what is the most efficent way you've found to sand grooves

[Jrdarrah]

I just created a large quarter sawn oak panel using the celtic knot font that I ran through Jeffrey Litz's ai2mpc program. I used a 1/16" bit to carve the paths. As a result of less than optimum settings in the CorelDraw live-trace function I ended up with a lot of short paths. The result is a carving that will need a good bit of sanding to get rid of the roughness in the groove.

How do you sand the grooves?

I'm sure some of you have come up with some creative, and efficent ways to do it.

[mtylerfl]

I just created a large quarter sawn oak panel using the celtic knot font that I ran through Jeffrey Litz's ai2mpc program. I used a 1/16" bit to carve the paths. As a result of less than optimum settings in the CorelDraw live-trace function I ended up with a lot of short paths. The result is a carving that will need a good bit of sanding to get rid of the roughness in the groove.

How do you sand the grooves?

I'm sure some of you have come up with some creative, and efficent ways to do it.

Hello,

The 3M Radial Bristle Discs mounted on your Dremel would be perfect for smoothing inside the grooves.

Stack multiple discs (3 to 6 or more) on the mandrel (3/32" dia. part # 4494A44) - http://www.mcmaster.com (http://www.mcmaster.com/) sells the discs online for about 88 cents each (search their site for "radial bristle discs"). We use McMaster part # 4494A19 (80 grit), part #4494A18 (220 grit).

There are other sources for the discs online, but I don't recall those at the moment.

(BTW, the inventor of those discs is a CarveWright machine owner! He told me he developed those during his employ at 3M.)

[AskBud]

Perhaps you could use some of these specialty files.
AskBud
http://www.woodcraft.com/product.aspx?ProductID=07T51&FamilyID=3222

[FiddlemakerMills]

Another thing to try is an emery board. I use them often and I can shape the emery board with a pair of cutting shears.

[mgsundgaard]

If the roughness in the grooves is due to a somewhat dull tool or the grain structure of the wood I use a fine wire brush first to see how much of it is cleaned up. If I want a smoother appearance I use a hobby sandblaster(normally used for etching glass) using 150grit then 280 grit media. Works well for me.

[mtylerfl]

Files and Emory Boards will do the job too - however, the 3M wheels will probably be MUCH faster and more efficient. If the grooves are very rough (with lots of hills and valleys in the carve), then small rounded diamond-coated files will probably be required to clean up the base of the grooves.

The roughness in the carve is likely not caused by a dull tool, but rather the pattern itself (very typical of "homemade" patterns, unfortunately).

[Jrdarrah]

I tried the emery board since I have some here at the house. It is doing a pretty good job. McMaster-Carr is just up the road in Atlanta so I ordered some of the disks and will try them as well. At the rate I'm going with the emery board the disks will probably be here before I finish sanding. Just to be on the safe side and in keeping with my motto "every new project requires at least one new tool" I'll probably order the files as well.

I agree on one of the causes of th roughness. I created the design using the celtic knot font which I ran through Adobe Illustrator to rasterize. I had to resort to that step because I had gaps between the rows of text in CorelDraw X4 that I couldn't eliminate. Some of the roughness was caused when I brought it back into CorelDraw to use the Live-trace function. I prefer it to the trace in AI because I can get a single centerline path. The error I made producing this pattern was to keep the detail set way too high and not having the smoothness high enough. If I had enough of the wood to redo it I would have used the "improved" settings which gave me fewer path segments. The board as carved had a few thousand segments, the one with the proper settings only a number in the high hundreds. Once the path is generated I save the file as an uncompressed AI file which works fine with Jeffery Litz's AI2MPC program. Thanks to all that have replied. Jim

[mtylerfl]

... Some of the roughness was caused when I brought it back into CorelDraw to use the Live-trace function. I prefer it to the trace in AI because I can get a single centerline path. ...Jim

Jim,

I use CorelDRAW X3 and cannot find the centerline path trace function.

Some of my earlier versions of CorelDRAW had the centerline trace option via the separate app called CorelTRACE (not sure which ones that started with...version 8, I think - I've used Corel since ver. 1.0 so I get 'em mixed up which had what).

But I'll be switched if I can locate the centerline trace option in my X3! Are you using X4? - maybe they added the option back.:confused:

[HighTechOkie]

Yes, centerline trace was added in X4. "Live Trace" is a feature in Adobe Illustrator.

Rob

[Jrdarrah]

I stand corrected. The instructions I wrote down a while back to document what I got to work listed the trace in CD X4 as live-trace. It is centerline. I wasn't a CD user prior to X4 so I don't know when things were added.

[Kenm810]

Just got it, I haven't opened it yet.
More Reading --- http://forum.carvewright.com/images/icons/icon6.gif

[mtylerfl]

I stand corrected. The instructions I wrote down a while back to document what I got to work listed the trace in CD X4 as live-trace. It is centerline. I wasn't a CD user prior to X4 so I don't know when things were added.

Hello,

I was pondering whether to upgrade my CorelDraw Graphics SuiteX3 to X4, or upgrade my old Macromedia Freehand to Adobe Illustrator CS4.

Both have the same upgrade list price ($199) and I was leaning toward AI because I thought it had centerline tracing. Now that I know CorelDX4 has it again - I'm not sure which way to go. I was kind of looking forward to having AI in addition to Corel, but if it lacks the centerline trace, I may skip it...or I might get both upgrades anyway.:confused:

Do you (or anyone else) know for certain whether AI CS4 has the centerline trace function or not?

[jlitz]

Do you (or anyone else) know for certain whether AI CS4 has the centerline trace function or not?

Illustrator CS2, CS3, and CS4 can do centerline tracing using the "stroke" option in Live Trace. I have no idea how the quality compares to CorelDraw.

[mtylerfl]

Illustrator CS2, CS3, and CS4 can do centerline tracing using the "stroke" option in Live Trace. I have no idea how the quality compares to CorelDraw.

Thanks for the info, jlitz. I appreciate it.

You bring up an interesting point...

Is there anyone who already owns both that can give a comparison report on CD (centerline) traces vs AI (centerline) traces?

[rhglassdr]

I use a Sanding Mop with 320 grit in my drill press and it works amazingly well, and so fast.... on signs and everything else. I found it in the forum, but I don't remember were, and bought it at a wood workers show, but it would be easy to make.

[MetroGnome]

http://scrollsawworkshop.blogspot.com/2008/12/make-your-own-sanding-mop-on-cheap.html

[Jrdarrah]

Thanks for the info. I found something on the internet that said centerline with CD was the only game in town so I didn't play with ai live trace. I'll do some experiments and post back here later.

[mtylerfl]

Thanks for the info. I found something on the internet that said centerline with CD was the only game in town so I didn't play with ai live trace. I'll do some experiments and post back here later.

Thank you - I went ahead and ordered the upgrade to CD X4. I may still get the current AI upgrade too, so I am very interested in your "comparison feedback" concerning the quality of centerline tracing between the two programs.

[Jrdarrah]

I tried several variations of the AI live trace and the best I could get is an outline of the original black line from the artwork. I've attached a sample from AI here. I never could get it to draw a single path in the center of the original black line which is what I need to sent to Jeffrey's ai2mpc program.

As I said before, in the Corel Draw trace function, the settings are important to try and minimize a lot of un-necessary short paths. In my first attempt I didn't have them set right and I had a lot of short paths which were carved in what appeared to be a very random fashion. A little bit here, move somewhere else and another little bit there. The result was a carving with places which should be a single straight path that was cut into several shorter segments which can be seen in the final carving. I've been sanding on the carving I posted at the bottom of this string for about a week on and off using an emery board.

[jlitz]

I tried several variations of the AI live trace and the best I could get is an outline of the original black line from the artwork. I've attached a sample from AI here. I never could get it to draw a single path in the center of the original black line which is what I need to sent to Jeffrey's ai2mpc program.

In my experience, if the "max stroke weight" option is set too low the result is an outline instead of a centerline. Attached is an example image followed by an example with "max stroke weight" too low, followed by a higher setting on the stroke weight resulting in a centerline.

I've been experimenting with several programs (illustrator, wintopo, autotrace, etc.) and find each one has it's strengths and weaknesses for converting rasters into vectors. Some day I'll pickup CorelDraw and see how it compares for the type of work I do.

[mtylerfl]

Thanks, you guys for the info!