more badges- this time in Cherry (improved patterns)

[lawrence]

Just wanted to show you another wood used for the badges I've been making (these are REALLY good sellers...) as well as a new (to me) sanding technique.

I redesigned the carve a bit (puffing up the wings and head of the eagle using the 3d tools and redrawing the beak with the 2d tools and then puffing to create more definition)

This time I carved on Normal, which meant that the carve was only a hair over 2 hours each, and then, without any sanding, slopped on cherrywood winwax gel stain (this stuff)
http://www.amazon.com/Minwax-66070-Quart-Interior-Cherry/dp/B000C0115Q

I let it dry for a couple of days and then sanded the whole thing using my new random orbit sander and a soft interface pad. I think this pad would probably work with any ROS, but obviously it is made for my mirka ceros (which I so far LOVE even though it is a bit pricy)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001BKXWE4

I used mirka abranet sandpaper, and the dry gelstain was sucked right up through the interface pad and even when the paper did get clogged from the stain, I just removed it and blew it out with compressed air... the interface pad allowed me to sand right over top the carves and it followed the contours nicely. I did follow it up with a little hand sanding, but very little was required to get the effect I was looking for.

At any rate, here's the badges, which are 14 inches high- I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have about my modeling or finishing techniques and of course comments are appreciated.

V/r
Lawrence

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u313/ldr_klr/Carvewright/Badges/P11406811024x768_zps8f537660.jpg (http://s171.photobucket.com/user/ldr_klr/media/Carvewright/Badges/P11406811024x768_zps8f537660.jpg.html)
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u313/ldr_klr/Carvewright/Badges/P11406861024x768_zps1294d7bc.jpg (http://s171.photobucket.com/user/ldr_klr/media/Carvewright/Badges/P11406861024x768_zps1294d7bc.jpg.html)
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u313/ldr_klr/Carvewright/Badges/P11406801024x768_zps1fcb4678.jpg (http://s171.photobucket.com/user/ldr_klr/media/Carvewright/Badges/P11406801024x768_zps1fcb4678.jpg.html)

[JoeinWestMich]

Beautiful job!

[TerryT]

Wow, those are gorgeous!

[DickB]

Neat technique! You're going to make me buy a sanding setup like that.

[Geomoo1]

Great looking badges, Lawrence. I am working on a Fort Worth Texas police badge but, so far, it's nowhere near that good. I just bought the 3D software so maybe that will help (if I can learn how to use it).

[Alan Malmstrom]

Nice looking work laurence. I have found that gel stain really hardens when it dries. I'm sanding and refinishing a dresser top and I really had to cake on the gel stain to make it match the rest. I sanded it down after each coat and found that it is almost even harder than polyurethane which is really just like platic.

I wonder what kind of wood you used?

[Digitalwoodshop]

WOW.... Great Work !!!!

You should post over on Sawmill Creek... The Little Machine that COULD..... :)

AL

[James RS]

Awesome job! I'd love to know about how you went about making the pattern

[chebytrk]

Looks fantastic!
Would you consider selling the pattern? I personally don't have 2d & 3d programs, but I see that I really need to save up for these.

[Smoken D]

Excellent job Lawrence. I can see why they are sellers. Cops like those sort of things;)

[lawrence]

Thanks guys, I really appreciate the support.

I'm a vendor for patterns, though I haven't actually put any up for sale yet. I think I should be able to get these into the pattern store for sale, but let me carve a few more... I keep tweaking the pattern and it gets a little better each time I carve them.

AL- I did post the original walnut badge over on SMC (and on WWA, and Woodtalk online forum, and on Woodnet.... ) I don't know if it's because I enjoy the (positive and negative) attention my carvewright stuff gets, but I post just about everything :) Of all the forums though, SMC is the one I post on the least, though I'm not exactly sure why. I'll be sure to add these.

James, I basically used the Carvewright 2d and 3d software tools to make the pattern is much the same way as the airplane is made in this great demo video. I basically traced elements, added puffing and offsets, added details from the original, and cleaned up using the pattern editor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=MydQrXzsE4k

Alan- it's cherry wood with a cherry stain and a satin lacquer topcoat.

Thanks again all- hopefully the badges will soon be in the store for sale, but like I said, let me tighten them up the rest of the way so that I'm putting out the best possible pattern I can.

Once again, I do appreciate all the words of support (and wish I could see y'all this weekend!)
V/r
Lawrence

[eelamb]

Nice looking carve Lawrence.

[cestout]

You mean sanding with this pad on your ROS doesn't flatten the carves? Would a mop work like this on hardened gel stain? My ROS has a 5" 6 hole pad.

[lawrence]

You mean sanding with this pad on your ROS doesn't flatten the carves? Would a mop work like this on hardened gel stain? My ROS has a 5" 6 hole pad.

sorry I'm just now answering-

I'm not sure about the mop Clint, but my sanding system for this didn't flatten the carves-

the interface pad is very squishy... almost a pillow like consistency.

my sander is extremely controllable for a random orbit sander. It maintains a very even balance even when "perched" or slowed down (it doesn't lose torque/control at slow speeds) It is a bit pricy though for a ROS (but I'm not complaining- I LOVE it) and when hooked up to my festool vac I get almost no dust escaping. I was sanding inside the house because it was too hot outside... no dust in the air when I was done at all.
http://www.amazon.com/Mirka-MIM55020CAUS-5-Inch-Random-Orbital/dp/B007VTTNP6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1372305521&sr=8-2&keywords=mirka+ceros

I also really let the gelstain dry before sanding- this means I don't have to do a whole lot of sanding to highlight the carves.

The next time I do it I'll try to get more pics/some video if you're interested

Lawrence

[farmer]

Did you do scan of one of the badges to get the origanal pattern? My daughter is a parole officer in Texas I was thinking of making one for her. Is there any issue in selling them as well if someone she works with wants one? Nice job by the way!!!

[Capt Bruce]

Very nicely done Lawrence and an interesting technique as you describe it. You've mastered the 2D and 3D software obviously to be able to produce some superb modeling and then to bring it out with that stain on stain off sanding method really brings out the details. Wonderful shields Sir.

[lawrence]

sorry I missed your question farmer - I used the 2d and 3d tools in addition to the standard designer software to make the badges from an original.

I had copyright questions and asked my friend about it, and according to her captain the department owns the rights to the badge and authorized me to make them as long as they were not "replica sized" or could be "mistaken for a genuine badge". This kind of thing is fairly common (our units for example own the rights to our patches/etc)

Thanks for the compliment from you too Capt- the new sanding technique I used was really quick compared to hand sanding.

Lawrence

[Ton80]

Gorgeous badges! Cherry probably helped out with the normal carve setting.. Looking at them I wouldn't guess you used the Normal quality settings... Like that technique with the sander.. I have a Festool 150/3 and I'm going to see if they have a setup to match what you used..

[chebytrk]

Thanks guys, I really appreciate the support.

I'm a vendor for patterns, though I haven't actually put any up for sale yet. I think I should be able to get these into the pattern store for sale, but let me carve a few more... I keep tweaking the pattern and it gets a little better each time I carve them.

AL- I did post the original walnut badge over on SMC (and on WWA, and Woodtalk online forum, and on Woodnet.... ) I don't know if it's because I enjoy the (positive and negative) attention my carvewright stuff gets, but I post just about everything :) Of all the forums though, SMC is the one I post on the least, though I'm not exactly sure why. I'll be sure to add these.

James, I basically used the Carvewright 2d and 3d software tools to make the pattern is much the same way as the airplane is made in this great demo video. I basically traced elements, added puffing and offsets, added details from the original, and cleaned up using the pattern editor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=MydQrXzsE4k

Alan- it's cherry wood with a cherry stain and a satin lacquer topcoat.

Thanks again all- hopefully the badges will soon be in the store for sale, but like I said, let me tighten them up the rest of the way so that I'm putting out the best possible pattern I can.

Once again, I do appreciate all the words of support (and wish I could see y'all this weekend!)
V/r
Lawrence

Were you able to get the badge pattern in the store?

[lawrence]

Were you able to get the badge pattern in the store?

I haven't yet, no... I actually am a vendor but haven't put any patterns up for sale.

At the current moment, I'm feeling torn on how I feel about profiting from making sales on LHR's webpage.
I'm not a "I'm taking my ball and going home kind of guy" but I am unsure how I can profit with a company while not agreeing with some of their business practices (but still very much supporting their product and thinking that the folks that work at the company are top notch... do you see my moral conundrum?)

...but that's not really answering what you asked... why don't I just put the "in progress- working" blank badge on here and if you need it you are more than welcome to it.

Just add on the items that are appropriate and you should be good to go

Lawrence

[chebytrk]

Great! Thank you very much!