Robo-chisel

Put away those carving tools and pull out your laptop: CNC routing is here for the masses in a machine the size of a breadbox. The CarveWright can carve letters or objects up to 1″ in depth in material up to 14″ wide. Desktop publishing—like software makes it easy to design your carving or sign, which you can then transfer to the machine using a memory card.

The CarveWright is one addictive tool, whether you are using it to produce carved signs or to add carved embellishments to your work. Patterns and designs can be created from scratch using the software or you can purchase a variety of designs from other users through the CarveWright website. I imported a favourite photo of my dog into the design software, made some adjustments, transferred it to the memory card and was carving the image in less than 15 minutes.

The CarveWright cannot be attached to a dust-collection system, so it must be cleaned after each use to keep it running problem-free. It also creates enough noise to make hearing protection mandatory. With a cost close to that of a cabinet saw, this tool may not be for everyone, but it opened up a whole new creative world for me. Carvewright woodworking system; $2200. For more information, call 888-874-8661 or visit www.carvewright.ca