Carving or cutting lettering

[Anonymous]

Hi all

For a while now an old time and very dear friend has been asking me to make something for her. She has a birthday very soon and I am in the process of making that 'something'.

I want to personalise it and somehow carve or inscribe or route her name on it in smallish lettering, say 12mm tall.

How? never done this before, and it sounds hard!

 

[Pete W]

Carving is on the long list of 'skills I should acquire' - how much time have you got to create this item?

With no experience whatsoever, I'd be looking at something like a Dremel with a v-grooving bit. Create the lettering on a computer, transfer to the work, and cut away. Having practised a bit first

 

[spadge]

Have a look here

http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/ ... x?id=27064

 

[keithhickson]

I'll dig out the article on one of this months magazines it is a beginners guide to handcarving, does and don'ts and what a basic kit should have etc, if this is of use.

 

[staffie]

Tony,

I personalised a small mahogany box for a fried a few weeks ago, lettering about 20mm, using a dremmel with a v-grove bit. I did it freehand and it took hours and hours to get it to an acceptable level. shaking hands and all. Looked ok but next time I would prefer to do it with a letter template.

I seem to remember in one of the NYW programs thatre was a signmaker who did it freehand with a router and v-grove bit, maybe other memebers could provide the details of the episode and series.

Jock

 

[Gill]

Hi Tony

The obvious way to do this would be with knife cut marquetry, but a height of 12 mm would make it very difficult to produce regular, consistent cuts because the veneer wouldn't behave (DAMHIKT). If you were using an irregular font or if the name just had a few letters you might be able to get away with it, though.

You could always dig out your scroll saw and have a bash at cutting out the letters, then infilling the cuts with a contrasting filler such as expoxy or that artificial stone which turners use.

Gill

 

[Anonymous]

I'll dig out the article on one of this months magazines it is a beginners guide to handcarving, does and don'ts and what a basic kit should have etc, if this is of use.

That would be much appreciated

Thanks for the advice so far - worried about the required skill levels as I have little time Will look into buying a dremel though as this is something I have put off for ages

I might try the scroll saw idea Gill, and increase the letter sizing - should be fun and sounds easier than the carving with dremel :wink:

Anyone know of small templates that I can route with a dremel?

 

[mudman]

Handcarving letters isn't all that difficult and is immensely satisfying. I did this as my first project on a woodcarving course I took.

Chris Pye's book on lettercarving is an excellent resource for learning the techniques.

 

[Gill]

If you can work out how to put a collar on a Dremel to use as a router, Tony, I'll scroll you some lettering templates.

In exchange for a collar for my own Dremel, of course .

Gill

 

[Keith Smith]

I print out the lettering with the computer

I then use a dry carbon paper but you can get away with rubbing a soft pencil on the back of the paper, Selotape the lettering to the panel and scribe with a ballpoint pen round the lettering. Which should give you a good outline.

You should now have your perfectly aligned and spaced lettering marked out.

It's then a simple job to just cut out a small V groove with various chisels.

The trouble with going the powered route is that one slight slip, normally on the last letter :evil: and the thing is ruined.

 

[Fecn]

If you can work out how to put a collar on a Dremel to use as a router, Tony, I'll scroll you some lettering templates.

Dremmel Collar - £5.59
http://www.axminster.co.uk/product-Drem ... -19681.htm

edit: Ah... but you meant a template guide collar.

 

[CHJ]

Tony, do you not have access to a pantograph engraving machinesomewhere near, not very PC for a hand tool woodworker but with a limited timescale may be the answer.

We often did quick wooden plaques and name plates on one.

 

[Anonymous]

Tony, do you not have access to a pantograph engraving machinesomewhere near, not very PC for a hand tool woodworker but with a limited timescale may be the answer.

We often did quick wooden plaques and name plates on one.

Unfortunately not that I am aware of - seems the easy way to do it :wink:

 

[Anonymous]

Barry, that first attempt is stunning! How about small lettering? easier or harder?

Gill, you're on :wink:

 

[mailee]

I use the computer also to print out the letters and then rout them out with one of my 1/4" routers like this.

 

[Chris Knight]

Tony,
Small lettering is harder and carving 12mm stuff would be difficult until you are quite practised. I started with 2 inch high letters and still don't much care for doing stuff under an inch high. The problems develop around, particularly, short grain in letters like A.

Repeated letters, especially Os and zeros can be difficult too - getting them to look the same.

 

[beech1948]

Tony,
Just a thought about time being so pressing. Possible alternatives might be:-
1) Pyrography...burn in her name...might need some skill or a little practise
2) Use some letter punches in a template to align them and fill the letters with gold leaf/ metalic poly / etc
3) Get a Jeweller to engrave the wood with 12 mm high letters
4) geta carver to carve for you.

regards
alan

 

[engineer one]

tony, hand carving, depending on the wood, is relatively easy.

clico did a set of small carving chisels, not sure they are still around, but
you need a v shaped one to give you the uprights and horizontals, whilst one rather like a swan necked mortice chisel would be used for doing the curved work.

just like engraving on stone, only no mallet :twisted:

draw out the letters and then carve between the lines. it is relatively
easy honest

paul :wink:

 

[motownmartin]

Tony

How about using the metal letter punches, not to punch but heat them and scorch the lettering in the wood, you can either leave them scorched or clean out with a modelling knife, or use your dremmel to clean out.

Maybe an outrageous suggestion but I would try it with letters that small.

 

[keithhickson]

Tony the article is in this month's woodworker & woodturner magazine PM me if you need more details :wink: