Turn your old wood into art

For twenty plus years, my boss has had this piece of live edge Myrtlewood sitting in his garage hoping one day to carve a design in it that would represent its character and beauty. Having a really nice friend give me a one year membership to the TechShop allowed me the opportunity to use my knowledge of SolidWorks in combination with PartWorks (the software that that writes code to control the ShopBot) to create this beautiful piece. The tree design itself was drawn by my boss. My love for detail and the beauty that objects behold gave me the idea to use the ShopBot to carve the tree design into the wood. The challenge that presented itself was whether or not I could get the Shopbot to carve the tree design where intended it to emerge/sprout from the piece itself. 

Step 1: Materials

Materials:
1 - section of wood (in this case I used a piece of myrtlewood)
1 - scrap piece of MDF or wood that is about the same size as your project piece of wood
a couple pieces of sketching paper
a couple scrap peices of wood for anchoring to Shopbot

Tools:
tape measure
safety glasses
sand paper or sanding block
handfull of screws (approx. 1" to 1 1/2")
1 - Flat bottom bit (recommend a 1/4" up-cut bit)
1 - V-carve bit (used a 90 degree bit)
1 - Shopbot

Software:
PartWorks
Solidworks (optional)

Comments

[gviale]

WOW! This is really nice!!!

[timarnold]

Amazing. That is very unique.

[techshop1]

Yes, you are totally AWESOME!

What a unique piece of art you have created. I know how much work and time you put into turning this huge slab of wood into a stunning sculpture. It is in fact a lot larger then it appears in pictures.

I am proud to say, I was there when this baby was born. It is amazing, that a tree can continue to bring so much joy, even after it is gone.

What a great job, well done - absolutely fabulous!

[Red Lynx]

Thanks so much, I had so much fun making this and I have to thank everyone at the techshop for their support.

[spike3579]

Really nice piece. Personally I think you did a great great job balancing the organic feel of the drawing and the precision of the machine. The design fits the material well. All in all a very nice project. Well documented too!

[Red Lynx]

Thanks I really tried to keep track of everything I did, especially with the programs because there is nothing worse than trying to hunt down a command.

[l8nite]

it's a beautiful carving but like anything machine made it has no life, no soul, that is something only the artist can impart with the minor imperfections carving by hand (even with a power grinder or dremel) invariably create.

[omnibot]

Well, in that case I'll 1up you and claim that carving with any kind of tool is soulless and only an artist who scratches and gnaws with teeth and claw makes true living art. Also I make the claim that any painter using any medium other than blood on cavewall is a pretentious neofyte.
FFS when are elitists gonna stop claiming people who use different tools than they are create lifeless/soulless art? If I had a penny for every stupid introverted peice of overpriced garbage I had to endure in a public park just because someone managed to sell their latest watery bronze abortion to the city .. GAAAAWD!

[jonnyd55]

hmm i think there is an argument on both sides......If i laser scanned my macho physique then 3D printed the result would it be held in the same regard as Michaelangelo's David? but with that said some hand made so-called art is complete fart......so i guess art is subjective.... personal opinion and taste are two things that make art what it is.

[CatTrampoline]

+10

[Lorddrake]

the machine didn't draw the original art.

It is only an elaborate tool used to precisely transfer the art from one medium (the paper) to another (the myrtlewood).

I think the drawing that produced the carving is full of soul.

[CatTrampoline]

+1

[anderekel]

Sure it has soul, it has the soul that the artist put into it as well as what the person that programmed the cnc put into it as well. I personally love hand carved things as well, but this is a very nice piece and has a life of it's own.

[l8nite]

I knew this would be a controversial comment. It is a gorgeous piece like I said and the original art has a lot of thought and time in it. It may just be sour grapes on my part that a piece I would spend days or weeks on with knives and hand chisels or even with a dremel type grinder can be created by just typing some commands into a machine that will then reproduce the piece identically as many times as you want. To my mind it's like buying a print of a piece of art, yes it's still a fantastic work of art but the artists soul isn't there, you can't feel his brush strokes when you run your hand over the piece. Although the original idea is from a living, breathing person and they may have even typed the commands into the machine, in the end it was a soulless machine that created the finished piece and can reproduce it endlessly 24 hrs a day.

I know I am in a minority, that point was driven home at an art festival in Miami Florida USA, an older gentleman had spectacular hand carved wooden pieces on display, many priced in the thousands of dollars, his sales were slow to say the least, across the way was a couple with machine made wooden plaques and signs that were selling quickly, as soon as one would be sold an identical replacement was displayed to be quickly sold.

Personally, I get more satisfaction selling an original for $400.us than 50 prints of the same piece for $15.us as I'm did the old wood carver who had an intimacy with both his work and his patron.

[CatTrampoline]

Original works of art are great, but we can't all afford to buy them or have the talent & time to create originals. I am glad that there are collectors who can afford to spend thousands on great craftsmanship, thereby employing artisans and keeping skills alive. (serious, NOT sarcastic) The reality is that most of us can only view such pieces in a museum and have to settle for reproductions in our own homes.

I've got a Van Gough print hanging on the wall, but my favorite art piece is an original watercolor bass done by by my son. Both have their merits and both evoke emotions.

[l8nite]

cat, you're right in every aspect, art is in the eye of the beholder and without well off patrons many artists would never survive.

Modern art is often defined by the controversy it causes, I surrender to this sampling of the proletariat and admit this piece surpasses that test.

I've sold pieces that I wasn't sure I even wanted to display and pieces that I was sure would sell sit and collect dust. So I am far from being an authority on what is or is not "art"

My mom has a piece I painted 35 yrs ago or so, it's prominently displayed in her front hall, I cringe every time I see it but she won't even consider replacing it. But that's Mom.. I have a piece my 4yo grandson painted displayed along side art I've received from other artists, is it "art"? As Pop, I think so, from the comments it receives, it could really be.

The eye of the beholder wields a heavy hammer

[pfred2]

I guess it's OK if you're into squid, or is it an octopus?