Carving Guide - Ray's Wood Signs

Inlays

1. By hand:
   • Trace the patch or pattern onto the material
   • Cut out with light strokes along the lines
   • Cut inside of the line & make passes until depth is correct
   • Shave slightly to fit
   • Lay floss in the recess and press the pattern into the recess
   • Do final check, remove floss and glue in
2. Router
   • Use a plunge base with an inlay insert installed
   • Center the insert collar
   • Adjust the depth to flush with the base plate surface
   • Set the depth stop to 0
   • Adjust the depth to 1/8 or 3/16 past the thickness of the insert material
   • Match color and grain and cut out the insert material
   • Match color and grain of the final location
   • With insert template installed cut the pocket & clean out the bottom
   • Remove template and mount to the material selected for the inlay
   • Mark top and bottom
   • Plunge the router and cut out the inlay
   • Use floss to lay across the pocket
   • Test fit the inlay and adjust as necessary
   • Remove the floss and glue the inlay according to orientation of the top and bottom marker

Techniques

1. Finish ALL layout before beginning any carving
2. Mark removal areas with an X

On Pine or loose grained wood use sanding sealer on the face before carving

3. Watch fine detail:

Over 6+ feet detail is a detriment

4. Keep it simple, keep it moving through the process
5. Keep pattern art in front of you while carving
6. Darken weak lines with pen or pencil and compass
7. Can't see one side of the letter? Turn the sign around
8. Cutting depths:

   Depth will be determined by the width of cut

   • 1/16 .0625 - 1/8 .125 = Carving liner bit
   • 1/8 .125 - 3/16 .1875 = 60 and profile bit, normal
   • 3/16 .1875 - 1/4 .250 = profile bit widening cut
   • larger than 3/16 .1875 - 1/4 .250 = 90 cleanouts & backgrounds
   • Thick or tough? Take 2 cuts 1/2 each time. 1.5 and greater, take 3 etc.

   Go SLOW and anchor the material well

   • Cutting through paper is ok on the first pass

   Remove paper and glue with mineral spirits, alcohol.

   NOTE: Remove all glue gum before carving the second pass

9. Small serifs; cut letters 1st then cut serifs leaving room for error or correction

Small or detail = shallow bit depth; may have to leave out some finer detail lines

Fine lines = small bit tip; make narrow cuts and come back with deeper buffer cut

10. Use silicone spray on the base plates for sliding on the wood
11. Outside = clockwise, inside = counter-clockwise to avoid chip out

Fonts:

Use the scaling distance chart

1. Font sizes;
   • Large: 3 - 6 +
   • Medium: 2 - 3,
   • Small: .5 - 2
2. Laser cut large items, letters & patterns

Flaws in workmanship will show and corrections after spraying can lead to big or time consuming mistakes.

3. Choose font for furthest distance needed:
4. 3/4 to 1" are for close up (inside) signs

Watch out for kerning and white space.

Carving Straight Lines

90 deg v groove removes material faster for straight lines

1. Borders and edges;
   • Use fingers as a guide along the edge
   • Carve toward you
2. Holding fine lines or long lines;
   • Draw the lines out
   • Elevate the work
   • Carve by pulling toward you
   • Carve shallow and make multiple passes
   • Sneak up on the line
3. If patterns and letters too close to edges (no room);
   • Add a box and carve outset
4. Bit wanders following the grain

Cuts are grain dependent

• Use a finger along the edges to draw line
• Then use same finger to carve above the line

Routing fine detail

1. Use the carving liner at 1/16 or 1/32
2. Profile bit at 1/8 and adjust as you go

Inking / Primer Spray

1. Fill all holes and knots. Repair cracks, loose grain or delaminations

Watch spray can temperatures: chill or heat as necessary to keep can spray patterns correct.

Before inking ALWAYS look for cracks, splits, loose grain, knots etc that can bleed ink

2. Letter and pattern layouts

Blue nozzles - fine spray

• Spray high, short bursts to make a shadow

Vertical spraying = blowing letters off, spitting and splatters

• Spray top of sign down, then bottom up

No need to over-spray; keep it a light shadow effect

Inset

1. Inside pieces are OUTSET.

2. Spacing can be closer together
3. Small letters use profile bit (narrow)

Sharpening widens the bits, so use the width to determine the depth

4. Pull up for finer lines
5. Higher detail with 60 deg
6. Outline whole pattern & lift for finer lines

Line is a guide, not a rule. Go for effects

7. Cut both sides of a letter in 1 smooth cut
8. Take out the middle; 60 deg V groove at 3/16
9. Top to bottom

bottom-to-top cuts appear different than top-to-bottom

10. Cut 1st letter to determine grain direction
11. Cut 3/16 deep. Never more than 1/4 even for large letters
12. Reset depth and make a 2nd pass - outline the non inked areas

Stay out of detail on the 2nd pass

Outset

Inside pieces are INSET.

1. Show off the wood
2. Do not make spacing too wide. Keep very close together if possible
3. Low definition: Outline entire pattern with wider cut. Outline 1/8 deep
4. Profile bit set less than 3/16

1 - 2" letters, 3/16 is as deep as you need to go

5. Down one side and Down the other
6. Then profile 3/16 - 1/4 for buffer
7. 90 deg V groove clean out
8. E Letter - inside chipping:

Go CCW outside, no chipping, then inside parameter, then break loose clean out areas

9. Most others = CCW

Use a marker for cleanout areas

Clouds

1. 60 deg V groove set to 3/8
2. Cut out buffer lines with the profile bit first
3. Cut the background slightly lower than the letters
4. Each letter has a bump with on the ends
5. Use wide circular motion to leave textures

Linear can be used sparingly on wings etc. Small circles remove to much wood destroyng textures

6. Remove high spots with carving hand tools

Brush out black areas and lean into the light

Cleanout

1. Set profile bit to 3/16 and make a buffer area
   • Cut another groove next to the first profile cut

   Do not follow in the same groove as the first cut. Go outside of the first cut removing wood between the cuts

   • after profile bit margin is cut
2. Then use the 90 deg 2 flute bit up to 1/4 deep
3. Cut the cloud first, then letters outside, then background, then letters inside
4. Backgrounds:
   Make large circles to leave more texture.
5. Small circles remove much more wood
6. Leave ridges but remove high spots
7. For flat backgrounds use spiral bits
8. Do not use cutter bits for cleanouts

Edges, Borders & Margins

1. Beveling / Chamfers
   • Use 45 deg with a 1/2" bearing
   • Bevel back side first
   • Do one end first then continue around

   Chipout occurs on the ends so clean up cuts are lengthwise

2. Scalloping
   • 45 deg bearing bit
   • Set the depth shallow and adjust deeper
   • Start on one end
   • Bury the bit and bring straight out
   • Move over one bit width
   • Even spacing; work middle of the bit to middle of next cut so edges meet

   Next one starts where the last one ends

   • Keep moving - do not slow down
3. Scoring - rustic signs
   • Use angle grinder or band saw
   • To use a reciprocating saw with coarse tooth blade lock the sign in a vise or clamp to the edge of the bench

   Make sure it does not vibrate by moving the clamp closer to the work

   • Cut random notches, slots or vee groves down each edge
   • Non symmetrical signs - knock off sharp edges
   • Aged look is free form. Don't sand off all of the black
   • Not too precise or exact

Sign Shapes

1. Make sign shape templates for rapid repeatability
2. Use pictures for special shapes from artwork
   • Blow up to scale, paste and bandsaw or route out shape
   • Make patterns with stock sizes & shapes
   • States, logos; determine wording, then the sizes
3. On larger bone and ribbon signs add a custom name sign to hang down
4. Arches: 1/4 stock sizes are 12x24, 6x24, 4x18, 4x14
5. Rustic: worn edges, free form edges, notches and bullet holes

Templates, Patterns

1. Sign blanks made of 3/4 or 1" stock
2. Shape templates made of 1/4 or 1/2 stock
3. Add screw holes for anchoring to the sign blank
4. Use #6 x 5/8 F Screws just so the tips protrude
5. Turn the finished sign blank over to the back (worst) side
6. Set the template onto the blank and hit with a rubber mallet to set the screws into the work piece
7. Use an edging bit to rout out the shape

Letters

Letter Modifications

1. Modify Clarendon to Western (Pointedly Mad)
   • Lay out regular Clarendon letters
   • Spray as usual
   • Modify W to adding dips at tops and bottoms and v wings on sides
   • Change this: to this:
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