On October 5th my woodworking club will have its annual 2x4 contest. This year I will be making a scrollsaw and cnc project. In this month’s issue of a scrollsaw magazine I get was this pattern. I cut the 4 layer project out. The 3 back layers were cut with the scrollsaw and the front one with the wolf was cut on my Shapeoko 3 XXL with HDZ. I was going to cut the whole project on the scrollsaw but decided to cut the front panel on the Shapeoko. There were about 60 holes I would have to disconnect the scrollsaw blade, put it through and cut small cutouts and do that over and over. I used a #0 blade which is the smallest for a scrollsaw but decided that the work for the wolf would be too tedious and time consuming. So I used CC to create wolf with a #112 1/16" flat end mill and it only took about an hour.
Here are the other panels partially painted.
I will be making a frame for it to sit in with some spacers between the panels to give it more depth. I did not get the wolf painted because I did not have any brown paint. I used acrylic paint and for the trees I mixed a green and black to get a darker green. The moon was painted with pearl gold paint. I think after drying everything may get another coat of paint and maybe I will use my airbrush to give some highlights.
My project last year was a 2 sided flag cut on my Shapeoko
The year before I modeled a P51 Mustang in CC Pro and cut it out and made a stand. I cut it out and put it together and flew it around the shop.
For the last couple of years I have made the plaque we give to the winner. I have updated for 2024 but have not had time to cut it yet.
I had made this one before I made the P51 to use at a craft show to bring kids in to send letters to Santa. However they canceled our appearance at the show.
I donated the Letters to Santa mailbox to our local Christmas festival and it was a hit.
My first attempt at the Howling Wolf I planned the 2x4 and cut the rounded edges off. I glued 3 pieces together to be about 9" wide by 12" tall (project was 7" x 10"). Then after drying I resawed it in half and then again in half leaving about 3/8" panels. I planned them but the immediately began to warp. So I did the same about cutting 3 pieces of 2x4 but this time I just cut off about .5" slices and glued it together let it dry and planned it to about .2". this time no warping. I used the original 2,3 and 4 panels but the wolf panel was too warped so I made a new one. I used painters tape and super glue to hold the wolf down when I cut it on the Shapeoko. However during removal a corner broke. I just glued it together with super glue. Modern pine is not the strongest wood in the world. Modern pine is genetically engineered to grow fast. Think about that while you lay in bed tonight and look up at your ceiling that might fall in on you. 
