Comparing Oramask 813 with DOLLAR TREE VINYL -- Which One is Better for CNC Carving & Sign Painting?

One test isn't enough to do adequate testing between these two vinyl options but the winner of Round 1 was clear: Oramask 813 did it better. During the CNC carve I was surprised at how clean the Dollar Tree vinyl looked -- I think we need to do more testing to truly confirm. But if what you're after is saving your pennies, Dollar Tree vinyl may do the trick with some additional sanding to take care of the little bit of bleeding you may have under your stencil.
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[@tomcoster191]

Great video, Christy! I had a feeling the Oramask was going to prevail, though the Dollar Tree one is a good cheap alternative if you plan on carving deeper and sanding. I'm of the mindset that "whatever makes my job easier"...so for me, the Oramask will be my product of choice! Thanks for testing it out for us! Great video!

[@OakHillMillworks]

Thanks, Tom! I intend to use it again and see if it does any better the next time around. But I really didn’t like the sticky residue it left behind regardless.

[@ShoHashi]

Good informative video! I'm wondering if you would have had better results with the Dollar Tree vinyl by putting a coat of polycrylic on the wood itself before applying the vinyl, then also putting a coat of polycrylic after carving like you did before painting. Dollar twenty five!

[@OakHillMillworks]

That’s not a bad idea to test out!! I wondered the same thing because I usually stain first and then do vinyl and then clear coat.

[@glenng3605]

I was also thought to seal before the Oramask. I would be curious to see the result. I think it would help with the bleeding and also the residue.

[@brokenleadwoodworks]

I use Oramask all the time. Never knew to use poly to seal the grain. Thanks for sharing.

[@OakHillMillworks]

Happy to share what I learn! It’s a good hack for cleaner lines for sure.

[@GyWO10]

$1.25; Great video & love how you shared your mistake. You could have easily re-done another test piece but you kept it real!💯👊🏽

[@OakHillMillworks]

I honestly thought about it so viewers weren’t confused but I’m just a girl making videos in her garage so…. Ya get what ya get and ya don’t throw a fit! 😂😂🙏🏼

[@GyWO10]

@@OakHillMillworks I for one appreciate the honesty because it helps me not feel like a big dodo bird when I make mistakes constantly! 😂

[@jeremygreer87]

Nice video....I dig that you put the vinyl and tape all on the same board for comparison purposes. Just got my machine assembled yesterday and the O 813 arrived today so I'll surface my spoil board and run some tests too! $1.25.

[@OakHillMillworks]

Yeah I really wanted to show it all side by side - if only I had put the vinyls in the right spot 😂😂 #goodintentions lol - thanks Jeremy. I’m excited for you!!

[@BruceAUlrich]

The Dollar Tree stuff was so close! Good comparison.

[@OakHillMillworks]

Not bad for the insane price differenceN

[@rbwoodwork1890]

I’ve had really good luck with shelf liners from Walmart. The main thing is to burnish the film really well before carving.

[@OakHillMillworks]

Oh nice! Thanks for sharing!

[@mikedurkee7296]

$1.25! another option is 3 or 4 coats of shellac, let thoroughly dry, carve, then acrylic paint, and wipe with a damp cloth... more work in the end but much cheaper (for a hobbyist its an option)

[@OakHillMillworks]

Vinyl can add up that’s for sure. Shellac is kinda pricey though too. At least in a can I thought I remembered it being more expensive.

[@paulsmessyworkshop]

Of course I stuck around..$1.25!!! Great comparison thanks for the information.

[@OakHillMillworks]

Thank you, Paul!!

[@jeffreydavis9059]

Nice tip thanks

[@OakHillMillworks]

Glad it helped!

[@vicstewart4849]

1.25. Walmart also has an inexpensive vinyl that I’ve successfully used.

[@OakHillMillworks]

Oh yeah? I guess they do have a pretty good craft section. I would be curious to see the price comparison. I know Michael’s has some too.

[@design8studio]

Thanks for the great video. Good job.

[@OakHillMillworks]

Thanks for watching!

[@richardbaynes3862]

Christy, should have sealed the entire piece of wood prior to masking and then carved areas again before painting.

[@melissahoffman9829]

$1.25 Ever hopeful for the less expensive but realistic that you get what you pay for😉. Great info thanks!,

[@OakHillMillworks]

It’s usually true! Buy once, cry once.

[@flanikent]

thank you for the video!

[@ronnorris1504]

$1.25... Thanks for the comparison video but yes i'll stay with the oramask 813. Never had a problem using it

[@OakHillMillworks]

Me too! I’m curious to test more settings to see if there’s a sweet spot for the thinner dollar tree alternative but I personally don’t mind spending the money on the Oramask. I buy the big roll and save that way.

[@lingeriedeparis7274]

I really appreciate that you said that you are results might vary because there are so many different things involved, most videos do not give a warning

[@johnjennings8659]

Great video like always

[@OakHillMillworks]

Thank you, John!

[@karlkeach5564]

$1.25, great video! Thank you for the tips. I was also hoping for the dollar tree just as an opportunity to save a few 💵. But you are absolutely right, time is money. Have fun on your TV show adventure.

[@OakHillMillworks]

Thank you so much, Karl. I bought a huge roll of Oramask 2 years ago and still haven’t used all of it! That really makes it cheaper.

[@higherstandardspc]

Like the video / entertaining & informative I leaned somethings thank you $1.25 "we call it the Dollar 25 Tree as well".

[@OakHillMillworks]

Thank you for watching!! That means so much. Man I was so caught off guard when I went to check out recently and the total was more than anticipated. Seemed like everyone in line but me knew that they raised their prices! No fun.

[@emacmillen]

Great info!

[@OakHillMillworks]

Thanks for checking it out!

[@tomrosga4093]

I shellac first, buff it smooth, carve, then paint. Painting on white, soft wood will bleed easily. Carvers who rout deeply, then smooth away the surface, May find dry pigments smear on the background, unless sealed properly. Amana is pronounced A-man-a. It is very well known in Iowa for woodworking!

[@OakHillMillworks]

Thanks for adding to the discussion! I have been mispronouncing Amana for a long time now! 🤣 - I like to stain, mask, carve, seal, then paint. I have another video about that too.

[@Grace11523]

blue

[@Grampiswoodshop]

I wonder if the Dollar (25) tree would have bled if you sprayed it. And, perhaps it may not have bubbled if the wood was painted or clear coated. 🤔 I have some good vinyl, but maybe I'll try it.

[@OakHillMillworks]

Since this video I have learned from some others that they won’t even use any form of stencil, they will simply shellac their piece before carving, and then paint the carved letters and simply wipe or sand excess off.

[@acerjuglans383]

I don't recommend using the dust boot on your cnc, because the bristles are pushing and pulling the Oramask edges as they're being carved.

[@OakHillMillworks]

Thanks for the input. I did have a little lifting up of the oramask on that bar sign.

[@hectorflores6666]

Do you think that sealing the surface before applying the vinyl would eliminate the bleeding in the cheaper vinyl?

[@OakHillMillworks]

Maybe! Not sure if the vinyl would seal as well then. Definitely can seal over the vinyl. A lot of people just seal and then carve, paint, and sand off the excess.

[@grahambell9293]

$1.25 I was just talking to my brother on Tuesday about cheap vinyl virus oramask… was not sure if I could get it in Canada but now I’m not even going to look for it Thank you for the video Cal-Bell Creations

[@OakHillMillworks]

Thanks for watching! Oramask really is pretty tried and true. It’s a heavier weight vinyl - you can tell it’s thicker when you apply it and I think that’s a factor for why it works so well.

[@gataloco101]

Dollar twenty five 💪🏼👊🏼

[@OakHillMillworks]

I’m loving your participation in these videos’ comments sections!! You rock!

[@gataloco101]

@@OakHillMillworks thank you for sharing. I’m waiting on my journeyman to come in and I’m soaking up all knowledge nuggets.

[@gbjones54]

First! You knew I’d watch.

[@OakHillMillworks]

❤️ You are often first to comment!

[@gbjones54]

I thought it would be the oramask. Ive seen it work before it’s pretty amazing

[@michaelthornburg8791]

Dollar Twenty five. Nicely done. My cheap mask is from Amazon and is similarly blue. But have not used it yet. I’ve seen some makers poly the wood before carving would that help with the hairline bleeds or is it just the opened grain of the cut that needs to be sealed.

[@OakHillMillworks]

Hey Mike - that’s a fair question and I would assume that would help too. I debated staining the wood first to have that same effect of a “pre-seal” but ultimately decided I want to have more visibility if something does bleed. There’s only one way to find out!

[@gbjones54]

Oramask

[@OakHillMillworks]

🤞🏼

[@deantokarsky5176]

Newbie, still waiting on my Onefi ity Journeyman X50 to arrive, but trying to learn as much as I can while I wait. I was told I had to use a downcut bit with vinyl or the vinyl would lift up. Is the v bit a downcut bit? Sure seemed to work great.

[@OakHillMillworks]

Hey Dean! Exciting to hear about your Journeyman coming. V bit is more like Switzerland if that makes sense. Neither up nor down. When people say must be a down cut bit for use with vinyl, they more so mean to say don’t use an up cut. You are right that up cut would peel it up. I have had good experience with the 60° v bit on vinyl. Good luck on your journey!

[@grahammacneill2298]

$1.25 I’m thinking I’ll try sealing the wood carving resealing then painting using the dollar tree tape

[@OakHillMillworks]

I think it could work!!

[@evelynneil-rl7nj]

1.25

[@flanikent]

dollar tree!

[@8thsinner]

How long did you spend trying to balance that bit, lol.

[@OakHillMillworks]

Haha! Oh you must not own one of these suckers! Literally drop it from 6” above the wood and this is what happens. It’s super sharp.

[@8thsinner]

@@OakHillMillworks No I don't yet, still working on getting one though, shapeoko though not onefinity but it looked like there was very little holding it in place.

[@OakHillMillworks]

@@8thsinner I would rather have a 60° without the removable insert but it is what it is. But yeah they just land like that when you drop them. I first discovered it when I loosened it from the router collet and it dropped down into my Wasteboard just like this!! Haha pretty cooo.

[@8thsinner]

@@OakHillMillworks Yeah, I've heard stories about bits shattering that way too. At least yours had a soft landing

[@OakHillMillworks]

@@8thsinner 😦 really?! That’s wild. Ironically, the same version of this bit did shatter on me once before. Whole KZbin video dedicated to it too lol.

[@BillyBob-si2db]

You should have sealed the whole board before masking.

[@OakHillMillworks]

I would have if this was an actual product going to a client. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aJeQppR-jMl-d9k

[@toddsinger1310]

$1.25!

[@OakHillMillworks]

Thanks, Todd!!

[@toddsinger1310]

@@OakHillMillworks Anytime, great video! I always wondered how these dollar store (now $1.25 haha) vinyl sheets would do.

[@OakHillMillworks]

@@toddsinger1310 ya know they may be just right for other types of signs or using with a cricut. I wouldn’t rule it out personally but wanted to share what I found anyway.

[@terryhealy7826]

I guess it’s true - you get what you pay for. Mostly.

[@OakHillMillworks]

Usually!

[@user-il2dy8up6k]

$1.25

[@OakHillMillworks]

You rock!

[@RobSandstromDesigns]

Good video $1.25

[@OakHillMillworks]

Thank you!! Appreciate you commenting and watching.

[@cliffgeter1105]

$1.25...

[@DrTriggered]

Spray the paint on, that looks like it oozed under.

[@randallmasoner]

$1.25...even tho it's a small price point that's a 25% price increase 🙄

[@OakHillMillworks]

Right!! That’s how I felt! It’s insane.

[@goforthbmerry]

little late to the game but $1.25

[@OakHillMillworks]

Never too late! Thanks for checking it out!

[@mikejones-km6fc]

Comment $1.25

[@OakHillMillworks]

Thanks for watching! Crazy price hike there. I’m still upset about it. 😂

[@user-qw1uv6my1m]

Son unos PORNTINDER.Uno de los mejoress conciertos Mañas no 6 se l 💯💞😍

[@carllivingston4860]

DollarTree... Its $1.25. to start

[@OakHillMillworks]

😂😂 I was so bummed when they raised their prices.

[@user-te9hr4pt4g]

$1.25

[@OakHillMillworks]

I’m still upset the dollar tree raised their prices. 🤣 thanks for watching!

[@fivoasia64]

$1.25

[@OakHillMillworks]

Thanks for watching!