Weekend progress

[TunaHead]

My wife created the design on the computer and printed it out on paper. I used double sided tape to stick the paper to the wood then cut out the design with an exacto knife, pressing hard enough to leave a mark in the mahogany. After peeling away the paper I used a router with a flat cutting bit to take away most of the material. I cleaned up the remainder with hand carving tools and a Dremel.

I stained the recessed portions with a dark mahogany oil-based stain so the lettering would stand out better. After applying the waterproofing treatment to the wood you can't tell the difference...