Building Jay Bates' designed Full Size Santa Sleigh
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I built a full-size Santa sleigh based on Jay Bates' design. It was a challenging project, but I learned a lot along the way. I have embedded the Youtube version of this at the both of the blog post if you'd like to watch the process.
The Project
I started this project because a friend of mine saw Jay Bates' video on the sleigh and asked me if I could build one. I had never tiled on my 4x4 CNC before, but I said yes because it sounded like a challenge.
The Challenges
The project came with a lot of headaches. I lost a thrust bearing on the very first thing I was trying to do (drilling screw holes to hold down the plywood). There was also too much vibration causing the bit to slowly be pulled down into the material. I lost an entire sheet of plywood due to the machine missing steps and carving in the wrong spot.
The Solution
I slowed down the feed rate to 100 in per minute and the depth to .185 inches instead of the .25 inches the bit can handle. just because the bit can handle the depth, doesn't mean the machine is rigid enough. I also added some extra screws to the plywood stop it from jumping up after the bit cut through all the way.
The Result
I was able to cut out the sleigh and everything lined up just fine (aggressive sanding was needed in a few spots, but the attention to detail was worth it). If i cut slower and shallower in the beginning, i doubt the sanding would have been required.
The Next Steps
The next step was to bring everything over to the router table. I used a brand new Amana Tool 47104 flush trim router bit. I also used a handheld router to trim the edges of the sleigh which were too large to put on the router table.
The Assembly
I assembled the sleigh using glue and brad nails for the trim prior to painting. I fought with this decision for a while, it would have been easier to paint everything first, there would have been a lot less taping. The issue with that is all the touch up and the wood glue wouldn't stick to the paint.
The Painting
I painted the sleigh with red and gold paint, both from RustOleum. The gold was from a rattle can and it's not as smooth of a finish as the red is. For the red, I used a LVLP spray gun and watered the paint down just a little bit so it would atomize better. I also added a clear coat to protect the paint and the clothing of the people who would sit in the sleigh to take pictures..
The Conclusion
I am very happy with how the sleigh turned out. It was a challenging project, but I learned a lot along the way. I would recommend this project to anyone who has a 4' wide CNC and is looking for a challenging woodworking project.
Tips
- Slow down the feed rate if your machine is vibrating too much.
- Add extra screws to the plywood to prevent it from coming up.
- Support the front of the plywood when tiling.
- Use a flush trim router bit to trim the edges of the sleigh.
- Assemble the sleigh using glue and brad nails.
- Paint the sleigh with a spray gun for best results.
- Add a clear coat to protect the paint.
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