A question for you sign and plaque people

[cestout]

I have a customer who wants a poem carved in the top of a box and she wants oak color. Will fine centerline text carve ok in oak? I am unsure of sharp edges and splintering with oak. Poplar stained with oak stain has a green cast and the birch plywood I have stained oak in the past is too gray. Thanks for the help.

[Digitalwoodshop]

You will need to try it on a sample oak board... But small text and the grain is the challange.... I believe this job would be better suited to a Laser Engraver.... You can do fine text...

You may find others may have a different take on this...

Here are some pictures from years ago when I made Oak Bases for Tourist Products I was selling. I laser engraved my site name on the front and used the CW to carve some Centerline Text. I stained the Laser Engraved letter but you really cannot see them... This would give you an idea of what laser engraving would look like.

AL

[Proctorw]

I have had great luck using the centerline with Oak and Cherry. Granted, you will have to play with the stain to get it colored correctly if you use Cherry, but both oak and cherry came out very clean. I have found it just takes longer to find the right Oak piece because of the grain. Here are a couple of samples.