5 Axis CNC Milling: It's all in the Software

October 11, 2019CNCDavid Wertheimer5 Comments

After carving out the bodies for many clocks and a number of coasters, I’m looking forward to adding a few small but unique architectural models to my product catalog, but those will be much easier with a 5-axis CNC. Continuing my earlier exploration to upgrade my CNC, an often-overlooked component is the control software; some software options cost nearly as much as a fancy new machine! I’ll share a few of the options I’ve explored for continuous vs. 3+2 (positional / indexing) milling; though there are a few dead ends if I want to keep it affordable, there’s at least one promising path forward that I’ll describe and will be pursuing in the coming months.

Choosing an Engraving Bit

July 23, 2019How To & Calculators, CNCDavid Wertheimer6 Comments

So many engraving bits to choose from; which is the right one to use? Did you ever expect to apply that high school trigonometry for engraving? In this post, we go through the considerations in selecting the size and angle of engraving bit based on the width of the characters and the thickness of the stock.

Unexpected Complexities of Swearing in Braille

July 9, 2019CNC, Products & ShowsDavid Wertheimer1 Comment

Carving Braille into a simple wood coaster introduced a lot more design and usability complexity than I initially expected; this post shares a few of the design considerations, and the implications of those issues on machining time.

How Moisture Resistant is that Finish?

June 12, 2019How To & CalculatorsDavid Wertheimer2 Comments

Applying those multiple coats of finish can quickly get to be tedious. But beyond bringing out the beauty of the natural wood grain, it also provides an essential moisture barrier. Just how effective is that moisture barrier? And is that third coat really necessary? This post illuminates a great resource for understanding the moisture retardance properties of different finishes, and based on how many coats you’ve applied.

Seven Amazing Transformations

May 29, 2019Products & ShowsDavid Wertheimer2 Comments

If you’re considering some built-in furniture, these before and after transformation photos of projects I’ve worked in the last year might help you flesh out some of your ideas: natural wood, or painted? floor-to-ceiling, or just partway up the wall?

Honoring my Commitment to Clean Energy

May 15, 2019SustainabilityDavid Wertheimer3 Comments

I have committed Branching Out Wood to dedicate at least 10% of revenues to net new solar projects. In the years since opening up shop, I wanted to provide an update on how I’ve followed through on that commitment, as well as provide a few pointers to resources you might find useful in helping to evaluate whether solar would be useful for you.