Sign Making 101- Tips for Wood Signs: Material, Finish, and Bit Selection
Sign Making 101- Tips for Wood Signs: Material, Finish, and Bit Selection
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Introduction to Sign Making with a CNC. Complete tutorial and how to includes different types of woods and materials to use, painting and finishing options, bit selection, toolpaths, and more. I include a brief look at the Vectric VCarve Pro Software to design the signs, as well as the UCCNC software to run the machine. If you’re on the fence and think a CNC is too intimidating, watch and see how simple, efficient, and accurate it can be.
This video was made possible by i2R (Imagination to Reality) CNC’s. To take a closer look at my machine, the B.24, as well as their other machines and products, check out their website at https://www.i2rcnc.com
#i2rcnc #cncwoodworking #cnc
—⏱Timestamps⏱—
00:00 Intro to Sign Making
01:35 Wood and Material Selection
03:54 Using MDF
06:08 Using Melamine
06:54 Batching Tips
08:00 Using Plywood & Paint
09:02 Tips for Oramask
10:43 Using Oramask- Carving & Paint
11:25 Bit Selection
17:04 VCarve Tips
18:30 Using Hardwoods & Solid Woods
22:18 Framing Options
23:35 Sign Design with Vectric VCarve Software
30:34 Using UCCNC Software
32:01 Using Stained Wood & Full VCarve
32:34 i2R CNC
33:43 Final Tips
—📸Instagram🎥—
https://www.instagram.com/6_8woodworks
—💲Armor Tool Discount💲—
Use promo code 2IOVMXAQ9W at https://www.armor-tool.com to save 10% on your order! Mobile workstations, clamps, pocket hole jigs, and more! (This is the mobile workbench I rolled outside and clamps I used to hold the pieces down)
—🔨Tools/Supplies I Use🔨—
Full List: https://www.amazon.com/shop/6_8woodworks
—As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.—
CNC Tool & Accessories List: https://a.co/dELwjrF
Oramask 25 ft: https://amzn.to/3MDT8o7
Oramask 50ft: https://amzn.to/39IqdRn
Masking Removal Tool: https://amzn.to/3MAXOey
Double-sided tape: https://amzn.to/3LxUvDm
Starter CNC Bit Set: https://amzn.to/38JkN8l
1/16″ Downcut Bit: https://amzn.to/3NuJ2pQ
60 Degree VBit: https://amzn.to/3MxDnzd
1/16″ Ball Nose Bit: https://amzn.to/3MAdwqg
1/4″ Downcut Bit: https://amzn.to/3wwHQfH
Starbond CA Glue Kit: https://amzn.to/3l9fS4p
Sander: https://amzn.to/3ltO9ud
Table Saw: https://amzn.to/3sw2A2G
Incra Miter Gauge: https://amzn.to/3eKj2bi
Incra Miter Sled: https://amzn.to/3bmEtNl
Planer: https://amzn.to/3sutCaF
Wood Glue: https://amzn.to/3tYoxb8
Compression Bits from Bits & Bits
1/8″ Compression Bit:https://bitsbits.com/product/425-cm125lr/
1/4″ Compression Bit: https://bitsbits.com/product/425-cm250-sf/
For more about woods I use, where to buy the wood, and other tips and info, check out my Wood 101 video: https://youtu.be/T0a3mpnX5CM
—💻Website💻—
https://www.sixeightwoodworks.com
thank you for all the information
0:45 "For those of you that don’t have one yet, WTF is wrong with you?" 😀
Nice low VOC can of KILZ LOL
Could you use the vcarve with a 1/16 DC as a clearance tool
cool to watch you work! THX!
Hello great videos learned a lot I am just getting started with cnc ,the question I have is how deep are you cutting. Thanks again.
I want to start making a few items and make it a little business, but this all seems overwhelming….. from learning how to use the software, positioning the wood in its proper spot and operating the machine.
Best video ever. Helped me out so much!
Love the video clear & interesting . Thanks for sharing your knowledge hope to see more videos in the future 😊
I sure like your videos. Also, having messed up my wrists but still interested in woodworking I can see the possibility of using CNC adaptions to get back into the craft/art again. I’ll be watching thank you for getting my blood flowing a bit more than usual.
.050 = fifty thousanths of an inch. Or, "fifty thou."
Excellent bro
come to kenya
Carbide create has a nice advanced v carve where you can enable a separate bit along with your v bit to cut out those larger areas all in one go
Great tutorial for a total noob like me, thanks.
So many good tips across this video, I have just got a shapeoko 4 xxl and looking to make some signs so this was very helpful, thanks for sharing
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and walking through the whole process. This was very helpful.
One you tuber I watched used water based wood filler thinned and spread evenly on the surface to mask instead of oramask. Just sand off the wood filler after the carve and paint.
What’s the “little tool” you use to remove masking. I use an exacting knife but works so so
I can count on 2 hands how many videos past roughly the 12-13 minute mark I have ever watched in all my years on the internet. This just jumped up there to probably one of my top 5 favorites. Thank you for all the information you’ve put in here. I took notes, rewound, more notes, rewound and will probably watch again. This is great information and you have earned a new subscriber. Thanks for this!! Now excuse me….I’m off to see what other pieces of information treasure I can gather from you!
I’m trying to cut letters out of 1/4” birch to use. Any idea the best bit. Some tighter areas. I’ve tried 1/16” endmill and it ends up messing up the letters even with tabs used
Thanks for showcasing the melamine…
Hi There, where did you get your file for your washington state
What grit sandpaper are you using at around the 20:00 mark?
It’s me again. Re-watching your video for, I think, the 3rd time because it’s very helpful. I have a question for you:
Oramask application. Do you have a trick for applying that? Seems when I use it, it’s so curled up, I end up getting dustdebris under it. Not a lot but enough to bug the he|| out of me. lol I’m half tempted to cut out a series of 10×12 sheets (for a 9×11 cut) and laying them out flat and putting weight on them. I’ll have to try it on one sheet to see if that works.
Thanks again!!
MDF: Use a wood sealer before painting and it won’t take much to paint it.
What is your feed and speed for those projects?
HACE VER ESTE TIPO DE TRABAJO TAN SENCILLO…You make this kind of job look so simple…. Amazing, Congrats.
How do you see your design overlay on the wood? I use lasers mostly and they have a camera that let’s me see my design over my medium
With MDF I have used zinsser shellac based primer. For those who don’t know Shellac is a wood finisher/primmer that uses alcohol as it’s solvent. This makes the shellac very thin and quick drying. So with the MDF porous nature this product doesn’t soak in too far before drying. It’s also great for blocking smoke and water stains before painting over.
Use a 15° engrave bit for super sharp corners as a perimeter route, although a more common 25° bit works well too.
Like your channel. Started using an XCarve about 6 months ago. What lettering style is on the Collective Efficiency sign?
What do you like bout UCCNC instead of using the CAM section of V-Carve? I love the IR2, I have the 24 x 48 Axiom.
I really appreciate the videos you put out. You have a very clear and concise delivery of information. I also appreciate how you have sectioned off your videos with the bookmarks so it’s easy to navigate if you’re looking for something specific. I have recently bought a CNC and am going through the trials and tribulations of how to adequately finish jobs, so i came here for some insights! Thanks again, keep up the great work!
In the section you were talking about the v bit leaving a ton of lines, could you do something like a bulk material removal with a 1/4 inch down cut, then bit change to do the finer details?
Really great educational videos. Thank you so much for taking the time out to share your knowledge.
Good video, but HDR blows them out so much info is lost.
What CNC machine do you use or recommend?
Go Hawks!!
I am working on a design where I would need a multiple square checker pattern painted in 2 different colors. Do you have any idea on how to go about getting this done??
Just wondering why you put the Susuki Motorcycle emblem in your Seattle signs.
I noticed that you set up your design in the center of your workpiece and zeroed XY from there and used the probe for Z.
Is there any reason you don’t use the probe on one of the corners and set your XY Z that way?
I’m new to this and so far I have been zeroing from the center and used the probe for Z..
But I finally figure out how to use it, zeroing from the lower left corner, and it just seems a little easier to me.
Can you please explain what’s really the difference?
Thank you so much.
Por favor, fale mais devagar,
É difícil acompanhar com a tradução automática .
Obrigado
Nice work, inspiring!
Aspire is like $3K US. It seems to be excellent software. VCarve/Pro is what, $700? I currently use grbl candle and gimp/inkscape. There’s not much you can’t do with those. In fact, there is much more that can be done with them than I have yet learned. Aspire does have a grbl post processor. It’s an add on one must find and install.
I’m guessing your setup was in the $10K range? For anyone wanting to make a business venture, it might be recommended to have a well thought out and researched plan to do that. I see a lot of people at craft fairs these days hawking the same product designs because they are not actually artists or designers. Spend enough time online and you will quickly see how many people buy these machines and snag the same designs to call their own.
Anyway, nice video and kudos for sharing your knowledge.
Thank you for your informative video. Will this machine (or others) work on something this 3.5 inches thick?
Hi there. I loved this video, it was super informative.
I’m a newbie at all of this and I am still trying to learn VCarve Pro, so I was wondering if I could make a request? Can you please do more instructional videos so we can learn the software better?
Your video is very clear and concise and I think you would be great at teaching us so much more.
So, would it be possible for you to make tutorial videos? PLEASE.
Thanks so much.
Do the roughing with a down cut, then run a border with the v bit. You do a tool change & you get the best of both worlds.
MDF? That is surprising to me. I manage a sign/wide-format department and almost never use MDF(only upon client insistence). It is always MDO(when I have my way) because it is much more durable and looks great.
$30 bit? All the bits for my CNC cost $35-$80. Well, except for the 0.6mm bits. Those are petty cheap.
No need to use latex paint