Introduction: Roller Seal
This is an idea I ripped off from the ancient Mesopotamians, so I don't think anyone is alive who can sue me.
The wood I use for these is normally small pored (not Oak, or any similar large pored wood) and of medium hardness. This makes the cylinders soft enough to be carveable, but hard enough not to deform under pressure. To that end, Walnut is ideal, although I have made cylinders from Padauk (pictured), California Bay Laurel, and Yellowheart. Yellowheart was a little too hard, I don't want to do that again!
I cut cylinders of wood out of thick blocks with a hole saw in a three step process.
Step 1: The Pilot Hole
First, I drill a pilot hole all the way through the wood. This should be either the same size, or smaller than the pilot drill at the center of your hole saw. I generally take a precut cylinder, and place it on the wood to figure out where to put the pilot hole, as I don't want the hole too close to the edge and making a flat area, although having it near the edge allows the sawdust to escape, and lessens heat and resistance. Rubbing a little beeswax on the side of the holesaw also helps.
Step 2: First Cut With the Hole Saw
I use the pilot hole to start the hole saw, running it down as far as it will go, and lubricating it with beeswax. The depth of the hole saw should be more than half the thickness of the wood, otherwise you won't be able to get the cylinder out without resorting to a bandsaw, or something similar.
Step 3: Second Hole Saw Cut
I then go in from the opposite side of the wood, guided by the center hole made by the pilot drill. You will feel a difference in the drill press resistance when you go through. It will sound different, and the torque applied to the wood will relax.
Step 4: Remove Cylinder From Wood
I then take out the cylinder. It should have a flange part way down the side. If you made the roller seal without getting rid of the flange, you would have a depressed line going the length of your final image.
Step 5: Lathework
I chuck it in a lathe, and smooth off the flange with a skew and sandpaper, so I have a smooth sided cylinder. The powered point on the lathe is a special piece that you can get at woodcraft that allows you to center on the middle hole from the holesaw plug.
Step 6: Carving
When you carve an image, remember that everything is in reverse. depressions become high areas, and what was looking left ends up looking right. plan the picture out, and look at it in a mirror, so that you don't end up with backwards N's, or a comparable problem. Notice in the picture that my initials, DP, are facing backwards. I used a dremel with diamond bits to cut the wood. Care has to be taken to make sure that the bit does not catch the wood, and roll away from where you intend to cut. I hold the dremel as close to the bit as possible, and as tight as I can stand for any length of time.
Step 7: Finishing
If you like what you have made, it's time to put a finish on. I normally use Behlen's toy and butcher block finish, although another nontoxic top coat is fine. It will allow you to use the roller seal on food material, such as dough.
Step 8: Waxing
I then polish it with a buffer set, finishing it and waxing it. for that process, After the finish is applied, and dries, I rub the cylinder with steel wool. I then buff it with white diamond polishing compound, then apply wax. Beeswax will work, but Carnauba works better, as it is harder, and will give you a good shine, as well as slick nonstick sides. It is available at woodcraft stores, woodcraft.com and other places as well.
Step 9: Roll a Picture
Test it by rolling it in a strip of Sculpey or some similar material. I wouldn't use Plastilene if it was going to be used to decorate cookies, since Plastilene contains inorganic oil that I am not sure is compatible with food. The sculpey broke when I took it out of the oven. I used a little tape to hold it together so that the image could be seen.
13 Comments
8 years ago on Introduction
Cool idea. There are 4 axis CNC routers available on ebay now - you could draw something up on the computer and mill the stencil design into it.
12 years ago on Introduction
You did a great job on this instructable! I wished I was a wood worker. My mother was always making wood projects. Thanks for sharing.
12 years ago on Step 6
This is cool! I am going to attempt to make one of these puppies.....or ten. :)
12 years ago on Introduction
A really nice piece of work, funnily enough I've been looking at cylinder seas with similar ideas in mind myself. Thanks for sharing your experiences.
Reply 12 years ago on Introduction
Thanks for the compliment.
12 years ago on Introduction
I forgot to mention something in the polishing step. The red bar on the left is red tripoli polishing rouge. I use that for the first buffing after I rub it with steel wool. please be gentle, it's my first instructable!
12 years ago on Step 5
As a woodcarver I would never use sandpaper on wood that I am going to carve as the sand can get into the pores and dull my blade very quickly. A sharp skew should get it plenty smooth enough.
Nice idea to use the hole saw to cut out your blank to size.
When you use it, do you roll it by hand or do you have handles? The center hole left by the hole saw could be used to mount a set of handles.
Reply 12 years ago on Introduction
Haven't noticed much in the way of dulling from the sandpaper. I do try and vacuum up as much of the grit and sawdust as possible.
As for the center hole, I suppose you could put a dowel through there to make handles, but I had thought of using it for a cord that you could hang around your neck like the Mesopotamians did.
Reply 12 years ago on Introduction
The lack of dulling your blade is a very good thing.
Wearing it as a necklace would keep it handy, but what would you use it on? Pasta, pie dough tops, breads? Would be a cool way to mark your pies.
Reply 12 years ago on Introduction
Woodcraft also has soapstone, which could be turned into a roller seal fairly readily, and it would have no pores at all. If you ran water over it, the grit would wash away. The only problem is that it would be rather fragile, and prone to chipping and breaking if not properly stored between uses.
Reply 12 years ago on Introduction
My Brother suggested using on the tops of cookies.
As for the dulling, I have had to get my holesaws resharpened from time to time.
12 years ago on Introduction
I wouldn't recommend walnut because most varieties have large pores. Not as large as red oak, but larger then white oak.
Reply 12 years ago on Introduction
I haven't noticed that the pores in walnut interfere with the making of the image. I put on a clear finish, rub it with steel wool so it has some texture, and then I do the red tripoli, the white diamond, and finally carnauba wax. Between the three, they keep it from picking up any of the stuff I'm rolling it on. A wood with very small pores wouldn't hurt, however, although some get fairly hard. I used yellowheart for one roller, but it was almost too hard for my dremel.