How To: Create A Customized 3D Carved Chopping Board

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

MatterHackers is positioned in California, and as a surfer, I’ve an incredible quantity of California pleasure, so for this venture, I’m going to create a California inlay on a 12-inch walnut slicing board. Right here is how i make the slicing 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 exhausting maple, each for power and colour distinction. Additionally to finish this venture 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 quite a lot of choices for wooden on the market – decide one you want! 

Step 2 – Create the Chopping Board Design

I cheated – the Carvey’s program, Easel, created by Inventables has just a few ‘inventory’ slicing 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 venture in Easel’ you are able to go.

Step 3 – Design the Inlay

I most likely sound like a damaged document, however that is tremendous straightforward additionally. Easel lets you 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 Arduous Maple that’s 0.125” thick, so I made the inlay on the slicing board that deep. The outside of the slicing board goes via my whole 0.75” walnut wooden clean.

Step 4 – Format the Workpieces

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

You’ll want to set:

• Materials Dimensions
  • Walnut slicing board base: 0.75″ x 6″ x 12″
  • Arduous Maple inlay: 0.125″ x 6″ x 8″
• Depth of minimize for every characteristic 
  • Exterior: 0.75 inches (full thickness of slicing 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 Chopping 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 laptop (should be related to speak with Easel) – hit the massive inexperienced button and sit. When the 3D Carving for the slicing board is completed, unload the walnut and throw within the exhausting Maple. Clamp, begin, and repeat.

Cleansing up after slicing on the Carvey

Step 6 – Assemble Your Chopping 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 effectively. Clear the within of the pocket and use just a few dabs of wooden glue to bond the inlay into the pocket. If there are any gaps, use a mix of wooden glue and among the leftover sanding mud to fill them.

Gluing and setting the inlay into the board. 

Step 7 – Sanding the Customized Chopping Board

You’ll need to be sure to sand the highest flush (the inlay with the slicing board base high floor) and customarily 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 among the ultimate touches I did by hand. 

Sanding the perimeters of the slicing board

Step 8: Coat the Chopping Board with Mineral Oil

Use Mineral Oil (it’s meals protected and doesn’t spoil, so is ideal for slicing 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 slicing board in mineral oil

Step 9 – Take pleasure in Your New Customized Chopping Board

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

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