# cnc carving question



## hemicro (Jan 6, 2012)

I am carving some pretty simple designs that consist of letters and scrolls etc. My question is-how can the letters and designs be colored/painted to stand out nicely. I have tried the avery paint mask, but the paint bleeds into the surrounding wood of the carving. The designs are much too complex to paint by hand and in light colored wood the carvings don't stand out very well.


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## tonydude919 (Mar 24, 2010)

Before you put the ask on you have to put one or two coats of finish on before you put the mask on. Then you carve out the lettering. This is what a lot of people do to prevent bleeding.
Check out my post to get an idea. The pic speak of them selves.
View my uploads.

Tony


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## Bradleytavares (Feb 25, 2012)

The paints will bleed due to capillary action unless you seal the wood after the carve. If the carve is to intricate to paint, thats a tough one to overcome. Seal w/ stain first, if you're not a stain before clear finish guy then just use clear finish. I use one of the many "paint pens" available from art supply stores. They come with various widths and point diameters, also in enamle or latex. Krylon even offers an 18 caret gold pen that accually looks like gold leaf at a cost of onle 'bout $7.00 per pen. These pens work well for signs lettering as well as infill for decorations. Been making these things for four years and found through trial and error that this works for me, give it a shot and see how you feel 'bout the pens.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

If they are simple designs, I don't see how they could be too complex to paint by hand. I'd have to see a picture before I would agree, as I've done a carving or two that I painted by hand, and do wooden figure banks that are all hand painted, and could be called complex. So any chance of a picture or three?


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## hemicro (Jan 6, 2012)

Thanks for the info and ideas. I will give your suggestions a try. I am looking a options for single line text for signs, but haven't come up with a solution so the lettering of course is multiline and close together. They are simple, but very close together and only .030 deep. The pen option looks promising too. Have you built a special holder for the pens? I will also try the sealing method.


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## john880 (Aug 18, 2010)

All of you guys above, I Thank You also,
I have got this bug to do hand carving signs, for just a few friend & relitives. No where close to what a CNC could acomplish. NO WHERE !!!! BUT,,,if I can tap into some one like you guy's experances, eliminating some of the greef that has come my way & all of the wasted wood & time trying to overcome, just a simple Thanks is all I can offer, but a sincere one.

Tony,,,,,,,,,you do just fine on your signs, !!! Enjoyed looking at all of your creations. No less than maybe just 5 years ago I would have scoffed at working on these pieces of wood. Now for some reason, after venturing into it, I like to see the pictures of what guy's like you have done. it is I think, an art form.


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## Noob (Apr 18, 2009)

Here is what I've seen recommended many times:

1. Use a clear coat on the top surface to prevent the paint from bleeding later.
2. Carve your part.
3. Use your favorite rattle can to paint the v-carved part.
4. Take off a few thousandths off the top of your part, similar to surfacing the spoilboard. You should now have some crisp letters.
5. Clear coat your part.

A time or three others have recommended using a Stanley Surform Plane instead of using the CNC to plane the top surface after painting.


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## hemicro (Jan 6, 2012)

Thanks-I will try the clear coat method. It sounds like the most consistent etc.


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