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I wanted my own brand’s logo sign to actually be made the same way I make everything else — on my CNC. So instead of ordering a small pre-cut board, I started with a full MDF sheet, 4 feet by 2 feet (48 x 24 inches), and cut it down to the size I actually needed.
Starting with the Full Sheet
Buying MDF in full sheets is cheaper and I get to decide exactly what size I want instead of being stuck with whatever a pre-cut board comes in. I measured out the size for my logo sign and cut the sheet down before it even went near the CNC.
Loading the 1mm Ball Nose Bit
For the amount of detail in my logo, I used a 1mm ball nose bit. This is a small, rounded-tip bit that lets the CNC carve fine detail and smooth curves instead of leaving sharp, blocky edges. It’s slower than using a bigger bit, but the finish comes out a lot cleaner, especially on smaller text and curved lines in the logo.
Setting Up the Design
Before the machine touches the wood, the logo has to be set up as a proper carve file — depth, toolpath, everything mapped out so the bit knows exactly where to cut and how deep. This is where I decide how the final sign will look: how much the logo sits raised off the background, and how it’ll read once it’s painted.
Running the Machine
Once everything was set, I let the machine run. With a 1mm bit doing this level of detail, it took about 3 hours for the logo to fully carve out. That’s the trade-off with a fine bit — you get a cleaner result, but it takes a lot longer than a rough cut with a bigger tool.
Watching it come together in stages is honestly still satisfying every time, even after doing this for a while. You start with a blank board and slowly the logo starts appearing line by line.
The Finished Carve
After about 3 hours, the full logo was carved into the sheet — raised, detailed, and ready for the next step.
Painting the Sign
Once the carving was done, I painted it to bring out the logo against the background and match my brand’s colors. This is the step that turns a carved wood piece into something that actually looks like a finished sign.
Final Result
And that’s my brand’s logo sign — cut from a full MDF sheet, carved with a 1mm ball nose bit over about 3 hours, then hand-painted. I filmed the whole carving process if you want to see the machine actually cutting it out.
Want a custom wood logo sign made the same way? I make these to order — check out thevinca.com or my Etsy shop.
