CNC Epoxy Inlays 101

[@billyhooks99]

I have been a little intimidated by the process but you make it look so simple. Thanks for the inspiration.

[@Carveco]

Thanks for watching Billy. They are easy and look cool too.

[@Loveindiavg]

How can i get this software?

[@MrGuardcaptain]

Thanks for this Leighton. please please please keep making videos Carevco team. Im sure most of us subscribers are new to the software and want to be able to do this but really do need guidance. Great talk at Makers Central btw- hope to see you there again next year

[@Carveco]

Thanks so much James! More video's coming soon, just been too busy preparing for Maker Central.

[@darrellsaturnbigfoot]

Great video, thanks for all the detail information. The epoxy to seal the grain is the absolute best way to go. I carefully use compressed air to remove the excess from the carve👍

[@derekd289]

Thanks for the videos, do you have one showing your Dust Collection setup

[@meltruchon446]

I use epoxy extensively. For smaller pieces, you can seal with uv resin, which cures quickly with uv light. For larger pieces, I use a tabletop coating resin and a fine paint bursh for the details. If necessary, I use a toothpick to maintain the details (pull out resin before the working time is up). For the fill, I use the toothpick to add resin to the detail areas and to help remove bubbles from the bottom of the pour. A vacuum chamber can also help remove bubbles when it's in the pot. The heat gun/ torch generally removes the rest of the bubbles, but as others have said, the deeper pour resins that take longer to cure also have superior bubble release. For cleaning up the wood before the sealing, I use an exacto knife for the fine details. It can be used to gently scrape out dust from fine details and also trim any chips on stringy wood like oak.

[@williamben9194]

Great video Leighton!

[@difalkner]

Good job on this, Leighton! And good video, as well.

[@QuagmireLXIX]

LOL, you had me at the 1 minute mark with an Iron Maiden epoxy inlay, can't wait to get to this tut, but I have so much to do before that!

[@MNMetsFan]

I have been doing a number of different epoxy inlays and they seem to be getting better with practice. One thing that would be good to know would be the total volume of the carve to better estimate the amount of epoxy required to fill in the inlays. I would think the software could run the calculation since it knows the depth, width, and length of the inlays. Is that a possible add on for the future? Great video, I learned a few more tricks, thanks.

[@Carveco]

Most definitely James, this is one thing that I have been asking for. Fingers crossed!!

[@jacobtracey007]

Love the new video format, even that paper trick was awesome, was not understanding the z probe process at all, very visual learner and was helped greatly by this video, thank you!!

[@photodhill]

Liked your video, I also had problems with the epoxy wicking in my projects; however, I did notice that different woods had a different wicking rate. So, what I do now is I go and sand my project before I start engraving, I spend a few minutes and I go thru my progression of sandpaper, start at 80 or 120 grit depending on my wood and work my way up to 600 grit paper. doing this first makes the wood surface tighter and hinders the wicking effect, after sanding I spray a light coat of polyurethane on my project to seal the wood after applying the polyurethane I wait about an hour then I start pouring the epoxy.

[@Carveco]

Awesome tip, thank you!

[@lithgowlights859]

Having done heaps of laser engraved cutting boards in the past (My CNC should be here this week), the clear epoxy has always been the best option as it soaks into the wood really well. I prefer a longer pot life epoxy, something with a 4+hr pot life, so I can come back 4 of 5 times and ensure it has completely touched all parts of the base engrave. The only setback is the 24-48 hour set time. As I start on the CNC I may look at a short pot life and be able to do a color fill 12hrs or so later, meaning I can quicken the process by a few days Oh and air bubbles in the epoxy can be reduced in a few ways, but firstly using a vacuum chamber after mixing, thin layers, and regular torching, secondly, for very small items, consider a pressure chamber (Pressure pot), but thats usually limited to 25cm diameter

[@Chriswoodworker]

I take it by the Brummie accent you in the UK lol. What do you think of the Onefinity Machine and what was the customs charge to get it into the UK? Im ready to order one but a bit nervous of the Customs charge. Also, what do you think of the Makita Router with it? Does it do a good job, or should I order a PWN Spindle at the same time. Sorry for all the questions.

[@darrindedman2053]

Hey Leighton, where do I get a cool Hoodie like that? I don't see a store on the site. Cool video BTW

[@Carveco]

Thanks Darrin! Unfortunately for the moment it is the only one in existence. Even the guys at work ask where it came from!

[@infinitig5392]

to seal and finish the wood if its anywhere near food I use HOWARD - Protective Food-Grade Wax. Large areas can be done with a soft cloth or detail areas can be done by heating the wax and using a pain brush. The other method i use is 1 part epoxy + 1 part hardener + 1 part Acetone to thin it out as a sealer. You can infill in about 6 hrs as it will be set-up enough.

[@katsuninken4458]

My question at 18:03, why not do a flattening pass before doing v-carve? Then all your surface is flat and your depth of cut for v bit would be consistent.

[@Carveco]

Hi there, it had already had a flattening pass on the CNC. The reasoning behind setting the bit a little deeper isnt because the surface isnt flat, it is because when all the epoxy is taken off, you can take a touch more off if you need too or if you accidently do so when sanding.

[@Mexpat1]

Hi there. As for keeping the epoxy from bleeding what I do is that once the shapes are carved, I mix a small amount of CLEAR (without color) epoxy and, with a small painting brush, I brush over the carving area walls and floor. Let it dry for about 3 hours and then pour the epoxy that I want to use to fill in the carvings.

[@Carveco]

Hi Luis, that's what we done, couldn't find anything else that worked!

[@Mexpat1]

@@Carveco I've been playing around and I found that wood sealer (sanding sealer) works well. I did some carving on a piece and then I applied 2 coats of spray sealer, waiting 15 minutes after the first to apply the second (without any sanding) and then, after an hour and a half I used the epoxy, let it cure for a day and then, remove the excess of epoxy and do the sanding (or just sand everything until the excess of epoxy is removed). This also removes the sealer off of the rest of the wood which allows you to finish the piece with whatever product you want, even if it is a cutting board and you want to use the mineral oil - bee wax combo. I did this on a serving tray and the oil was absorbed by the wood without any issue.

[@Carveco]

@@Mexpat1 Great stuff! Thanks for sharing and doing some testing. Could you post a link to the sanding sealer that you used please?

[@Mexpat1]

@@Carveco The one That I used is from a local brand here in Mexico called Sayer (Sayerlack), not sure how helpful this info can be, but it is a nitrocellulose based product, which is thinner than the ones based on polyurethane and it is design to cover the pores of the wood on the surface, instead of being absorbed like the epoxy. A quick search into UK products showed what over there a similar product is often called Guitar Lacquer (though I didn't find any that is not tinted) , but there is also a brand called PlastiKote that does have the clear primer/sealer in spray.

[@Carveco]

@@Mexpat1 Great! Thank you so much :)

[@Hinkleshop]

Great piece Leighton! and here I thought you were making that for MY wife, her name is Lisa too LOL see you soon my friend, when you guys come over in March

[@oldiron1400]

For sealing I use a penetrating epoxy (wood rot repair) or for small projects I also fill with a clear epoxy recut and then fill with the color.

[@timd2809]

Could you not apply a thin coat of clear epoxy before you carve?

[@Carveco]

That is exactly what we done.

[@Dugsin503]

Thanks, can’t wait for the next video. Looks like this can been done even by a beginner!

[@Carveco]

Thanks Doug. Absolutely! It's very easy to do.

[@Loveindiavg]

How can i get this software?

[@Carveco]

@@Loveindiavg On our website here - carveco.com/purchase/

[@Loveindiavg]

@@Carveco I dont have mony for buy it

[@jond5388]

Try mixing your clear epoxy with acetone (roughly) 20:1. This will thin out the epoxy making it both flow easier and also deeper into the grain. after a few minutes the acetone evaporates leaving just the epoxy. This is a method I use to stabilize bark and spalting.

[@Carveco]

Thanks for the tip Jon!

[@jnicholas125]

Thanks for that tip! Was wondering how I could thin it, felt like it is just so viscous that it’s kind of just sitting wherever it’s put and not flowing well. Also, deeper grooves are just being filled and seemed to overflow instead of filling details. Still new to this, and this stuff isn’t cheap! So trial and error is fine, but tips like these are going to be SUPER helpful! Thanks again

[@williamben9194]

Varnish the entire piece of the desired field before v carving is what I just found on y-tube (Hinkle) I have just started doing epoxy work myself.

[@Carveco]

Yeah, thought about doing that but since the epoxy is going to get into the side walls, it would need to be done again after carving, so thought it would just be a bit of a waste of time.

[@greexc]

Hi , sealing before pouring epoxy. Whenever i do an epoxy pour i use Everdure by International Marine Paints. It is required to minimise bubbles. It has a ultra low viscosity. Been using it for years, its a great product

[@Carveco]

Thanks Paul!

[@robotsnthat]

When mixing, always pour into another container after your first mix, then mix again in the new container. This ensures a really good mix. No need for anything expensive, an old disposable coffee cup would be fine.

[@robotsnthat]

Also, pour the epoxy from as high as possible (takes a bit of practice -stand at a higher level if possible, the majority of the bubbles will be released during the pouring.

[@markyu70]

Great video! I wonder if I could do something similar.

[@williamhanna5224]

Awesome video Great work !

[@michaeldanzy456]

When sealing the balsa firewalls on my model RC airplanes, I use the 5 minute epoxy thinned with a bit of mineral spirits. Maybe that will seal your carvings without leaving too thick a layer behind.

[@Carveco]

Thanks Michael, will give it a go! :)

[@JohnnyTidmore]

Why don't you like to use the touch probe?

[@Carveco]

We dont have a touch probe Johnny.

[@maccaslasher]

Something that works well is put some hot water into a container large enough to sit your resin mixing cup in. If you mix it up while its in there it will be nice and runny by the time your ready to pour it. When its runny you dont need to put as much on for the first coat...... less resin less bubbles, work it in with a credit card or scraper in different directions then put a top coat on. lmk how this goes if you try it. works well for me.

[@SzechuanChickenDog]

Great tip!

[@JRADMAKES]

A TIP FOR THOSE BRUSHES THAT I CAME UP WITH, IS USING A WIRE WHEEL ON A BENCH GRINDER TO REMOVE THE LOOSE BRISTLES. I HAVENT WORKED WITH EPOXY YET, BUT FOR STAINING IVE NEVER HAD A BRISTLE COME OUT AFTER THE WIRE WHEEL 😀

[@teaguewhite26]

Nice project and turtuial. One gripe I have often when KZbinr's inject music into video, the music is louder than your voice. To normal human with great ears, probably not a huge issue, but for one who has to rely on hearing aids (AUGH!) The music blares when coming on, which is defining.

[@robinparkes988]

Great video. Very informative and I like your relaxed style. Gives me the confidence to have a go. Thanks. The only problem I’ve got at the moment, is that I only have Apple gear. I will need a windows computer purely to use your software. That is the only barrier to me ordering a CNC machine at the moment. Such a shame.

[@Carveco]

Thanks Robin! We do have a few customers that use Parallels on their macs to to run the software. If you email [e-mail] they would be able to give you more info if you are interested.

[@robinparkes988]

I’ve actually bitten the bullet today and ordered an Oooznest and a windows laptop. I have been following your videos for a little while. Your tutorials are so professional. Thanks for taking the time

[@Carveco]

@@robinparkes988 Not a problem, thank you for the nice words! Happy making :)

[@Theexplorographer]

Hairspray. Also, get a nylon spreader and spread your epoxy back and forth over your design or just glove up and use your hands. I get much better results from my epoxy tables when I spread the epoxy with my hands. I generally use double nitrile gloves. Sounds funny but you can actually fell the levelness of the pour and using your hands to spread the epoxy guarantees you get it into the entire inlay.

[@Carveco]

Those are some great tips - thanks for sharing!

[@kevinwillis6707]

pastewax is a good sealer i find,applied before carving, very little bleeding but it depends how porous the grain is on a particular species of wood.

[@Carveco]

Thanks Kevin, will check it out!

[@RMartin187]

great information with great results. with the price of resin, i think laser engraving is more economical if youre doing just black with fine detail. i plan on doing a blue inlay on a picture frame soon

[@Jdavid1976]

If (when) I do something like this I will seal the entire work surface with epoxy before carving. And the dyes are super strong, only a couple of drops are needed per cup.

[@gryzman]

if you got vibrating pad, leaving epoxy to dry on that - will remove all bubbles and distribute it evenly in the holes.

[@tetleyk]

Late to the party but since I user epoxy extensively I thought I'd answer your air bubbles question. After you have poured your epoxy, use a heat gun to heat the epoxy a little which make the air bubbles come to the surface and pop. Try it out with clear epoxy on a test piece to see how it works.

[@hobbyplans]

Sanding sealer works for me dries in about 10 minutes

[@DesertRox]

I wonder if a clear 3d resin that is cured with UV light would work and be faster?

[@williamben9194]

What about sanding sealer?

[@Carveco]

Sure we tried that, I cant remember there were so many attempts!

[@davejsullivan]

I would try blowing compressed air over the carvings when sealing with the clear epoxy. That might get the excess out of the carvings. I’d blow it out then dab the excess off with paper towels. Might be worth a try.

[@miker5491]

For those tiny air bubbles you can use black ca glue with a micro tip. I know starving makes brown and black glues. Only used it once or twice but worked well for me.

[@Carveco]

Thanks Mike!

[@walesara54]

Have you tried Linseed oil or woukd the epoxy not adhere to it maybe. I use boiled linseed oil as it dries faster, when i am using acrylics in the projects. Not had one bleed yet. Like you when you did this video i have not tried epoxy yet. Watch this space.

[@infinitig5392]

to avoid the problematic windows fonts... I set the type in MS Paint then import as a jpeg and convert as normal... it cleans up all those little issues that can take hours to fix

[@cuttingedgewoods]

If you’re looking for something to do with that Maiden board I can send you my address lol. Awesome video! Thanks!

[@ralphbenson9682]

If you're only filling with one color why don't you do the sealing with epoxy colored the same color?

[@bselbyful]

You may have it off for the video but make sure you are wearing a mask and gloves while working with epoxy. The fumes from it embed into your lungs and can mess them up permanently. This is VERY important especially if you work with it often.

[@Carveco]

Thanks for the tip!

[@duckworks]

Great video, but, do yourself a favor and try System3 Silvertip epoxy next time. West was good in its day, but S3 is much more modern and much better in every way. Take it from someone who has used all the brands for the past 40 years. Among other advantages, the Silvertip has a long pot life and a short curing period so you can machine the same day. Another tip: for the seal coat: add a dash of lacquer thinner or some other solvent to the epoxy mix and it will make the process so much easier.

[@Carveco]

Thanks for the tips, will have a go next time. Hopefully we can get the Silvertip here in the UK.

[@MarceloVivanco]

Good job to Lima Peru

[@conoromeara8974]

Dmn good video

[@DimDim666Dim]

21:32 Ты пёрнул и даже не переписал кадр????🤦🤦🤦

[@g.m.dalwerhossain2763]

U talking to much. ...

[@Carveco]

Thank you

[@fxsrider]

Bondo.