Thread: Which hardwood vcarves cleanly - making a sign

I've had decent results in Jarrah, but any of the denser timbers should be ok. Stay away from blackwood, it's very stringy and will likely give you grief.
I've found that a fine, brass-bristled brush is fantastic for cleaning the fuzz out of the point of the V if you do get some

Have you tried Tasmanian Oak?

Run your first cut then run a second cut 0.1 to 0.2 mm deeper.

Originally Posted by clarence1

Have you tried Tasmanian Oak?

I'm not sure you're comparing apples with apples.

Tassie Oak is mostly (always?) supplied quarter sawn, most other hardwoods are plain or flat sawn.
This difference in grain orientation should have a major influence on the appearance of a V-carved sign.

Yes, I did not think of that. I guess I was looking at what Bunnings had. What other species work? What have you tried? If I can get a list together, I might consult a saw mill.

Mike

'Bunnings...' That's a rude word! I'm not sure I'd class much of what they carry as 'real' wood, in the old quality sense!

The nicest hardwood I've cnc-routed was Crow's Ash. (It's not a eucalypt- it's a flindersia, I think). Greasy, and holds very fine detail well.
Spotted gum is great too, if you can get some nice hard dense seasoned stuff- not the yukky CCA-treated green junk.

Jacarandah is lovely too, for delicate detail.

However, as mentioned the cutting path will make a difference, too, as will the quality of the endmill/cutter.

You really need seasoned timber...

I've had ebay cheap cutters from China, and expensive Onsrud cutters - Onsrud leaves ebay behind in the dust for quality of cut.
You get what you pay for,

A hatch fill is going to give a climbing cut, followed by a running cut every second time, as it goes back and forth - that contrast can give fuzzy edges.
An island fill path strategy will always have the cutting the same - but not always with the grain. you need to balance needs versus the importance of tool-path remnant traces.

They all cut cleanly. Learn the wood for their characteristic qualities and select your stock.
Got any talent to keep your cutters sharp? Can't blame the wood for crap cutters.
Softer woods need higher speeds. Or so my years of wood carving seem to show me.
RotoZip at 30k is really sharp in western red cedar/Thuja plicata.