Thank you @Griff!
I have done a few smaller tables:
But something that big was a nightmare just to flip and move around the shop! (or move myself/other projects around) 
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Hey Scott,
First off I want to tell you how amazing your work is and how much of an inspiration this thread has been, so much so I joined the site in hopes I could ask you a few questions.
I am a hobby woodworker that “was” thinking about getting a CNC and doing some research when I came across this thread a few days ago.
A few days later and I am waiting for my new Shapeoko XXL pro to ship… (they owe you a commission) LOL
I want my first project to be a waterway sign (Like yours) of the state I live in and was hoping I could ask you a few questions as I have absolutely no idea of what I am doing. I have gone to the site you recommended and downloaded an image of my states waterways and kindly asked my wife to remove all the words using Inkscape (a program she is uses with her Cricut machine) Hopefully I am able to find some good YouTube videos to help me start to learn Carbide create and am able to make a useable file lol
I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind answering a few questions that your pictures have given me?
My biggest question is about the frames I see on some of your signs and how you made them and what material you used?
I also was wondering what material you think makes the best signs? As I see you use Black walnut on some and dark stained stained poplar on others.
You seem to have come a LONG way in a short time with your CNC and I would love to come 1/100th as far in my first year. Was there a YouTube channel or two you followed and if so would you mind sharing?
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That Green Egg table needs those 4x4 legs. My neighbor has the full size and mini Egg the big one is a few hundred pounds and the mini is around 75 lbs. When he sets the mini on his truck tailgate it squats a tiny bit. I bet setting the big one into that table was interesting. Did you use a hoist or brute force to set it in? Did you take the top off to make it lighter?
@NEWBIEonDUTY Welcome to one of the best communities on the internet! And thank you for the kind words! It is flattering to know my work inspired someone to take the plunge.
Excellent choice!! You are about to have a lot of fun with a highly capable machine. Your woodworking skills will transfer over to the “cnc side of things” rather quickly. All the basics of layout and what I call “stock awareness” aka your familiarity with creating things out of wood will help you tremendously. The more time you spend setting up the machine perfectly square and dialing in things such as tram and belt tension/step compensation the better, it pays off in the long run. Keep your machine as clean as possible and stay up on basic maintenance.
I make my frames from sticks of pine (for painted frames) and poplar (for stained frames) 1"x2" and 1"x3". I cut them down to rough length and use my Shapeoko to cut the rabbet (could just as easily be done on a router table), then mitered on the saw and glued/pin nailed together at the corners.
Ultimately it comes down to what suits the project (interior vs exterior, stained vs painted, etc) and what you are comfortable with. I prefer poplar because it is widely available, inexpensive, and it machines and takes stain and finishes wonderfully. I have used it on a lot of trim/cabinetry projects in the past so I am very comfortable with it. I also love maple and pecan, but I think you will find just about any hardwood milling will put a smile on your face once you get your feeds and speeds dialed in. I tend not to use pine for signs as it mills rather unreliably and is prone to fuzzy/stringy cuts and chip out. If it is being fully painted I like to use Forescolor MDF (aka Valchromat) as it is much much easier on cutters and finishes better than regular big box store MDF. Expanded PVC, cast acrylic, and HDPE are a lot of fun to chew through and you can’t go wrong using these for almost any type of basic signage. Choosing the “best wood” for the project is only half the battle. The other half, where I think a lot of people get frustrated on, is finishing. Any knowledge you have of coatings and finishes (and sanding) from your woodworking will help. And again, go with whatever the project calls for and you are most comfortable with. If you have a specific project in mind, shoot me a message and I will be happy to help you narrow down your choices. I will go ahead and say I don’t have a lot of experience milling exotic hardwoods and zero experience with metal. Take a look at @Vince.Fab and @CNCInspiration if you wanna see some mind-blowing work in metal. I particularly love Max’s use of metal and wood together.
More than specific youtube channels (I will get back to them in a second) I dove into the guides and tutorials on C3D’s website (the setup guide for the machine and the tutorials/fundamentals)
and consumed as much info from this forum as I possibly could. I can’t tell you how many troubleshooting threads (solved by @WillAdams and others) I must have read before my machine ever hit my doorstep, but a ton would be an understatement. Being able to quickly reference a thread I remembered reading a month prior (or bookmarked) helped me get through a lot of the “growing pains” pretty quickly.
Also, the tutorials and how-to sections of this forum are a gold mine of knowledge worth reading.
Instrumental to my learning was the development of our community manager @Julien 's e-book:
Shapeoko CNC A to Z
Consider it the bible of the Church of Chips. (All hail the mighty chip load!)
This post is also an excellent summation to look through:
https://community.carbide3d.com/t/a-selection-of-forum-threads/25253
In terms of youtube:
Carbide3d’s channel
The Carbide crash course is great if you are completely unfamiliar with the software.
if I remember more I will add them to this post later, I know I am forgetting a lot.
@Able Just two dumb monkeys (myself and a friend) and a whole lot of patience. We did take the top off prior to lifting. That particular one was made from cedar and I am proud to say, other than the lower “decking” boards, no fasteners were used. It is just a bunch of glued mortise and tenon joints. According to the customer it is still standing strong after years outside (under a porch roof).
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Scott,
Thank you very much for that amazing response. I find it incredible that total strangers take time out of their day to write such detailed responses, this site is wonderful and you sir are an incredibly kind person! I thank you again!
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Baby is asleep, so I thought I would give this thread a little update before he wakes up (since it has been a while 
). I haven’t been up to a whole lot as my shop time has been short and hard to come by. I have been seeing a lot of great stuff posted as of late and it is awesome to see what you guys are making!
Here are some of the things I have made over the last little while:
As always, I am happy to answer any questions you may have. Keep on chippin’ ma dudes.
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Is that a font “blue tape gang” or your design
There are a lot of multi-line font designs, one of the first was Philip Kelly’s “Pump Triline”:
which if memory serves had a Quadline variant as well as a solid option which would allow layered effects — used it on the cover of a book on medical abbreviations ages ago.
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Just a font called Monoton.
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So what is it made of? Wood, Plywood, vinyl, pvc? Looks good.
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It was made from a piece of black Forescolor MDF (a.k.a. Valchromat) sprayed with a metallic gold paint. I used CC’s advanced vcarve tool path (1/8" downcut end mill and a 45 degree vbit) to make the cut.
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Nah, it’s not possible. No MDF in the world can look this good 
(or at least I’m not willing to admit it)
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Thanks for the detailed description of your process. I appreciate you sharing. I am excited to try it myself! Thanks 
Tom
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Is the colored MDF available locally for you or do you have to order it and if so where do you get it. No one in my area of SW Wyoming has it.
I pick it up in full sheets from a place in North Carolina, but you might be able to order some from Trinity Innovations. They are located in California so shipping might be a little easier on your wallet.
Thanks for the info. I will order some from them. NOT cheap. I have to make 10 of these with the border for the American Legion. What do you think of using mineral oil on them? I really don’t want to poly.
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It’s oak by the way if that makes a difference
I like Watco Danish natural Oil and Teak Oil. It lasts quite a while. Mineral oil soaks in and is gone in no time. The Watco dries relatively fast so you can get a couple of coats on in one day. The Watco comes in 3 colors but I like natural and it gives a good look to wood.
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