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Award Plaque

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Bill

Project by

Bill

General Information

This is my first project, an award plaque. I learned a lot, particularly as the very small bits are fragile and forced me to learn more about feed rates, cutting depth, etc.

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Material Description Price
End Mill Sample Pack, 1/8 in Shank

End Mill Sample Pack, 1/8 in Shank

Quantity: 5 (mix of 5 different types), Shank Diameter: 1/8 in, Cutting Diameter: Varies

$25.00

$25.00
from Inventables

1

Create basic shape

5 minutes

Cut wood to shape. In my case, it was approximately 7.25″ × 11.25″. Poplar was chosen as it was readily available, has a fairly tight grain, and took the stain in a relatively uniform pattern.

2

First stain

The entire top surface was treated with a dark stain.

3

Edges

All four edges were routed with a 1/4" rounder bit. These edges were then treated with a lighter stain in order to contrast with the surface color.

4

Finishing

60 minutes

The top surface and sides were coated with satin polyurethane and, when dry, sanded with 400 grit. This was repeated three more times until the surface was smooth and had a nice, matte finish.

5

Engraving

120 minutes

Easel was used to engrave the printing. I didn’t time it, but the process took a couple of hours as much of the work was with a small bit.

In the process of figuring this out, I broke five bits (all about 1/32"). I would strongly recommend stocking up on these bits as they are fragile and I may still not have my milling parameters right.