Do you think it will work?

[RC Woodworks]

Well I am trying something new. I need to make an oval sign that will be 23 inches wide and 36 inches long. Of course the widest board you can use in the CC is 14 1/2".

So I designed the sign in 2 halves. Each board is 11 1/2 " by 36" and in the designer it allows you to see a full oval. Even on half the board, this even worked on the inside oval. Then I placed the text on a 65 degree arch and -65 for the bottom half. I need to leave room in the center of the sign for a rose that I will hand carve.

I just wanted some input of what you think? I thought this out and made the same size ovals on each half. So on paper as they say when it is glued all should line up.

Here is the design I will show you the finished product this coming week. Please let me know if you have tried this and how it worked. Plus if you think it will or will not work

[rgant05]

In the professional opinion of some who hasn't got one iota of experience with doing two part signs.... I think it might work...... however, just to address something I noticed that might make it easier to work. Your x & y attachments are not the same on both halves. Now agreed the x dim wouldn't have much effect but the y dim will either leave you with no extra material, extra material to trim for a perfect joint, or as I see the top will leave you with not enough to fully match the other half. To make an even fit both y's would be .000 - but I think a perfect joint may be too much to expect the cut path to provide (although you might be able to sand it and it work ok). However you have a y dim of .414 which will leave you short of the halfway mark by almost a half an inch. I would recommend changing it to -.100 to give you a little to maybe make a couple passes on a jointer to give you a near perfect fit to the bottom half (which could be done the same way). It will be interesting to see if anyone notice this. Like I say, I haven't got a bit of experience but as my boss has always told me, I try to over analyse everything because I have an over active mind when it comes to planning and details (most of the time LOL)

Roger

[gtj44]

The machine may want to follow the full oval you have and get confused. You can use the arc tool and add vertices to it to conform to the arc of your sign. Then add a straight line across the bottom. I think you can then mirror this for the bottom half and delete the top and save each one separtley.

[RC Woodworks]

Hmmmmmmmmmm??????????????? lol I think what may happen with the arch when I upload it will tell of a jig error. Telling me it cannot complete the oval, now I think it still will do half. The problem with the arch is it will not make a compatible arch. I tried that first.

Now Roger you rascal! I planned on making sure I had a perfect joint before carving the boards. I made the sign 23 inches to allow me to keep the board close to 12". My old growth redwood is rough cut and I do have some boards that are a true 12" or little under.

Now to the Y and X this is where you rascal comes in!!!! You lost me!!!! When I designed the first half it showed the whole ovals and their dimension. So with the second half I inputted the same size oval as the top.

So using the same size boards and same sized ovals. Wouldn't the ovals become mirror images of each other? Try clicking on the ovals to see the full size. I will too maybe the dimensions changed?

Thanks again this is a first for me too! I usually just glue up my bigger signs, hand lay them out and then hand rout them. I guess I need to look into a bigger CNC machine!

Rick


I see what happens when you hit the X and Y buttons it throws it off with the Y. I guess I better do a test with smaller scrap wood just the ovals. I will try the arch to see how that will work also

[rgant05]

I have no doubt that it will cut the same size ovals and if the "whole" half is there it will be ok. You are using a cut path though and it according to the way you have you y attachment dimension is going to cut almost a half an inch off of the bottom and not give you the full half. If you contrain your y attachment to .000 you will have the full half. I was just recommending that you give an extra .100 inch to be able to make any final adjustments to the edge to make a good joint rather than relying on the cut path to leave a perfect surface to join together with the other half. Look closely at the top half that shoes a .414 y attachment to the edge. You are not getting your full half of the sign on that board. (ie the bottom of the top half does not come all the way down to the red dots which are the center of the two halves)

Also, if you joint the board first, are you manually jiging the project?? if not you need a half inch on each side for autojigging.

[rgant05]

I have changed the x & y attachments like I was saying..... I hope I am making sense. Here is the files like I would recommend, and I am assuming that you are manually jigging the project. I may be all wet, but I think it is an issue that will leave you short of enough board to put them together.

[Gman_Ind]

I had a similar idea, for a 28" tall sign. The middle looks awfully blank, it seems to need detail. maybe if you recessed the area with an oval pocket then made a third design that would glue in and span the 2 halves it would be stunning.
I think you are right on with this and congrats on pushing your comfort zone.

Nothing is perfect, thats why I carry a low angle pocket plane.

[Charles M]

I am considering a similar project and my thinking was to make the two halves wide enough that there was 1/16" extra material at the joint. Then clamp them together and use a 1/8" bit in a handheld router with a straight guide to cut the edges and joint them for an invisible glue joint.

[RC Woodworks]

Thank you Roger. Gman the center will have a rose I am hand carving. So it will not be blank.

Ok Roger, I finally got it! But I think the way you have it will square the edge too much. So I adjusted it take a look and tell what you see!

Rick

[rgant05]

Come on Rick...... put the rose in there with the CarveWright!!!! be brave LOL :) There must be a rose pattern out there somewhere. That will heighten the challenge, to put the to halves of the rose together on the glueline

[RC Woodworks]

Roger, that would be going out too far on a limb! Hey I edited the last post but I will repost the advised sign. As the above post in your adjustment I think the edge will be too square. So look at what I did and tell what you think!!!

Thanks again,
-Rick

PS you type faster then me!

[rgant05]

What do you mean "too square"?? I'm not sure I understand that. Your revised files are closer now. At least on the bottom you have it leaving .009" extra material and the top you are cutting it short by .009", so if the cut path tool leaves a perfect surface for gluing it will be the complete oval, although the glue line will be .009" off (not visible... just theoretical) I was just trying to give you a little bit of material left on each half to either sand or joint to give a good glue joint.

And whats wrong with going out on a limb???? Woodworkers spend all their time on the trunk, which is right there next to the limb... just pick a big limg to go out on LOL

Roger

[RC Woodworks]

Wow lol ok you are exact!!! Now that means you contadict yourself if you go out on a limb!!!

What I meant by square is where the 2 halves meet it is more flat then oval. The oval at the joint on the outside begins to come in more then the inside. Thus causing a smaller border and more flat at the joint.

I am old so maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me. But hey I understand what you meant!!!!

Rick

[Dan-Woodman]

I don't believe you would have to jig it ,as the board is wide and long enough to stay under rollers. And it should still leave tabs cutting thru to the edge.