My grand daughter came to me and asked if I would make her a wooden Christmas tree.
I had all kinds of ideas: 5' tall, lights, detachable branches, holes for bulbs. She promptly interjected, just a little one, not holes or lights, just some paint, and she wanted to help paint it.
The simple Christmas tree project is born. Its a simple tree cut out of a 9" x 11" x 1/2" piece of scrap plywood.
The Design
I did the design in Corel Draw, using a couple images from the internet helping with the basic shape of the tree.
I also added a slotted base to make it easy to stand. (and paint)
I sized it for a piece of stock 9" x 11" and exported it as an EPS file.
CAM
I used VcarvePro as my CAM software to create the toolpaths. I created the toolpaths for a 1/8" spiral bit which you can purchase here:
Note that these bits also have a 1/8" shank so you will need a 1/8" collet or and adapter.
- DOC=.03
- Speed=50IPM
- RPM=18000
The Job
The actual routing job took about 10 minutes, but could have been done much faster by increasing the DOC to .06". I tend to be a little conservative when starting any new project.
Cleanup
I used a 1/4" roundover bit and a router table to remove the tabs and round over the edges. You could also use a rotary tool.
I sanded the plywood and edges with some 80 grit sand paper and finished with some 120 grit.
Painting
Since the little one was going to do most of the painting, I put down a lot of newspaper, and decided on acrylic paint.
The main tree and the base were both painted a hunter green and let dry. This particular paint went down in one coat. Other types may require more coats.
I wanted to keep it somewhat rustic , so we did not do any sanding of the paint.
The lights and decorations were added after the base coat dried. These were simply added by using a small brush.
Drawing Files
Here are the drawing files to get you started.
The file contains eps, ai, and dxf drawings, as well as the Vcarve crv file.
I have also included the gcode but this may not work with some machines.
Have fun......