Some of my recent pieces- ya gotta show off once in a while, right?

[eastcutty]

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[eelamb]

Very nicely done eastcutty. Keep up the good work.

[Digitalwoodshop]

Very Artestic... Very Nice..

AL

[Smoken D]

I like how they came out, great job!

[TerryT]

Beautiful work. Unique and artistic. I like it alot.

[lawrence]

Incredibly well done- your talent is obvious

Thank you for taking the time to share them with us-
Lawrence

[eastcutty]

I have tons more I've done...it only allowed 8 pics! LOL I have to tell ya, I have a ball doing these- the CW allows you to 'think outside the box' and get creative! I guess the modifications to my machine would void the warranty....but have no fear! This is a 6yr-old Rev A machine, with bare-bones CW software!5712557126571275712857129571305713157132

[ladjr]

Those are great.

[badbert]

Wow! You should show off more often!! Share some of your techniques! Those are very cool! Were these done on the Carvewright?

[DickB]

I agree - I would like to know more about your technique using the photo of the couple.

[b.sumner47]

Outstanding work ! Beautiful composition. Wow ! Thanks for sharing.


Capt Barry

[crfahy]

Very cool projects! Thanks for sharing. Isn't it great to find another artistic medium!!

[SharonB]

Wow! That is some of the nicest carvings from photos I've seen done with the CarveWright. Are you using a special program to generate such nice patterns?

[easybuilt]

Theses are fantastic! I would like to hear a little more how you created some of these. Thanks for showing us!

[eastcutty]

For the most part, Sharon, no not really. Thanks very much for the compliment, by the way.
I do use GIMP (free and awesome, with no weird crap- HIGHLY recommended for ANY graphics needs except 3D modeling, it does EVERYthing else, just ask PC Magazine, etc) to layout images to equally divide for tryptics, or to design patterns from scratch (like geometrics, etc), add contours, depthmapping, layering, whatever. I only have the bare-bones Designer Software, but I keep it updated. (( Where's the gall-darned 'Spiral' Drawing Tool ? Bring it back, PLEASE! )) TIP: use highest-def images and save each as the largest pattern size you can with shallow depth for best definition. Everything else is all in the little, sniggly details and things that come from trial and error in Designer over time and gained experience- too many to list. Just working out the depth vs height parameters makes a huge difference, and a very small dimensional judgement error here can make or break the whole deal. It's important to remember that there is NO SET FORMULA, each original image has to be handled differently from the next, there's a long learning curve, you will generate TONS of scrap while learning (even if you 'carve over' failures to save on wood), finishing (sealing, sanding, staining, painting, laquering) is generally a LOT MORE work than the Designing/carving process and extremely time/attention-consuming.
I even made some modifications to the machine itself- which I wouldn't recommend to anyone. In my case, I was sort of forced to because medical issues prevent me from working, so I have no income (waiting on disability approval) and no money for replacement parts. So, rather than replace, I have to fix and modify existing sub-assemblies, make new parts from scratch, or go without. Additionally, when I bought it 'new', it was an on-sale CompuCarve from Sears- which became obvious to me (over time, discovered during maintenance/adjustment/troubleshooting) had been previously owned (undisclosed- sold as NEW) and had all kinds of little broken plastic bits, like molded braces, guides, the board sensor housing, cable routing guides, etc cracked/broken or missing outright. The board sensor never did work correctly- just barely registers. (And yes, I know all about the sensor check/reading procedures and clearing the lightpipe, in case you were gonna mention those, dear reader.) Some modifications have increased detail capability considerably (I re-designed the QC Chuck into a not-so-quick-change-but-far-more-precise model), but most just keep the 6yr-old Rev A machine- with a bazillion hours on it- limping along. Even as it now stands, I'm running with X-axis drive belts missing torn-out strips, and I'm using a set of 'Franken Gears' where not only did I mix 'n' match the usable gears from separate failed assemblies, I literally had to splice a good 'inner' portion of a gear into a good 'outer' to create a replacement single gear with both large and small diameters. 571385713957140571415714257143 I made a HUGE step-by-step pictorial of the process, a few pics are here to give you an idea. There are, in hindsight, changes I would have made in the process, but I did this back in early July and here we are at Thanksgiving with the gear still going strong. Oops! I guess I drifted a little off-topic there, didn't I? Isn't this about design techniques? Blame it on the MS.
Looooooong story short: (it could happen!) you get out what you put into it. If you want easy-going, be satisfied with ordinary included/purchased patterns. Beautiful, but ordinary. If you want different and distinctive, you have to make it happen. Accept the challenge and HAVE FUN WITH IT! It takes a commitment to the experimental process, a patience with failed attempts, a lot of time devoted to working on your laptop while watching TV etc, and willingness to take risks of varying degrees. In my case, mechanical experience had to go into it, too- partly from Sears, mostly from budget.
Did I mention TONS of scrap? There'll be scrap.
Break some eggs, make an omelette. It's worth the shells.

P.S. The epoxy in the above pic #5 DID NOT HOLD! I had to go on to other methods of reliable attachment using carbon-fiber mesh layering. It's just a good procedural reference pic.

[eastcutty]

Wow! You should show off more often!! Share some of your techniques! Those are very cool! Were these done on the Carvewright?

Yep, all on a tired 6yr-old Rev A machine with bare-bones software and home-kluged parts/assemblies!

[SharonB]

Thanks for the explanation on what you do to make such great pictures. I have gimp but have not spent 5 minutes with it....just to many other things going on. But maybe this winter things will settle down and I'll get a chance to play around with it. I learn a little better once I see someone using a program than doing it on my own but guess I'll have to jump in with both feet one of these days. Look forward to seeing more of your projects in the future.