|
Post by gregory on Jul 21, 2015 13:33:08 GMT -8
Like the humming bird. thank you for the images, but what did you use to flip them?
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 21, 2015 15:06:15 GMT -8
I only use GIMP for my images, there is a flip tool and it has options of doing a horizontal flip or a vertical flip. You pick the flip tool, then go to the windows tab at the top, click on that, and choose dockable dialogs, then the tool options, you then can check either the horizontal of vertical flip. ( 1- Windows, 2-dockable dialogs, 3-tool options ) With that sequence in GIMP you can modify any of the tools that you have currently selected.
|
|
|
Post by duncan on Jul 28, 2015 21:04:33 GMT -8
On the question of Art Cam, no I have never delved into it mainly for 3 reasons, the initial cost of the program is expensive (you could easily have $ 1000-2500 invested in the software and or modules), you then need to buy additional modules to do various tasks and lastly there must be a huge learning curve if you have to pay $ 321 for teaching seminar. I am not knocking the software, it's just not practical for me to get that heavily invested in it, I have enough invested in my wood shop and will likely need to live to 105 to re-coup those bucks. As far as using stain, I tried it a couple of times and was not thrilled with the results. Being the end grain of wood soaks up more stain than other areas making them darker than the other areas. On a flat plain board that is not too much of an issue because it only appears at the ends of the boards, but on the relief carvings you are bringing up many end grain areas on lettering and designs themselves. Lines in the flat areas, yes you can get rid of some of them by changing the scan step, but at the price of more time to carve and they do not disappear completely. Most of my pieces are finished with multiple coats of clear lacquer (5+) and doing a build of coats takes care of them. Any finish you apply however, the first coat will raise the grain on you piece and it will need cleaned up before proceeding with other coats or it will just continue to show up in subsequent coats. I have been using steel wool to go over everything to get rid of the raised grain and using a magnet to pull off the steel fibers (a rare earth magnet with a piece of paper towel around it works great, you just peel it off and throw it away) then all that's left is the dust to clean off. I use lacquer mainly because it dries very fast for sanding and recoating, each coat melts down into the other giving you a super smooth finish, polys and varnishes do not do this if you have an "orange peel" finish at any time in the coating process then you will still have it when it dries. Wood, I buy all my wood from local mills and plane it myself. It's all kiln dried and rough surfaced, I usually get cherry, walnut and maple. My recent trip I purchased 1- 12" wide x 12 foot long cherry, 2- 8" wide x 8 foot long walnut and 1- 12" wide x 10 foot long maple....it all came to $ 79.00
|
|
|
Post by duncan on Jul 28, 2015 21:06:11 GMT -8
I had notice the pricing on Art Cam and I was like wow. I am in the same boat as you I need to start recouping some money out of my shop before making a software purchase. I much rather get the thickness sander I need first. I was noticing the amount of end grain and that was what was worrying me. I had even wondered if using a wood conditioner on it first would help some but that is a lot of end grain to worry about. Hopefully nobody will want one stained. lol Nice price on the wood. I usually get all my wood locally at a hardwood shop but Im thinking your pricing is better. How has your experience been with the bits you were talking about that were 3 fluted, are they holding up any better than the ones you can get through Oliver or Woodcraft?
|
|
|
Post by duncan on Jul 28, 2015 21:07:39 GMT -8
On softwood especially I will use a wood conditioner on the end grain after sanding it with 320 grit paper.
|
|
|
Post by Back Road Rustics on Jul 29, 2015 4:02:51 GMT -8
On softwood especially I will use a wood conditioner on the end grain after sanding it with 320 grit paper. Duncan, I do agree using something to seal the end grain would be ideal. If you was going to stain I would use wood conditioner to get an even stain color. In the finish shop I ran we used sanding sealer to seal before lacquer but this was in a high end finish shop and everything they used was at the high end of the spectrum. We also used our HVLPs to shade where need instead of using wood conditioner as much. Anyways in either event there will be a lot of end grain sanding involved and I wonder how constant you can keep the color with the amount of end grain you end up in these carvings. If you have an ideas in finishing processes with these signs to make our lives easier please post them.
|
|
|
Post by gregory on Jul 31, 2015 13:56:51 GMT -8
Doesn't anyone want to start with Art-cam Express at $179 and build as you learn? or am I wasting my time suggesting it?
|
|
|
Post by Back Road Rustics on Jul 31, 2015 15:23:29 GMT -8
I would try out Art-cam if someone would give me a full version for free. (and I don't mean the free trial version) lol
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2015 5:43:02 GMT -8
Doesn't anyone want to start with Art-cam Express at $179 and build as you learn? or am I wasting my time suggesting it? Are you using this on a 1015 or 1013 ? If you are using on a 1013, how are you slowing down the Y axis ?
|
|
|
Post by gregory on Aug 2, 2015 16:13:06 GMT -8
1013 Bob, and as far I know we can't slow it down, I have Artcam express and have done sign work using it, but once you helped me with GIMP I have been learning it.
|
|