Hello again. I’m sure this is personal preference but what is the best depth to use when using advanced v carve. I typically go 0.050. Just curious what works best for you guys. Thanks again.
For me it varies quite a bit. If I’m etching/engraving it could be as small as 0.005", or I’ll set it at 0.0001" and lower my Z to get the depth needed for a clean cut.
For inlays it could be anywhere from 0.050" - 0.200" depending on the material & amount of detail.
Signs, plaques, etc… depend on the size & detail. A large sign meant to be viewed from a greater distance might look best with a 0.250 - 0.500" depth.
Colorcore, or machining a top layer to get into a lower layer is based on the thickness of the layers.
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Usually, depth is proportional to the size and narrowest elements of the design and the stock thickness as influenced by V tool angle.
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I typically use .1" but as others said it depends. I typically am going to paint my carving with acrylic paint. So before applying paint I use dewaxed shellac (Zinsser Universal Sanding Sealer). The reason for this is it seals up the wood straws that can soak up paint and leave a halo effect around your carving. Here is an example of a recent carving. The sycamore is about 3" around for perspective.
This was an advanced vcarve with a #122 (1/32") and a 15 degree vee bit. The #122 did very little cutting. The depth was .1"
I use 6mm depth (0.23") for end grain cutting board inlays, they should be fully functional so that they can be sanded later.
Guy: I was not happy so far with my shellac usage to seal the wood “straws”, I did something wrong, don’t know. (I love shellac as a finish though, I love the feel of it.) Is there any trick?
So I do “negative” carving: shellac on the stock, then the paint, and then the carving.
I use a small acid brush to put the sanding sealer (dewaxed shellac) down inside the carving after carving and before painting. Then I over paint and just sand off the excess after the paint dries. Just make sure you dont sand until the paint has dried or saw dust will stick to the wet paint. After sanding I use my shop vac to clean up the carving. I often reapply the dewaxed shellac before applying finish. That might be shellac or oil based polyurethane. What I like about shellac it is has a yellowing effect and gives the wood a warm tone. If you dont want your wood to change color use water based sanding sealer. However water based sanding sealer and finish raise the grain. Never had the shellac raise the grain.
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