Tear-out on Alder

[Cgav34]

Just got done carving a sign, and there is a huge amount of tear-out on almost every letter. The wood is alder, and the 1/16" carving bit was medium sharp I'd say (not the new sharp, but sharper than the older bit I have).

Is this a product of a dull bit, or the wood? First time carving in alder...I usually carve oak.

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[fwharris]

Add a small about of draft to the text and maybe even lower the height.

[Dale]

I use Alder all the time with very little tear-out. I would go with the draft and height also.

[Cgav34]

Thanks for the advise. Looking back at the file, I didn't have any draft (thought I had applied a small draft) and yea, the height of the text was a little extreme.

The recipient wanted to see some different staining options anyway, so at least now I have a good test piece to use! haha

[cestout]

I use a lot of alder including signs with lettering. When the lettering is placed on your board it is set at .125 deem. Change that to the depth of the carved out area (default would be 0.25). Use a small or medium draft. If you want the letters to stand taller change the height to maybe 150 or 2100. If you own the option you can even puff your lettering. It works, on the web site where I do most of my signs I consistently get 5 stars and good reviews.
Clint