How To: Create A Customized 3D Carved Reducing Board

Who would not desire a customized slicing board?  And with the vacations proper across the nook, it is time to begin pondering of issues that earn you critical brownie factors together with your family members – enter your Inventables Carvey and the personalized slicing board undertaking. 

MatterHackers is positioned in California, and as a surfer, I’ve an incredible quantity of California pleasure, so for this undertaking, I’m going to create a California inlay on a 12-inch walnut slicing board. Right here is how i make the slicing board:

Step 1 – Select Your Supplies 

I really like walnut. It is simply my favourite wooden to work with and appears superb, particularly after some sanding and an oil end. For the inlay, I’m going to make use of onerous maple, each for energy and shade distinction. Additionally to finish this undertaking you’ll need to have some wooden glue, mineral oil, 100 grit sandpaper, and a clear rag. Here’s what I used: 

• Walnut wooden 
• Maple wooden
• 100 grit sandpaper
• Sort II wooden glue
• Mineral oil
• Clear rag

There are lots of choices for wooden on the market – choose one you want! 

Step 2 – Create the Reducing Board Design

I cheated – the Carvey’s program, Easel, created by Inventables has a number of ‘inventory’ slicing board shapes to make use of, which I took benefit of. Right here is a hyperlink to the one I used for this demo [12” x 6” rounded cutting board]. Whenever you click on the blue ‘Open undertaking in Easel’ you are able to go.

Step 3 – Design the Inlay

I most likely sound like a damaged report, however that is tremendous simple additionally. Easel lets you import any image and it turns it into an inlay through the use of the ‘Inlay App’ (from the Apps tab). I selected a California and used a tolerance of 0.004”. The inlay wooden I used was a Exhausting Maple that’s 0.125” thick, so I made the inlay on the slicing board that deep. The outside of the slicing board goes via my whole 0.75” walnut wooden clean.

Step 4 – Format the Workpieces

For this slicing board I used 2 workpieces: one for the slicing board which reduce out the outside of the cuttingboard in addition to the California pocket, and one for the inlay itself.

Remember to set:

• Materials Dimensions
  • Walnut slicing board base: 0.75″ x 6″ x 12″
  • Exhausting Maple inlay: 0.125″ x 6″ x 8″
• Depth of reduce for every characteristic 
  • Exterior: 0.75 inches (full thickness of slicing board)
  • Califonia Pocket: 0.125 inches (thickness of inlay wooden)
  • California Inlay: 0.125 inches (Full thickness of inlay wooden)
• Bit used for every reduce (Store Carving Bits)
• Examine the ‘Use Tabs” for the inlay reduce – they make sure the inlay doesn’t break away earlier than the carving is full

I used a ⅛” up-cutting bit, which created some tear-out (tough edges that kind when carving towards the grain of the wooden) that wanted to be sanded – subsequent time I am going to use a straight reduce bit to cut back the cleanup wanted.

Step 5 – Begin Reducing with the Carvey

You’ll need to seize a cup of espresso for this step as a result of your involvement could be very passive. After you have the board clamped within the machine and the Carvey plugged into your laptop (have to be related to speak with Easel) – hit the large inexperienced button and sit. When the 3D Carving for the slicing board is completed, unload the walnut and throw within the onerous Maple. Clamp, begin, and repeat.

Cleansing up after slicing on the Carvey

Step 6 – Assemble Your Reducing Board

The inlay might have a little bit of sanding to suit simply proper. Use 100 grit sandpaper – that ought to do the trick. Be sure you sand down the tabs used for the inlay properly. Clear the within of the pocket and use a number of dabs of wooden glue to bond the inlay into the pocket. If there are any gaps, use a mix of wooden glue and a number of the leftover sanding mud to fill them.

Gluing and setting the inlay into the board. 

Step 7 – Sanding the Customized Reducing Board

You’ll need to be sure you sand the highest flush (the inlay with the slicing board base prime floor) and usually contact your complete exterior floor with 100 grit sandpaper. Ease the perimeters so they aren’t sharp. For this step, I used a random orbital sander with 100 grit sane paper, however a number of the last touches I did by hand. 

Sanding the perimeters of the slicing board

Step 8: Coat the Reducing Board with Mineral Oil

Use Mineral Oil (it’s meals secure and doesn’t spoil, so is ideal for slicing boards) and apply a beneficiant coating, wipe off the surplus. Chances are you’ll need to do that twice, wooden likes to drink up that oil.

Coating the slicing board in mineral oil

Step 9 – Get pleasure from Your New Customized Reducing Board

Now you’ve gotten a rad, personalized slicing board to make use of for your self or give as a present. This can impress family members and pals, particularly once they discover out you made it your self. 

In case you are fascinated with studying extra about 3D Carving, be happy to e mail assist@matterhackers.com – we might love that can assist you get began!