Shop update #29 (5-16-18)

I got an order from one of the Cub Scout leaders last week for 9 plaques.  He is going through the Wood Badge training and wanted plaques to give to the other members of his group.  One part of the training is to make a drawing of a totem that includes everybody’s initials and some other pertinent information.  He sent me a scan of this drawing and I engraved it onto 9 – 11.25″ x 11.25″ pine boards using my X-Carve CNC machine. I engraved 3 on Tuesday night, 3 on Wednesday night, and 3 on Thursday night.  On Friday night I gave them all a good coat of spray polyurethane to try and close up the pores of the wood.  

Saturday morning my son and I had to be at Chino Hills High School at 6:00 am with his Boy Scout Troop to help the Let it Be Foundation with their annual 5k run/walk and we were there until almost 1:00 pm.  Once we got home and cleaned up I was able to give the plaques a good coat of black spray paint.  Unfortunately is was cold and overcast so they didn’t dry as quickly as I had hoped.

Sunday was Mother’s day so my boys and I made breakfast for my wife and then headed over to her mother’s place to visit.  I placed the plaques in the sun to let them dry more before we left.  We got back about 3:30 pm and then I was able to sand them all with 120 grit to get the paint off and then I sanded the tops with 220.  It was then time to make dinner for my wife.  We made sausage tortellini soup and it was good.  After dinner we hung out and then I got the boys in bed by 9:00.  I then headed out to the shop and gave them all a good coat of Dark Walnut Danish Oil.  I let them cure all day Monday and he picked them up on Tuesday.