The problem to solve was keeping the most used implements on the table of our 5th wheel trailer while traveling. Kind of annoying to rummage through various drawers and cabinets just to fetch the salt, sugar, maple syrup etc every time you stop. Obviously you can not just leave it sitting there.
So I designed this rack as a bumpy-road proof holder for said implements. Made from a 4x4 piece of redwood fence post (actual size 3.5"x3.5"x23"). I had that sitting in my shop for several years so it was well-dried. The challenge was the 3.25" deep 3d-carve and I used a 6" long ballnose bit (1/2" dia) with 3" long flutes. The raw wood was screwed onto a plywood carrier plate from below with 10 small screws in locations I knew would not be machined away. I did not trust my vacuum pod system to hold that tall piece being machined with a large bit at high speed and since the wood is used 100%, there is no waste to use clamps. All vertical surfaces of the 3-d model are tapered 2 degrees to avoid the bit slamming into vertical walls.
Came out quite well. I did not use a 3d-roughing pass but hogged out the pits roughly with a pocket toopath. Unfortunately I had to use the ballnose bit for that as well because it is the only bit in my possession that is as long. But roughing with a big ballnose protruding that far is not ideal and I had to dial in the spindle speed by ear to avoid resonance and chattering. For this project I needed almost all of the 8" z-travel of my machine.
