cutting pine because I can go so fast.
To quote Ian Malcom " Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could , they didn’t stop to think if they should "
I was surprised how much of a difference it made. This is using a dewalt 660 with a 1/8 inch v-carve. 100% throttle. But your photo looks like you might even be in a better place than my slowest cut.
