For my CNC assignment, I started by browsing the Noun project until I found this Beautiful Lizard image, and went from there.

The first thing I decided was that I wanted to add something to the wood before I carved in the lizard (whom I affectionately named Steve), such as a stain, in order to highlight the contrast between the wood and the carve. I then had the great idea to use the laser cutter to raster on a branch, which I did. This was how I learned the difference between rastering on the Epilogue, which darkens the wood but leaves it roughly intact, and rastering on the Muse, which is almost more of a surface cut. In the end, I decided I actually really liked the Muse raster, since it added another layer of depth to the piece, as well as emphasizing the grain of the wood, rather than overwriting it.

Next, I went to put Steve on his branch. At this point, I realized that my boy Steve’s tail is right where the clamp on the Carvey goes, as you can see in this high-quality production.

Thankfully, Steve can be reflected so that his tail is perfectly out of the way, allowing him to sit on his branch, while still taking up most of the wood area and being roughly centered.

Finally, for post-processing, I decided to use Linseed oil, which creates a really cool, light-colored effect on the wood, then use a different, darker stain on the branch itself (Gunstock), to try to contrast the two.

Here, Steve is with the Linseed oil coat:

and with the Gunstock stained branch:

Overall, I think Steve came out great. Now, some pessimistic people may say that Steve is hard to see against the wooden background. To them, I say that it’s just camouflage, as any self-respecting chameleon would be doing.

Cost: $59

Labor: 3hr @ 15$/hr: $45
Materials: $2
Machine time: 45 min @$16/hr: $12