Create INSANE DESIGNS for Your Woodworking Projects in SECONDS!

I made this sign for a friend that serves in the US military. They've supported me and Andy Bird Builds from the very beginning. I used a combination of software, my Avid CNC machine, and epoxy resin to make it.
Big thank you to Kittl for sponsoring this video!
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Products Used in This Video:
Total Boat High Performance Epoxy - amzn.to/41Sgjmv
Black Diamond Pigments - amzn.to/41JzfUy
Vectric
www.vectric.com
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#andybirdbuilds #cncwoodworking #cncrouter

[@btowniron2237]

Very cool walk thru on the build. Very key technique in sealing the wood prior to pouring main epoxies so it doesn’t bleed. Good tip.

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Thanks for watching, glad you liked it!

[@MrStrizver]

I love this concept. I've been struggling with how to make signs with color. I've used ora-mask and paint but that gets really difficult with overlapping features.

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

I agree with you on the Oramask. Thanks for watching. Next week, I'll have a video that will shed a little more light on the process.

[@richardpogue4959]

Great sign, and thanks for sharing the info on Kittl

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Thanks for watching! I think Kittl has a ton of value

[@whydoihavetoify]

The possibilities are endless, great video

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

They really are. Thanks for watching!

[@stevesfascinations1516]

Nice job! Great filming and editing. I hope you sealed the edges and especially the back so it will not warp on you.

[@ryleylamarsh]

Wow. So cool. Always wanted to know how this was done.

[@Kittldesign]

Excellent video, Andy! Loved watching this process!

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@scorpianspirit5124]

Wow ! Very cool indeed. I just subscribed after watching your cheap bits from Amazon episode, and this is the kind of crafting I'm most interested in. Being brand new to cnc, this gives me some great ideas about the things I want to do with my new machine (which arrives this coming week)...And BTW, it's just for fun for me as I'm already retired and not really trying to create a business. Thanks for the inspiration Andy ! Cheers from Utah. ;-)

[@RonMarshallrone]

Freakin awesome! Great work Andy!

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Thanks for watching! 👊

[@chrispelletier3661]

Very educational video! I really enjoy your classes! 😂.

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Glad you like them!

[@cncprogrammer3265]

Great job. Thanks for sharing.

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Thanks for watching!

[@TotalBoat]

This turned out awesome!! Nice work!

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Thanks a bunch!

[@edjackson4389]

Wow! That looks fun! Great job! 👍

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Thanks for watching!

[@geef0813]

I’ve been wanting to do a sign like this for a while now.

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Go for it!

[@CorneliusCreations]

Great video bro!

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Thanks for the visit!

[@rhitt1118]

Magnificent!!

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Thanks for watching!

[@rickpouley2857]

Great sign! Love it..

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Thank you, Rick! Thanks for watching

[@timdoyon1964]

Great video… gorgeous work. I have liked & subscribed..

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Thanks! Great to have you here!

[@VoeltnerWoodworking]

Great project Andy! It looks awesome.

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Appreciate it, man! 🙏

[@victorkazdoba]

Nice project. First question: How deep do you cut the pockets for the epoxy pour? Second question: Why do you use a straight bit to flatten as opposed to a larger flattening bit?

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Hey, thanks for watching! I cut the pockets .125 inches deep. I surfaced with this bit because it's what I had. But I'd recommend a true surfacing bit if you've got one 👍

[@mikebenaitis4351]

Nice Work!

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Thanks!

[@javabean252]

Very cool. I was thinking about doing something similar. I have a 4 x 8 UV printer. I was thinking about printing the colors in to where I would normally put epoxy but reverse it and then put a plastic coating on before I carve and carve out all the negative space to see how that looks.

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Go for it!

[@ryanm2214]

Really nice sir!

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@OscarVasquez1]

Great result and enjoyed watching the process, but you forgot the "let me show you exactly how I made this" part. :)

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/b5_OpqyChd1-aq8

[@AxialHD1987]

I am also wondering about your epoxy experiences. I have always used poly but now I would like to try small epoxy projects. What do you recommend?

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

I've always used Total Boat epoxy and had great results.

[@tomspare3573]

Did you use the same fast curing epoxy for both the brushing and the filling the carve?

[@boydycx1897]

Great work, this turned out great 👍

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Thank you so much!

[@chrislandfair4186]

Thank you for sharing. You are one of the most helpful CNC channels!

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Wow, thanks! Your support means a lot to me.

[@JohnColgan.]

Beautiful piece of wood, what was it ? It's so clear of knots & dark grain.ideal for carving !

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

It's maple. I glued it up into the panel from a longer board

[@steinbierz]

Love the project...love the support of our military!!!!!!!

[@tedlitz7266]

Andy nice job. Looking foreward to your next video. Never thought about epoxy as filler

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching!

[@yasinkolgu]

Thank you. Though i wonder isn't it really bad for enviroment with all those sprays and chemicals. Is there a more eco-friendly way. Can't be totally safe but a liitle bit more friendly maybe?

[@MidnightMaker]

Would a larger diameter slab flattening bit with carbide inserts speed up the cleanup process?

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Yes! It's the one thing I'd do differently

[@hcamardelle]

How many days did this take. I'm thinking you had to give the resin time to cure. Why won't KZbin let me give this more than one thumbs up? LOL

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Hahaha, thanks Howard! More than one thumbs-up would be cool! I guess the equivalent would be sharing it with some one? It took me about 4 days to complete. You're right, most of the time was waiting for epoxy to dry.

[@hcamardelle]

@@AndyBirdBuilds I've got to get my 2nd shop cnc built so I can do one of these. Keep it up!

[@davidbertera1882]

Outstanding once again.

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

@@davidbertera1882 Thanks for watching!

[@johnspring9428]

Thank you for all your great videos, I am in the process of getting a CNC router and all of your ideas are very helpful. The United States of America colored sign was incredible. I'm looking to buy a Shapeoko 5. What are your thoughts?

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Thanks. Glad to help. Send me a message through www.andybirdbuilds.com/contact

[@eitantal726]

How is it, that the clear insulating epoxy occupies no space? Wouldn't it cause the color bands to shrink somewhat?

[@starhawke380]

Wow, it looks great. Ive done this type of panel only once and boy getting the different colors right is a pain... I have a question about the surfacing bit you use. You said it is a 1/2inch straight bit. Any benefit or downside to using a larger diameter surfacing bit? My cnc is only a 1/4" shank, but I have a bit that has a 1" cut on a 1/4" shank. I use it for making waste boards, but it seems like it work well for this. Just never used it on an epoxy pour.

[@curveball99]

Wow excellent work Andy, what was the final coating you poured over top and brushed on?

[@axelSixtySix]

Good work Andy! Here, I'm not sure the carving+epoxy brings a lot into the piece. On a business perspective, I believe you can achieve similar results with screen print, saving a lot of time and money into the process. My two cents.

[@eitantal726]

What happens if you First pour a coat of barrier epoxy on the flat surface, and then machine through it, and then pour the color epoxy?

[@shughes599]

So same epoxy for sealing, coloring, and finishing?

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Yes!

[@boredymcboredface8624]

Yet another great video Andy. Glad to see some sponsorship getting behind your work as well. I’d really love to see you do a wood inlay one, is that possible ?

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Your support means a lot. Thank you!

[@lstineman]

Great video Andy. i apologize if you already answered this but I'm curious, what did you use for the topcoat at the end?

[@flanikent]

Andy how long does it take for the Penetrating epoxy to harden up enough for your color pours? Is it a 24hr wait time or much less

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

What I found is it depends on how think you put it on. But I waited about 4 hours

[@flanikent]

@@AndyBirdBuilds have you by chance ever tried lacquer like Def "for time sake"

[@AprilAllYear]

Loved this video. I'm just now seeing you my first cnc and really want to work with epoxy after learning about this area. You do great work and i appreciate how much i learn from your detailed videos. Thank you. BTW, what was the final material you applied to make the epoxy pop? Mineral oil? Odie's? I'm new to woodworking as well ... 😁

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Hello! Glad to hear you're loving the videos. I used Danish oil as the finish.

[@icefishinnut8517]

Andy, why when you did your clean-up pass for the epoxy, .001? Would .005 or .010 be too much? Kinda have me stumped on that one....

[@derekjenkinson8014]

I have a hobby CNC router and have done similar. Why haven’t you a larger surfacing bit? I have a 25mm diameter levelling bit on my dewalt, or is there a certain reason why you use the bit you do.

[@ntrumpdeplorable7781]

Great video. Did you stop using a Shapeoko CNC and switch to a Avid machine? I just ordered a Shapeoko 5 Pro 4x4. Was it a mistake?

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

I still have my Shapeoko and love it.

[@harleyhord9348]

Well done, when you going to do a vid on kittl?

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

It's already posted

[@ZacCrosby]

Amazing as always Andy!

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Thanks for watching!

[@MichaelWorks-su4ex]

Nice Job Andy! What was the final coat that was used after the sanding? Epoxy?

[@Alex-tx1cm]

Quick question was the pine?

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Maple

[@AndrewScofield]

45 minutes to do the eagle?? My shapeoko and carbide create would have that at like 6 hours, what am I doing wrong?

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Retract height and plunge rate are the key when doing vcarving. There's a ton of up and down motion. Also, it's important to note that there is a big performance difference between the Shapeoko and Avid Pro series.

[@tomspare3573]

What do you use for your plunge rate?

[@AndrewScofield]

​@@tomspare3573 I'm pretty new, so I'm using stock Shapeoko/Carbide Create defaults. For a 90 degree v-bit that's a plungerate of12in/min and feedrate of 45in/min.

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

@Andrew Scofield For this I used 80 inches per minute and 60 plunge

[@AndrewScofield]

@@AndyBirdBuilds Cool thanks, that gives me the confidence to up mine a little at a time and experiment more.

[@betobeto7903]

Thats an all-day job. I would have to at least get $450 for that sign. Not many would buy it for so much.

[@michaelmessuri7746]

very nice! Does anyone have any really good references for "epoxy for beginners" as i would love to try this but have 0 experience (or knowledge) working with epoxy

[@skitt123]

Can you use regular clear epoxy if you don't have any penetrating epoxy?

[@gregariouswoodworks1270]

Would you say the CNC replaces the need for a dedicated planer? I subbed as Im getting my first CNC and your video was full of helpful info

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

It can, but for me, it's situational. So I don't know if it completely replaces it.

[@DanSajdowitz]

Like most things, "it depends". If you're only planing small pieces occasionally, your CNC will do fine as a planer. If you regularly need to plane wood, you're going to find the CNC takes a lot longer than just using a dedicated planer. If you need to plane longer pieces of wood, you're going to be limited by the capacity of your CNC if you don't use a planer. I have and use both for planing, depending on my requirements.

[@barbarrosa503]

what Milwaukee nailer is that? the crown stapler? how do you like it?

[@renspecs]

I'm looking to purchase my first machine very soon with a budget of around 3K. Which bench top model machine would you recommend that would produce the best results at that price with a plan to create pieces no larger than 32 inches?

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

This is where I started and have 0 regrets. shop.carbide3d.com/andybirdbuilds The Shapeoko 5 Pro will be slightly out of your budget. If that's a deal breaker, the Shapeoko Pro is a great option as well. I have one in my shop. The cool thing about Shapeokos is that it comes with litterly everything you need. You won't have to purchase anything else. Hope this helps.

[@renspecs]

@@AndyBirdBuilds This helps tremendously! Thank you so much, that's the machine I am going to buy!

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

@@renspecs Good to hear!

[@marklesiinski6759]

Nice job on the sign. What kind of wood did you use in this project

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Thank you for watching. I used maple

[@LG-ro5le]

Out of curiosity, what are the advantages of using a straight bit for surfacing instead of using a normal surfacing bit? Ive seen quite a few people do this & its something i havnt done yet

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

There is none. This is just what I had at the time. I recommend using a surfacing bit

[@rodkramer616]

Did you use a v bit for pocketing

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

No I used a downcut bit

Did you need to rerun the entire cutting program to get epoxy out of the pockets it didn’t belong?

[@laroast8531]

New subscriber and fellow maker here. I'm looking to do something similar with some products I'm devolving. Just got my shop setup with a 5x10 avid, rotary and vertical holding. It looks like on one of the close ups you had some epoxy chip out. Not sure what type of epoxy to use that would mill good or maybe mill it before it's completely setup so it's still a bit soft would prevent the chip out. Any insight?

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Welcome! Sounds like you've got a cool shop space set up. The small chip out was caused by using a 1/2 inch straight bit. Nothing to do with the epoxy. Next time, I'd use a surfacing bit.

[@thesplinteredfinger]

Andy, how long did you have to wait for the red epoxy to dry before applying the blue? It appeared that you did it right after the red pour. Also, do you find the surfacing bit you chose better than a typical 2” bit used for your MDF spoilboard? Thanks

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Hello! Thanks for watching. I let the epoxy dry for about 12 hours after I poured it before I did anything with it. The whole process took about 4 days. The one thing I would do differently is use a surfacing bit, I didn't have one so I made it work, but since have ordered one.

[@st0mper121]

Maybe dumb question" I am looking to learning epoxy. do you recommend me starting out with the stuff you used in this project or something different to start out? and your choice of surfacing bits. I was planning to use a 6210 1" bit will that work or be ok?

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

No dumb questions. I've always used Total Boat epoxy and have has great results. That surfacing bit would work great.

[@eitantal726]

7:00 wait, that looks like sawdust that you're blowing away. Not epoxy shavings. I thought you just removed the epoxy?

[@krisbredwell2644]

why not just poly to keep from bleed

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

You could. But I like to remove the possibility of the 2 not adhering together.

[@andrewtaylor4554]

Well done however my well intentioned criticism says a more complimentary frame work would highly accent the piece itself …. Cheers

[@WalterOldeck]

What you you charge for this if it were a paying customer?

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Maybe this is a good video topic? I'm writing it down!

[@bsr8129]

Bro says seconds, but this takes days and is not that easy.

[@slothy89uni]

cool idea, but the claim that it takes "Seconds" is beyond misleading. You just need a multi $1000 CNC, a bunch of epoxy and hours for the epoxy to dry. I was expecting to see something like Sublimation

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

You can totally get a design in seconds.

[@slothy89uni]

@@AndyBirdBuilds I mean if you call grabbing an image off the internet and converting to svg, “creating a design”, sure. But the title makes it sound like the whole process is quick and easy