New Product - "CMT 3D Router Carver System™"

CMT has put together a great new kit — the CMT 3D Router Carver System. Beth opens the box and is greeted by a full color card that shows some cabinet door designs.  There is also a template for drawers. A big plus is that a video is also included.    Actually, the printed instructions and video make the 3D Router Carver System look very simple to use. We will know in just a bit.
	Beth and I have both viewed the video that accompanies this kit. It is short and simple — but is all that is necessary. The entire system is simple to use.
There is a single page of instructions — that seems to be all you need.
	There are two template holders included in the starter set. One is for drawer size carvings and the other for doors.
This is the CMT carving bit that makes it possible. The bit is surrounded by the slanted collar which is bearing mounted and serves as a variable collar. It rides up and down on the template to vary the width of the actual carving.
	Beth is mounting the bit in the Festool OF2000E router. We could have used any of the plunge routers. We selected the new Festool router because it has such a smooth plunge and great dust pickup.
Taking a lead from the video, Beth drilled a small hole at the top and bottom to add screws to keep the template in place during all the routing.
	Beth inserts the vacuum hose into the dust port. It will be important to keep any and all sawdust out of the carving area so that Beth can keep a close watch over the routing.
Beth places one of the two templates into the frame.  It will get positioned four different ways. That creates the symmetrical pattern. There is a second template that will also guide the carving bit.
	The actual routing is amazingly simple. You simply place the router on the template and plunge into any one of the cut outs. By moving back and forth along the length of the designs, the carver bit makes the variable width cut. The width varies as the angular bearing collar rides up and down the variable width of the templates.
The resultant carving is very subtle...a lot of fine strokes.
	This is the first panel that Beth carved. It looks good but we want to deepen the cuts for the next one.
This time, she has put the larger door template in place. She has also adjusted the router bit to make slightly deeper and wider cuts.
	A little great depth setting of the bit and "wow" does the carving get more pronounced — this is great.
So what do you think?  To make the carving "pop". Beth sprayed dark brown stain over all, let it dry and then sanded the surface. It is a "keeper."    We made these two samples from scraps of wood that we had laying around. What we want to do next is to think how we can design these classy carvings into a project or two. Just think, a blanket chest with these carvings or a toy chest with a horse or a dolphin carving. There are many designs available, plus I think we can learn to make our own designs — like a monogram "B" maybe.