3D wooden kitty - How would you make it?

Crafts
1

Hello! A potential client is asking for a small wooden animal (photo below), and I wonder how you would suggest approaching the project? The object would be a keychain, and so would have a chain / loop attached to it.

image
image890Ă—900 51.6 KB

Thanks for your ideas!

PS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EkwBEL4MZw&pp=0gcJCdgAo7VqN5tD

2

Would they accept a wood filament 3d print for the key chain?

If so, then super easy.

Use an AI generated image to 3d model and then clean up, add your loop. Print to your needed size.

car keychain

Here is the original AI generated model for you to play with if you want.
cat model AI generated.obj (583.7 KB)

1 Like
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Hi Oscar. Not interested in AI-generated content - thank you!

–

To clarify the project - I would like to start with a hard wood (I currently have oak and teak). The immediate tools I have available are CNC router, Dremel rotary tools, and basic hand tools. I can get access to standard-woodshop power tools (saws, drills, etc), through library/university-based makerspace, or a commercial workshop.

Since I am new to wood-work, and eager to learn techniques, I am curious how experienced wood-workers would approach a project like this.

A few ideas I have brainstormed but not tested/validated include…

  • Creating a rudimentary “side view” sketch of a cat body using SVG/FreeCAD and cutting it out of the wood using CNC, and then using the Dremel to carve out detail, like the legs and tail.
  • For the keychain part, I was thinking to screw in an eye-bolt.

Thanks!
//JRO

4

It’s a small thing, and will lose a lot of its charm if it doesn’t have knife marks.

Get a whittling knife such as:

or

4 Likes
5

Sorry for not explaining well. I did not mean using AI generated images.

I meant taking an image design and using AI to generate a 3d model (unless you already have strong 3d modeling skills then this can be bypassed).

With a 3d model you now have options.

The model can be cnc carved as a 2 sided carve or 2 piece carve in 2.5d.

For a 2 piece carve: You split the model in half. Convert to stl and carve each side separately. Slice from the wood and glue together. Clean up with your dremel and sandpaper.

cat 2 part carve
cat 2 part carve1920Ă—1080 1.28 MB

This is an example of a 2 piece carve I made using two wood species.

IMG_9674
IMG_96744410Ă—2449 1.48 MB

From the 3d model a silhouette can be rendered for a 2d image which then can be converted to an svg (inkscape is free) if you want to cnc carve 2d.

cat outline
cat outline1920Ă—1080 830 KB

Of course hand carving is probably the most satisfying but I personally have zero skills for it. I have several carving knifes rusting somewhere.

I make my wood models with my cnc though I primarily only do 3d (2.5d) carves.

Once you have this technique down of slicing models for cnc carving it opens more creative options for model making. You are not limited to only two pieces. You can slice as many times to build up your model.

Submarine model cnc carved in cherry.

sub model small
sub model small1114Ă—444 195 KB

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6

I would not start with oak for a project like this. Some oak species are highly subject to tear-out, and I believe that most are relatively large-grained and subject to splintering.

I do not have experience working in teak.

I would choose a fine-grained, uniform density, medium-hardness wood without heavy checking. In the US at least, basswood is used extensively for this purpose.

Then to @WillAdams’ point, the knife marks are definitely part of the charm here.

4 Likes