How To: Create A Customized 3D Carved Reducing Board

Who would not desire a customized chopping board?  And with the vacations proper across the nook, it is time to begin considering of issues that earn you severe brownie factors along with your family members – enter your Inventables Carvey and the personalized chopping board undertaking. 

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MatterHackers is situated in California, and as a surfer, I’ve an incredible quantity of California pleasure, so for this undertaking, I’m going to create a California inlay on a 12-inch walnut chopping board. Right here is how i make the chopping board:

Step 1 – Select Your Supplies 

I like walnut. It is simply my favourite wooden to work with and appears wonderful, particularly after some sanding and an oil end. For the inlay, I’m going to make use of arduous maple, each for energy and colour distinction. Additionally to finish this undertaking you’ll need to have some wooden glue, mineral oil, 100 grit sandpaper, and a clear rag. Here’s what I used: 

• Walnut wooden 
• Maple wooden
• 100 grit sandpaper
• Kind II wooden glue
• Mineral oil
• Clear rag

There are plenty of choices for wooden on the market – choose one you want! 

Step 2 – Create the Reducing Board Design

I cheated – the Carvey’s program, Easel, created by Inventables has a couple of ‘inventory’ chopping board shapes to make use of, which I took benefit of. Right here is a hyperlink to the one I used for this demo [12” x 6” rounded cutting board]. If you click on the blue ‘Open undertaking in Easel’ you are able to go.

Step 3 – Design the Inlay

I in all probability sound like a damaged report, however that is tremendous straightforward additionally. Easel lets you import any image and it turns it into an inlay by utilizing the ‘Inlay App’ (from the Apps tab). I selected a California and used a tolerance of 0.004”. The inlay wooden I used was a Onerous Maple that’s 0.125” thick, so I made the inlay on the chopping board that deep. The outside of the chopping board goes by means of my whole 0.75” walnut wooden clean.

Step 4 – Structure the Workpieces

For this chopping board I used 2 workpieces: one for the chopping board which minimize out the outside of the cuttingboard in addition to the California pocket, and one for the inlay itself.

Make sure to set:

• Materials Dimensions
  • Walnut chopping board base: 0.75″ x 6″ x 12″
  • Onerous Maple inlay: 0.125″ x 6″ x 8″
• Depth of minimize for every characteristic 
  • Exterior: 0.75 inches (full thickness of chopping board)
  • Califonia Pocket: 0.125 inches (thickness of inlay wooden)
  • California Inlay: 0.125 inches (Full thickness of inlay wooden)
• Bit used for every minimize (Store Carving Bits)
• Examine the ‘Use Tabs” for the inlay minimize – they make sure the inlay doesn’t break away earlier than the carving is full

I used a ⅛” up-cutting bit, which created some tear-out (tough edges that type when carving towards the grain of the wooden) that wanted to be sanded – subsequent time I will use a straight minimize bit to cut back the cleanup wanted.

Step 5 – Begin Reducing with the Carvey

You’ll need to seize a cup of espresso for this step as a result of your involvement may be very passive. After getting the board clamped within the machine and the Carvey plugged into your pc (have to be linked to speak with Easel) – hit the massive inexperienced button and sit. When the 3D Carving for the chopping board is completed, unload the walnut and throw within the arduous Maple. Clamp, begin, and repeat.

Cleansing up after chopping on the Carvey

Step 6 – Assemble Your Reducing Board

The inlay might have a little bit of sanding to suit simply proper. Use 100 grit sandpaper – that ought to do the trick. Ensure you sand down the tabs used for the inlay effectively. Clear the within of the pocket and use a couple of dabs of wooden glue to bond the inlay into the pocket. If there are any gaps, use a combination of wooden glue and a number of the leftover sanding mud to fill them.

Gluing and setting the inlay into the board. 

Step 7 – Sanding the Customized Reducing Board

You’ll need to be sure you sand the highest flush (the inlay with the chopping board base prime floor) and customarily contact the complete exterior floor with 100 grit sandpaper. Ease the sides so they aren’t sharp. For this step, I used a random orbital sander with 100 grit sane paper, however a number of the closing touches I did by hand. 

Sanding the sides of the chopping board

Step 8: Coat the Reducing Board with Mineral Oil

Use Mineral Oil (it’s meals protected and doesn’t spoil, so is ideal for chopping boards) and apply a beneficiant coating, wipe off the surplus. It’s possible you’ll need to do that twice, wooden likes to drink up that oil.

Coating the chopping board in mineral oil

Step 9 – Get pleasure from Your New Customized Reducing Board

Now you’ve a rad, personalized chopping board to make use of for your self or give as a present. This may impress family members and associates, particularly once they discover out you made it your self. 

In case you are thinking about studying extra about 3D Carving, be happy to e-mail help@matterhackers.com – we might love that will help you get began!