# Question about Lettering?



## WoodHaven (May 10, 2010)

:help:

Hi All: I am a new member here so pardon me if this has been asked & answered already as I did not do a search. Anyway, I am in the process of making a jewelry box & need to inscribe a letter on the top of this box. The wood is a combination of Sapele & Tiger Maple which will be finished naturally when I am done in order to show the beauty of the wood. The letter that I want to do is an "R" located in the ceter & about 3" by 2" overall. I would like it to be in the Old English design & not something boxy like a sign letter, if you know what I mean? I have not done any hand carving at all, so that's out. I want it to look very nice & like it belongs there rather than looking like a hatchet job.

Question: Other than having this done with a laser, is there any other way such as using a router template with a really small bit to do the carving? Are there very small design templates that one can purchase to do a job like this? 

Any help & suggestions will be much appreciated!

Thanks,

Steve


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## CanuckGal (Nov 26, 2008)

You can use a dremel tool and some small bits like the ones here. Usually the v tipped bits are good for lettering. Dremel also makes a plunge base you can attach your dremel tool to, but some people are able to do it free hand. I would practice on some scrap first.


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## WoodHaven (May 10, 2010)

Thanks CG for the info. I looked at one of the reviews on Amazon by one poster who did not like those bits at all. He said that they were cheap & didn't even work on Basswood. Anyway, I'm not sure how those V bits would work on the wood as far as depth of cut & what that would look like. I guess that I would just have to try it out. I'm thinking that it would look something like a laser burn. Not sure if that's the look that I want? I'll keep searching around.

If anyone else has any comment I'd like to hear it......Thanks,

Steve


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## CanuckGal (Nov 26, 2008)

MLCS also sells some 1/8" shank bits. Maybe a little better quality? I just pulled up that ad as an example. I believe Dremel sells their own brand of 1/8" bits as well. If you wanted a flat bottomed cut you could use a straight cutter or a spiral bit.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Steve

Check out the like below, you can see many more of Harry's uploads, he will show you how to do it with the router.

Router Forums - View Single Post - hello there from South West of England


I will say I like using the scroll saw for that job.

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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

bobj3 said:


> Hi Steve
> 
> Check out the like below, you can see many more of Harry's uploads, he will show you how to do it with the router.
> 
> ...


Thanks for posting that link Bob, as you know, I seldom answer posts from members who decide to remain anonymous on this, the friendliest forum on the www, however, because you have made a start, here are all the shots from that little project.


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## WoodHaven (May 10, 2010)

Thanks for all of the input! I will play with the Router & Dremel & see how that works out. I like the idea of the scroll technique but really don't want a raised letter on the top of the box as that will limit usability IMO. Anyway, hopefully I will get it all figured out soon.

Steve


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Steve

" scroll technique "

It's like doing a inlay type work..  the pattern is put on the top and a insert part is stuck to the bottom part of the box lid,,once it's cut out you just drop in the bottom part of the cut out and it will always fit just right, if all you have bigger blades for scroll saw just set the angle over by 3 to 5 deg, so it fills the gap from the saw blade cut..just like a inlay part. 


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WoodHaven said:


> Thanks for all of the input! I will play with the Router & Dremel & see how that works out. I like the idea of the scroll technique but really don't want a raised letter on the top of the box as that will limit usability IMO. Anyway, hopefully I will get it all figured out soon.
> 
> Steve


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## WoodHaven (May 10, 2010)

Hi Bob: The problem is that I don't want to cut into the top & am just looking for a way of simply inscribing the letter as easily as possible. The easiest way is probably just having the letter lasered into the top but I'm not sure that I will like that look. I will continue searching around. Thanks,

Steve


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## vincek (Sep 15, 2013)

I have done letter carving and you can do this with a chip carving knife or a Stanley knife .
Try looking on YouTube because there is the really good chip carver, cutting out letters out with his chip carving knife .
Just search letter carving and you can Google the letter you want if you need a pattern


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## WoodHaven (May 10, 2010)

Thanks for the suggestion & I will do just that. It may come in handy for other projects! 

Steve


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## L Town Graphics (May 24, 2012)

WoodHaven said:


> :help:
> 
> Hi All: I am a new member here so pardon me if this has been asked & answered already as I did not do a search. Anyway, I am in the process of making a jewelry box & need to inscribe a letter on the top of this box. The wood is a combination of Sapele & Tiger Maple which will be finished naturally when I am done in order to show the beauty of the wood. The letter that I want to do is an "R" located in the ceter & about 3" by 2" overall. I would like it to be in the Old English design & not something boxy like a sign letter, if you know what I mean? I have not done any hand carving at all, so that's out. I want it to look very nice & like it belongs there rather than looking like a hatchet job.
> 
> ...


Im not very good with carving but what your asking to be done can be done with a router for sure or an inlay to give it a different style and look. I suppose another option would be to burn it in or to use a smaller tool like an dremel or a hand held engraving tool


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