Mantle test carving

[autobodyman]

Used redwood for this test carve, will be doing the walnut one next. I'll incorporate this redwood carving into a future deck. The walnut one will be for our fireplace mantle.

http://www.PhotoShare.co.nz/PhotoShareGallery1/100503/110019/MIKE12577427.jpg

http://www.PhotoShare.co.nz/PhotoShareGallery1/100503/110019/MIKE12689224.jpg
The carved area is 54" long and 8" high.
http://www.PhotoShare.co.nz/PhotoShareGallery1/100503/110019/MIKE12744361.jpg
Took around 12 hours to carve. With the pine carriers removed
http://www.PhotoShare.co.nz/PhotoShareGallery1/100503/110019/MIKE1277s9612.jpg I should have started this earlier in the day, didn't get done till around 5am. Would be nice if one could shut down the machine and be able to have it pick up where it left off.

~Mike

[fhoward2]

Very nice job.

[James RS]

That's a great job, you should enter this http://forum.carvewright.com/showthread.php?t=11470

[Gary Koval]

Autobodyman,
It doesn't get any better than that! Nice J-O-B!!!
Gary

[gashawk]

Very nice, had the same thing in mind.

[Kenm810]

Amazing -- Can't wait to see photos of it with the finish on it! :grin:

[woodsnwaters]

Very nice indeed

[Dhaffner]

Very nice. Great to see someone take advantage of the long length capability. I'm looking forward to the walnut version!

By the way...this is probably a silly question, but has LHR indicated that these long carves are ok on the machine (6-12 hour carves)?

[blantz]

Mike
That is fantastic; the walnut piece will look great on the mantle. Good Job

[DocWheeler]

Mike,

I'll add my name to the list of admirers, good looking carve!

[MCGEE2SKINNER]

That is the best I have seen on the forum. All the others were great but to me this one is it. GOOD WORK

JIM

[autobodyman]

Very nice. Great to see someone take advantage of the long length capability. I'm looking forward to the walnut version!

By the way...this is probably a silly question, but has LHR indicated that these long carves are ok on the machine (6-12 hour carves)?

Thanks, as far as running time I don't know what LHR has to say beyond what was in the manual. It did say that you could run any length board threw the machine as long as it was supported.

I stopped the machine (lifting the lid) about every half hour to start with to blow out the machine (though not terribly necessary with the blower mounted on the head now),
http://www.PhotoShare.co.nz/PhotoShareGallery1/100503/108025/blower36865_S.jpg
as it went on I lifted the lid and cleaned out every hour. I checked the cable sheath temp with a non-contact thermometer and it was running about 135°. I stopped the machine pulled the cable and it looked well greased so I just kept going. I started this at 3:05pm and finished at 4:19pm so that's 13 hours 14 minutes and the software said it would take 11hours and 11 minutes.

I've had the machine for almost 3 years, but until about a week ago I had never used it to carve, only to scan my "hand carvings". Well at least the ones that would fit in the machine, hope it's okay here are some of those:
This is a cabinet I built to hold DVD's it holds about 200.
http://www.PhotoShare.co.nz/PhotoShareGallery1/100503/107003/DVDCab7667_L.jpg

Cabinet I built and carved for our bathroom.
http://www.PhotoShare.co.nz/PhotoShareGallery1/100503/107003/0128367_L.jpg

This is the top of a nightstand I built and carved:
http://www.PhotoShare.co.nz/PhotoShareGallery1/100503/108337/PICT05589270.jpg
Apparently limited to 4 pictures per post, guess I better not post the rest.

Thanks ~Mike

[autobodyman]

Figured I continue the pics, another of the nightstand
http://www.PhotoShare.co.nz/PhotoShareGallery1/100503/108337/0N018982.jpg
The top with the lights and glass in This carving is 2¼" deep.
http://www.PhotoShare.co.nz/PhotoShareGallery1/100503/108337/0N022428.jpg
The doors for the nightstand, these were small enough to scan in the machine.
http://www.PhotoShare.co.nz/PhotoShareGallery1/100503/108908/D032977.jpg

Here's a gunstock I carved for my son:
http://www.PhotoShare.co.nz/PhotoShareGallery1/100503/108908/122960.jpg Hit 4 again, better stop with this.

Thanks ~Mike

[PCW]

Mike

That has got to be the nicest work I have ever seen.

[supershingler]

great job on all the carvings

i think i finally figured out what God did with the talent i was supposed to get.

i love the stagecoach scene. i hope you put the pattern up for sale, i would be a happy purchaser.

and by the way, on long carves i shut my machine down by hitting the stop buttone(once only) and have got to bed and resumed it in the mornig without a glitch. i alway use the stop button and not the lid after i had problems with a coverswitch issue

keep up the great work

kendall

[DustMe]

For some reason I'm unable to view any of the photos in this post...just get a small box with a red X in it. All other posts seem to be working ok.

[autobodyman]

For some reason I'm unable to view any of the photos in this post...just get a small box with a red X in it. All other posts seem to be working ok.
I am using photoshare.com for my hosting site for the pictures, don't know why that would be a problem for you but maybe try again later.

Sorry ~Mike

[autobodyman]

great job on all the carvingsThanks.

i think i finally figured out what God did with the talent i was supposed to get. Just lots of time and patience ;-)

i love the stagecoach scene. i hope you put the pattern up for sale, i would be a happy purchaser.
Actually the stage coach is a mix of patterns I bought from carvewright, the background is a mountain scene I repeated, the stagecoach another pattern, the pine trees another, the bushes are an oak tree pattern and the cowboy on the horse is another pattern all purchased from Carvewright pattern depot

and by the way, on long carves i shut my machine down by hitting the stop buttone(once only) and have got to bed and resumed it in the mornig without a glitch. i alway use the stop button and not the lid after i had problems with a coverswitch issue.
I had some troubles with the cover switch when I was blowing the chips out of the machine with my blow gun, got chips up under the switch. Since I added the air blower I haven't had that occur again. If you stop it with the stop button, do you need to leave the machine on and plugged in? My fear is that there will be a power outage during the night and basically be like rebooting the machine.

keep up the great work Thanks, can't hardly take any credit for the stagecoach project, the machine did all that.

kendall

Thanks for the completments.

~Mike

[autobodyman]

If you want to see some more of my carving projects and other woodworking projects check here,
http://www.mikesphotos.dpreview.photoshare.co.nz/

The first 10 thumbnails are links to other galleries.
If you do take a look, let me know what you think?

Thanks ~Mike

[Old Salt]

Your a stand out in what you do!
Don't give the tools that much credit. They are just tools , they don't think and can only do what you make them do.

Keep up the Great work and take the credit that is your's

[earlyrider]

If I were'nt a married man, I'd like to date your cabinet! The fantasy stuff you've carved is superb! I wish my attempts at old dead fish and dinosaurs would come out as good. Well, carve on....:)
Ron

[yellowdog]

Fantastic carving!!! Can't wait to see it finished.

[mtylerfl]

Used redwood for this test carve, will be doing the walnut one next. I'll incorporate this redwood carving into a future deck. The walnut one will be for our fireplace mantle.

~Mike

Extraordinary job, Mike! That is beautiful!

EDIT: Just saw your hand-carvings, too - breathtaking quality!

[chebytrk]

Extraordinary job, Mike! That is beautiful!

EDIT: Just saw your hand-carvings, too - breathtaking quality!

I'm truly blown away by the talent on these projects. Man has a true gift and the talent to go with it!

[unitedcases]

That is what it is all about there. You have shown so many what this machine is capable of. Nice setup for it too. Nice and high so it is easily accesible for bit changes and even routine maintenance. And I like the sled.

[fwharris]

Mike,

I am totally amazed by your work! I got lost in your photo gallery. You need a CarveWright for what?????

Thanks for sharing!!

[LittleRedWoodshop]

Not only are the pics not showing up for me - I can't load the website either. Will someone save those pics and email them to me. Thanks

[Lin]

I have the same issue for some reason...I just get the dreaded red X on the pics and his website won't load up for me either...anyone with an idea why most can view but a few cannot?
Lin

[PCW]

Not only are the pics not showing up for me - I can't load the website either. Will someone save those pics and email them to me. Thanks

Jason

Any chance that you may be blocking Internet cookies from photoshare.com?

[RayTrek]

Hello Mike
Your carvings are beautiful have been a admirer of Boris paintings and have been working on making a carving of one of his for a while, after seeing your work I am inspired to pick it up again thanks very much for sharing.
Your attention to detail and your patience is incredible.
Ray

[Wild Bill]

Jason

Any chase that you may be blocking Internet cookies from photoshare.com?

Those getting a red X, or no pictures, probably need to change their firewall settings.

[LittleRedWoodshop]

Not blocking it.....

[autobodyman]

Mike,

I am totally amazed by your work! I got lost in your photo gallery. You need a CarveWright for what?????

Thanks for sharing!!

Thanks for taking a look at the galleries. I actually got the Carvewright to
save me some time on at least some of my carvings, thought it could rough
them out for me.

This redwood carving I will probably just sand some but the fireplace mantle I
will recarve to make the carving deeper, the top of the carving like the horse
manes, lines on the stage coach etc... It looks pretty good in the picture
but part of the reason for that is the lighting, I have a light directly above
the carving and that makes even the shallow parts of the carving stand out.
I don't know the size limits but here is a larger picture:
http://www.PhotoShare.co.nz/PhotoShareGallery1/100503/110019/MIKE12777732.jpg
If this is to big of a picture, let me know and I can take it off or crop it.

Thanks ~Mike

[Tom75]

jaw hits ground in aw . that is excellent work . :)

[Pratyeka]

There's a question that's been keeping me awake at night and didn't want to appear like a total noob by asking it, but here it is: How do you sand inside all those little cavities? What do you use? Is it a secret? Are the men in black coming at my door for asking?:confused:

[mtylerfl]

There's a question that's been keeping me awake at night and didn't want to appear like a total noob by asking it, but here it is: How do you sand inside all those little cavities? What do you use? Is it a secret? Are the men in black coming at my door for asking?:confused:

A few items I use...

- 3M Sanding disks - 80 grit and 220 grit

- Dremel tips and points

- "customized" emery board nail files from WalMart (I cut them into strips, points, angles)

- various sizes and shapes of diamond-grit files (often used by woodcarvers)

[Pratyeka]

A few items I use...

- 3M Sanding disks - 80 grit and 220 grit

- Dremel tips and points

- "customized" emery board nail files from WalMart (I cut them into strips, points, angles)

- various sizes and shapes of diamond-grit files (often used by woodcarvers)

Thanks! I see now that I'm not such a noob after all, I do use dremel tips, including diamond ones.
I'll get some emery board nail files today.
You forgot "lots of patience" in your list... Know any good supplier?:cool:
Thanks a lot.

[Rocky]

I'm blown away by some of these carvings. Just great!

[mtylerfl]

Thanks! I see now that I'm not such a noob after all, I do use dremel tips, including diamond ones.
I'll get some emery board nail files today.
You forgot "lots of patience" in your list... Know any good supplier?:cool:
Thanks a lot.

You're right - patience - forgot that one! ;)

Another thing I sometimes find handy when "inspecting" a piece I'm sanding is a lighted magnifier - had one given to me - it's one of those that clamps to the worktable and has about a 5" diameter lens. Might be kind of hard to use for a piece the size of that stagecoach scene, though!

[badger]

And this is the difference between a hobbyist and a craftsman. Those that expect the machine to just spit out a finished project are probably the ones that are not happy with it.

Craftsman will use the machine to help with their work not finish it. You still need to go in and fine tune the project that comes out and it does take time which is why some are so proud of their work because they know how much time they have spent on it.

My hats off to you autobodyman, truely a work of art on the CW carves and your hand carves as well.

Cant wait to see the finished piece when your done with the mantel.

[fwharris]

Thanks for taking a look at the galleries. I actually got the Carvewright to
save me some time on at least some of my carvings, thought it could rough
them out for me.

I don't know the size limits but here is a larger picture.

[If this is to big of a picture, let me know and I can take it off or crop it.

Thanks ~Mike

Mike,

I only viewed a small portion of you photo site.
I not only enjoyed your carving and cabinetry skills, I got a kick out of your photography skills as well. The poker scene is a blast. Man of many talents for sure. I can only imagine what you do with auto bodies..:p

As for the picture size, the bigger the better!

[jpeter14]

I am very impressed. The design and layout of the mantel is wonderful. I can,t hardly believe the others are hand carved, they are beautiful!!

[autobodyman]

Mike,

I only viewed a small portion of you photo site.
I not only enjoyed your carving and cabinetry skills, I got a kick out of your photography skills as well. The poker scene is a blast. Man of many talents for sure. I can only imagine what you do with auto bodies..:p

As for the picture size, the bigger the better!

There are 7 or 8 galleries that pertain to my woodwork over the years, a couple galleries are just travel photos.

The poker thing was something I thought would be fun to do and send to some friends we play cards with, they hadn't been over for a while so I told them they should come over because I think I was cheating ;-)

Auto body is just my day job, nothing really special however I've worked on/painted everything from antique cars, pickup trucks, motorcycles, sprint cars, tractors, refridgerators, house doors, I have even done a few airbrush jobs.

Thanks ~Mike

[jpaluck]

Mike

Absolutely gorgeous work,..incredible looking. The pattern on the top of the night stand is awsome..carved on CW or by hand? either way beautiful looking.

[autobodyman]

Got up early (for me anyway) got a car door on a highway patrol car painted by 11:15am figured I was done early enough to start the Carvewright on the Walnut mantle board. Everything seemed to be going well, cable running cool singing right along, I even did some cleaning in the woodshop while it worked.

Actually I think that's what caused my problem, I was cleaning away and realized the carver had moved farther than I thought, my screws holding my side rails on were to far into the machine to remove without backing the board up. I thought they were low enough to not be a problem but as I'm down to my last carving bit (more on order) I thought I better raise the machine and back it up.

Got the screws out, set the board back exactly where I had marked it. Started it back up and it started moving the wrong direction. Coudln't for the life of me figure out why it was feeding the wrong way. Shut the machine off and found that one of my other screws was sticking threw the bottom of the board and had ripped the drive belt a bit (about 1/4" wide 3"long). Cut that off and being I was at 40% I took the card and put a carve region over most of what had been carved and set it for 0 carve depth.

Got everything set back up and it ran in place at the start, 1% no board movement, 10% still no board movement, at 40% it moved the board to the begining of the new carve region but it started cutting in the wrong places, quickly shut it down and put the old pattern back on the card and started it all again from the begining. This would have been done about 10PM but now it's going to be more like 7:30 am. I don't think I can skip a nights sleep. I have a new pickup bed being deliverd sometime tomorrow morning and I have to be here to get the patrol car out of the paint booth so we can set the pickup box in there.

I'm hoping I can just lift the lid around midnight and get some sleep and turn the machine back on in the morning (I hope we don't have a power failure in the middle of the night) I think if I run this carve full for a third time it will lose to much of the pattern.
http://www.PhotoShare.co.nz/PhotoShareGallery1/100503/110019/0Walnut016132.jpg

http://www.PhotoShare.co.nz/PhotoShareGallery1/100503/110019/0Walnut025589.jpg
Somehow the pattern or the machine is off up and down by about 1/16" shouldn't be to big of a deal for me as I was planing on recarving most of it deeper anyway (the top details). It did tear out quite a bit when it ran backwards but I think I can fix that too when it's done. A little bondo with red hardner should blend in pretty well since I was going to stain the walnut board with walnut stain to keep it from fading/ageing.

My wife is up at the woodshop keeping an eye on the machine for me while it's recarving, I had some things to get finished in the bodyshop. I suppose I better go relieve her.

Thanks ~Mike

[autobodyman]

Mike

Absolutely gorgeous work,..incredible looking. The pattern on the top of the night stand is awsome..carved on CW or by hand? either way beautiful looking.

Thanks, Did that one by hand (dremil type tools) it's to large for the machine and the carve is 2¼" deep.

~Mike

[autobodyman]

There's a question that's been keeping me awake at night and didn't want to appear like a total noob by asking it, but here it is: How do you sand inside all those little cavities? What do you use? Is it a secret? Are the men in black coming at my door for asking?:confused:

I use dremil type diamond sanding bits (harbor freight has some cheap ones), the taper point is my most used, I also use these sanding sticks in 80 grit and 120 grit:
http://www.polymerclayexpress.com/images/sand02.jpg
I also have a proxxon pen sander
http://www.islandwoodcraft.ca/cart/images/pen%20sander%20copy.JPG
and one of those mouse sanders with the different tips.

~Mike

[autobodyman]

Got the Walnut mantle out of the carvewright after lunch. The top one is the redwood, the bottom one is Walnut.
http://www.PhotoShare.co.nz/PhotoShareGallery1/100503/110019/2Mantles1092.jpg
Going to have to rebuild the one horses back leg, shouldn't be to big of a deal.
I got a little bit of sanding and recarving done on the redwood one while the machine was working on the Walnut board,
but mostly I picked up my shop. Scary I can get into all my cabinets again.
http://www.PhotoShare.co.nz/PhotoShareGallery1/100503/110019/2Mantles18100.jpg
Probably be a while but I'll post the mantle when I get it finished.

Thanks ~Mike

[Rocky]

The carvings are great.....and your shop....its great, too.

[ajk]

just amazing fabuloso

[liquidguitars]

Very cool work.. and dig your shop..

Have you ever considered putting a bottom and cross rails on your sled? this will help lock the board from moving also lets you mount the wood with screws from the top.

Here a good design that i use a lot..

http://96.9.54.101/liquidguitars.com/assets/images/LGSledDesignR001.jpg

regarding the depth of a re-carve. You can take some of the guess work out by using a index point of reference of the sleds top surface or the wood top, just make sure your at the same level each pass, then it will let you re cave a surface within 1/64" or so.

If you board moved/moving in a unpredictably manner or when indexing the router bit. The AUX roller is hanging up on the belts.
Try to inspect the belts and brass roller. also when programing the CW try using the "keep original size" option this will lock the start location like "center" but the start point is more reliable " i think".



LG

[badger]

Noticed the target in the back of the shop and the bow on the wall....Now you arent tempted to just once in awhile pick up that thing and do target practice inside your shop? :)



Love the clock you have on the wall also. That by chance wouldnt be made out of wood is it?

[LittleRedWoodshop]

I had to drive all the way to Duluth, MN and sign on the network at a Days Inn. It was worth it, great job and Thank You for sharing.

[fwharris]

I had to drive all the way to Duluth, MN and sign on the network at a Days Inn. It was worth it, great job and Thank You for sharing.


Sounds like another road trip!!!!

[supershingler]

could you share the depth and heights of the patterns that you used.

i went in the pattern store and found some for my project but i cant seem to get the depth that you accomplished.

also if the patten is additive or subtractive ot normal. i havent learned all of this stuff yet

any help appreciated

kendall

[autobodyman]

could you share the depth and heights of the patterns that you used.

i went in the pattern store and found some for my project but i cant seem to get the depth that you accomplished.

also if the patten is additive or subtractive ot normal. i havent learned all of this stuff yet

any help appreciated

kendall
I can give links to the ones I used, I just searched carvewright pattern depot, searchs like Western, Trees, Mountain etc..
The mountain range one I laid out 4 times for the background, it requires some hand carving or sanding as it's not really designed right to be a repeated pattern. I just overlapped them a bit and set the depth to .75. I started with a carve region (rectangle) 8" x 54" set to a depth of .75. Then added the others on top stretched them to the size I wanted and adjusted their depths till it looked right to me. I laid out the board size in Designer at 12" x 54" x 1.5" but the actual board with the runners screwed on was 12" x 72" x 1.5" (runners were 1.5" x 2" carve board was 8" x 1.5") told it not to stay under rollers and to center, not to size board.

I can list the carve depths I used (I'd post the mpc file but I don't know if that embeds the copywrighted patterns? I don't want to get into any infringements.)

Mountain Range 1:
http://store.carvewright.com//search.php?mode=search&page=1
Depth .75 height 100 Merge styles all set to normal. Clip carving inclusive on the 2 outside ones, not the two inside ones.

Fir Trees 2:
http://store.carvewright.com//product.php?productid=18840&cat=0&page=1
Depth .25 height 200
I used clip carving Inclusive for all the patterns that overlapped the carve region. (right click each pattern, choose clip carving, Inclusive)

Stage Coach:
http://store.carvewright.com/product...4&cat=0&page=4
Depth .35 height 125
I actually got this pattern quite a while ago from another place(cost more too $50 instead of carvewrights $30) and I edited the pattern to be deeper in the wheels and threw the windows so the mountain carving would show threw, in pattern editor. I imagine you could do some carve regions in designer or just recarve them deeper if you wanted.

Cowboy 2:
http://store.carvewright.com/product...9&cat=0&page=1
depth .45 height 125

Oak Tree:
http://store.carvewright.com/product...4&cat=0&page=1
small oak on left Depth .55 height 100, larger oak Depth .25 height 100

There was a pricklypear cactus too, but I don't remember where I got that one, I assume you'd want it to be a little different anyway, maybe use sorrel cactus instead of trees. Also when your done choose Edit, select all and set bit optimization to best.

Hope this helps. I'm new at this too, so your mileage may vary, this is only the 3rd carving I've done with the machine and the other two carvings were just rosettes I hand carved and scanned and then had it carve more out for me. I've had the machine almost 3 year but previously only scanned my "hand" carvings. Don't know if it matters I am using Designer version 1.126.

~Mike

PS: I used to be on this forum as autobody but couldn't seem to log into it when I came back. Most of my scans are in the pattern sharing depot, search for autobody. Or go to the last page and work forward.

[supershingler]

thanks for all the help

i really appreciate it


kendall

[autobodyman]

Noticed the target in the back of the shop and the bow on the wall....Now you arent tempted to just once in awhile pick up that thing and do target practice inside your shop? :)
No, I just step out the back door and shoot out there, I have a target setup against my fence along my creek and pond I built, this is right out the back of my woodshop. Target's on the right out of the picture.

http://www.PhotoShare.co.nz/PhotoShareGallery1/100503/110019/PICT03294121.jpg


Love the clock you have on the wall also. That by chance wouldnt be made out of wood is it?
I'm not sure which you mean here is the stuff on the wall. Wrist watch clock, Moose therm, Intrasia Carpenter Guy, Intrasia fish clock:

http://www.PhotoShare.co.nz/PhotoShareGallery1/100503/110019/MIKE12981325.jpg


http://www.PhotoShare.co.nz/PhotoShareGallery1/100503/105669/MooseBear1254_L.jpg
The top moose thermometer is the one in the woodshop, the bear therm is one I made for my dad for an Xmass present. Now that I think of it, I could probably scan these into the carvewright, though all one wood may not look as good.

Thanks ~Mike

[cnsranch]

Mike - you're really setting the bar - beautiful stuff!!

[geekviking]

Drool.... :p


Just awesome!

[SteveEJ]

Man, I wish I could see the pictures. I cannot connect to your link on page 2 or see any of the pictures of your carvings. I have changed settings on several computers (3) using Mozilla and IE and nothing works. I have two different anti virus packages and no difference. The only thing left to check is a different ISP so I am going to connect my travel Air Card and see what happens.

Steve:confused::confused:

[TWOATLOW8]

Heres his homepage....try that

http://www.mikesphotos.dpreview.photoshare.co.nz/

[SteveEJ]

I did.. Home page and Pictures he had linked there.

I can now see the pictures but only from my laptop and Verizon air card. This is really strange. Now I need to find out if it is my router (doubt) or ISP that is somehow blocking access. It might have to do with the long multisegmented URL.

Steve:confused:

Oh BTW: Beautiful Work! I have Shop and Talent envy now!

[PCW]

Mike

I loved your gallery. It shows your imagination as well as your talent. If you are as good with the long board as you are with the wood boards you must have a busy auto body shop.