INProfile Issue 3 | Page 13

carving into the future Achieve impressive results with the use of Trend’s unique Router Carver system. by Matt Shepherd he Router Carver enables anybody, irrelevant of skill, to achieve variable depth carvings on any flat surface such as drawers and door panels. The carving system works by using an adjustable V-Groove cutter which has a 45° aluminium guide cone. T Operation First fix the template frame either with G cramps or pinned to a batten jig holding the workpiece. Select the first of your templates, (there could be up to four in total). Fit the first template into the frame and plunge the cutter in the wider section of each slot. Do not lock off Once all the shapes in the template have been routed, it is then removed, rotated or inverted and placed back into the frame and routed again. This is repeated so that each slot is used up to four times. Using special MDF templates, the cutter is plunged into slots of varying widths that control the rise and fall of the cutter into the workpiece. The process of carving takes only a few minutes to complete leaving a design of which any craftsman would be proud. A large range of styles are available and with the Classic and Royal styles, you can continue the theme throughout a number of furniture items. Remember that you don’t necessarily have to use the complete design, sometimes ‘less is more’. You can even integrate designs together to give a unique appearance. Autumn 1999 the router but keep a firm downward pressure, moving along the slot. The cutter will automatically rise and fall. Always run through the cut twice to ensure a clean and complete groove. When completed the workpiece is immediately ready for finishing. To help the carving stand out, stain the workpiece before carving, highlighting the end result. IP INProfile 13