Like a lot of the homework assignments this semester, I had zero experience with using a CNC before this. It’s a very powerful tool, and part of me wishes I could’ve used it on my crate.
First, I found a graphic on on thenounproject.com by Kim Sun Young. I always liked this kind of mountain graphic.
I then put it into Carbide Create, making 4 tool paths: 1 shallow pocket to indent the middle of the shape, 2 deeper pockets for the white parts in the above image, and a contour to cut the shape out.
I then got to cutting it out on the CNC. The first cut, during my tutorial, did not go well. I had all the steps in the wrong order, so it did the contour cut, then made all the deep pockets, then the shallower one. Also, the depth was wrong, so the piece didn’t even cut out fully.
I still liked the design, though, so I made some changes before CNCing it again: 1) making the cuts less deep, 2) adding an extra 0.1″ to the depth, and 3) switching the order, so it did the shallow pocket, then the deep ones, and finally the contour cut. The cuts turned out a lot better after making these changes.
Then, I started thinking about post processing. I wanted to try using resin but also keep some of the natural feeling of the wood, so I also wanted to use a stain. Finally, I thought painting part of it could add some good contrast. After testing on my original cut, I ended up using a dark stain, followed by painting the shallow pocket a light grey and then pouring a darker resin into the deeper pockets.
Once again, I was reminded that decorating isn’t always my strong suit, but I enjoyed the challenge here and I’m proud of how it turned out.
Cost breakdown:
Wood: ~18in of 1×4 wood ($3.14 for 8ft) -> $0.58
Resin: ~3 oz (~$1 per oz) -> $3
Paint, dye, stain: ~$3
Labor: 4 hours at $11 -> $44
Total: $50.58
