# CNC Milled Cairngorm Table



## frosties

Hi, I've taken on a bit of an epic job for my final piece at university and here it is. Its still in early staged of design but I think I am ready to mill the actual mountains. At the moment I will be using sapele for the lowlands and lime for the highlands. Snow capped mountains. I tried various wood for testing the contours and heres what I found

wood with large colour change in anular rings drew attention away from the contours of the milling. I.E cherry, ash, oak and almost all timber I had lying around. Someone suggested lacewood and I think it would be great but I cant source any stock large enough. Well heres some images so far. I will ad some tech drawing soon to see if anyone can advise of a better assembly to take into account the wood movement e.t.c

This table is a very special piece for an Aviemore local who is making a shot at climbing all the munro's in the region I will be milling. He also climbed some with his dog who has recently passed away. He will be spreading her ashes in the coming months in the mountains. Well heres some images so far and I will try to keep everything up to date. I have 5 weeks to complete the project so stay tuned as there should be rapid progress.

I'm open to any opinions


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## cmwatt

Wow, looks really impressive! What's the overall size and how is it constructed? Do you simply use one large block or layers?
I take it, it would be quite time consuming and cost a lot of money to make something like this?


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## frosties

I'll just sort out some tech drawings in the next half hour or so with how I think it should work. Basically a large blank for the mountains with very strategically place domino's. This 'Blank' will then fit into a rebated frame. so its just a huge frame and panel door. I wasnt planning on gluing the blank to the external frame to allow for movement. I'm based in cornwall atm but I'm trying to find some real special wood from the cairngorm area. Could you advise anyone Cmwatt? I'm from lossie and got a few people around aviemore asking around. 

Finishd dims are
mountain top to valley = 70mm
mountain landscape blank is 833 x 1333
frame around is min 100
over all dims 1033 x 1533 by around 500ish high
yes it is very time consuming and the cnc time alone will amount to 60 + hours not including generating the files and working out the tool paths. Its not just a case of pressing the go button.


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## frosties

heres a very rough tech drawing. Not decided how to fix the stainless steel legs yet


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## cmwatt

Sorry I don't really know of any hardwood suppliers in the cairngorm area. I had a quick look on google but didn't find much (there were a few but mainly supplied softwoods for construction etc). If you want to check them yourself:
http://www.bsw.co.uk/
http://www.russwood.co.uk/
http://www.buildscotland.co.uk/company_224899.htm
or you could ask this furniture maker in the area where he gets his supply from:
http://www.creativecairngorms.co.uk/aaron-sterritt/
I use a guy who co runs a sawmill at loch carron and can take wood to Inverness (www.woodworkz.co.uk).

As far as table construction goes, I'm probably not the best person to ask. I'm just getting into woodwork as a hobby. The table looks like it'll be very heavy, I think like you say if possible maybe not glue down the blank.

Regards.


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## cmwatt

Any progress with this David?


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## frosties

I searched around in scotland for some timber and sadly failed. On returning to cornwall I have sourced some amazing birds eye maple and some ropala lacewood


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## frosties

heres some wood porn


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## jetsetwilly

Cool idea! Have done most of those tops, would be lovely to see them floating under my coffee cup!


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## frosties

Hi I'm researching the best glue for my cairngorm table. I have three pieces of sepele PAR 100 x 300 x 1200. More info here cnc-milled-cairngorm-table-t60556.html
Its basicly a big frame and panel. Should I use cascamite? Epoxy or resorginol glue? 
My worry is that half of the blank will be cnc milled away and to add another thing to the mix theres a wood burner in the room it will live. I need the strongest glue possible with invisable line

Thanks in advance


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## houtslager

imho - a well mixed cascamite.

hth,

K


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## frosties

Plywood Cairngorm complete. Trying to decide on finish. There are many options.

Any opinions very appreciated

It is a bit fluffy and will defo need a bit of sanding and sealing as well as two small repairs from tear out.

I'd rather not have a shiny plastic look but a nice lustre would be good.

Thinking sand sealer, danish then wax n polish

Marine ply with lime snow caps.

I will be machining the final piece next week from sepele lowlands and a birds eye maple snow caps


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## marcros

what glue did you use in the end?


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## frosties

I used cascamite for glueing the plywood together.

Had an accident with the sepele and birds eye maple blank. The router bit came out of collet and ripped a 40mm deep hole right through the job. DOH! had to skim blank down to hole then glue more sapele on top and change toolpaths. Al on track to do mill the fixed sepele blank next week


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## frosties

laser engraved compass 


Untitled by frostie's, on Flickr


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## frosties

2 layers of sanding sealer and 2 of french polish. Its turned into a bit of an essex fake tan so I think I'll use garnet polish for the next coats after a bit of sanding.

An image of the mountains from the plane. I tried to mach the snow caps best as possible




Untitled by frostie's, on Flickr


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## monkeybiter

That's looking fantastic already!


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## frosties

thanks mike


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## frosties

well this job was a tester of my patience but finally finished. After the router bit comng out of machine on two ocasions and several other dramas I'm delighted I managed to pull it off in the end.



1980-01-06 01.23.51 by frostie's, on Flickr




1980-01-06 01.24.01 by frostie's, on Flickr



1980-01-06 00.06.17 by frostie's, on Flickr



1980-01-06 00.04.51 by frostie's, on Flickr


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## marcros

I am surprised that nobody has commented on this. I think it is excellent, from both a design point of view and the execution.

Brilliant work.


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## frosties

I get the feeling this forum seems to shun cnc work. At the end of the day its another tool in the box. Thanks for the comments marcros.


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## monkeybiter

I had imagined it larger [unless you're a giant] Still very impressive.


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## Kalimna

Very impressive piece of furniture - not sure it would fit in my living room (!) but a piece to be proud of.

Adam


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## Jamesc

Excellent work, I think if those who detract from CNC actually tried to make something as complicated as this project they would change ther minds. True once a cnc program is written and more importantly fine tuned and perfected it can produce any number of copies but the skill in producing the programs to produce the desired results in an unpredictable material like wood are prodigeous. Well done

James


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## frosties

Well here it is. Ended up making 2 tables. One from the plywood with Birds eye maple top and the other with sepele and birds eye maple top.
Table 1



Table 2 shots_2 by frostie's, on Flickr




Table 2 shots_4 by frostie's, on Flickr


Table 2



front view by frostie's, on Flickr




detail view compass design by frostie's, on Flickr




cross section horizon by frostie's, on Flickr




wood pattern and texture full frame by frostie's, on Flickr


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## frosties

low view with glass by frostie's, on Flickr



elevated view (top down) by frostie's, on Flickr


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## speeder1987

That looks fantastic!!! Thanks for posting

John


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## jetsetwilly

What a project. I have to admit I applaud the choice of subject as much as anything (and the great thing about the gorms is the summits are nearly all at the same level!) but a very impressive project. I shudder to think what the blank alone cost you! Can I have one?


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## adidat

Stunning!


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## WandrinAndy

Awesome result!


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## Duncumb.fc

Wow,

As someone who usually turns my nose up at CNC work, I can honestly say I've never seen something so beautiful!
What a fantastic idea!
I want one!
I can't stop talking!
I want one of Lake Buttermere and surrounding hills in the Lake District!
That would look stunning too!
I love your choice of woods!
I love the finish, I love the everything!
I also love your surfboards!

Ok, I'll shut up now, but the sentiment is there.

Fraser


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## frosties

Thankyou Duncumb.fc
Its possible to da anywhere from the UK and even America. Swing me a PM. If you had a design to build your own I could cut you the blank. Be warned though its not cheap to machine and the blank can get quite expensive. If your ever in Cornwall your welcome to come see our set up. The cnc is just another tool. It works as well as the person oppressing it.
Thanks again


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