How To: Create A Customized 3D Carved Reducing Board

Who would not need a customized chopping board?  And with the vacations proper across the nook, it is time to begin pondering of issues that earn you critical brownie factors together with your family members – enter your Inventables Carvey and the personalized chopping board mission. 

MatterHackers is positioned in California, and as a surfer, I’ve an amazing quantity of California pleasure, so for this mission, 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 really 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 exhausting maple, each for power and coloration distinction. Additionally to finish this mission 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
• Sort II wooden glue
• Mineral oil
• Clear rag

There are a variety 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 number 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]. Whenever you click on the blue ‘Open mission in Easel’ you are able to go.

Step 3 – Design the Inlay

I most likely sound like a damaged file, however that is tremendous straightforward additionally. Easel means that you can import any image and it turns it into an inlay through the use of 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 Laborious Maple that’s 0.125” thick, so I made the inlay on the chopping board that deep. The outside of the chopping board goes via my complete 0.75” walnut wooden clean.

Step 4 – Format 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 you set:

• Materials Dimensions
  • Walnut chopping board base: 0.75″ x 6″ x 12″
  • Laborious Maple inlay: 0.125″ x 6″ x 8″
• Depth of minimize for every function 
  • 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)
• Verify 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 kind when carving towards the grain of the wooden) that wanted to be sanded – subsequent time I am going to use a straight minimize bit to scale 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 could be very passive. After getting the board clamped within the machine and the Carvey plugged into your pc (should be related to speak with Easel) – hit the massive inexperienced button and sit down. When the 3D Carving for the chopping board is completed, unload the walnut and throw within the exhausting 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. Be sure to sand down the tabs used for the inlay properly. Clear the within of the pocket and use a number of dabs of wooden glue to bond the inlay into the pocket. If there are any gaps, use a mix of wooden glue and a few 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 high floor) and usually contact your complete exterior floor with 100 grit sandpaper. Ease the perimeters so they don’t seem to be sharp. For this step, I used a random orbital sander with 100 grit sane paper, however a few of the closing touches I did by hand. 

Sanding the perimeters 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 – Take pleasure in Your New Customized Reducing Board

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

If you’re fascinated by studying extra about 3D Carving, be at liberty to e-mail assist@matterhackers.com – we might love that will help you get began!