(Before you get started, try prepping your wood by lightly sanding it down on each side. This will help when painting it later.)

The first step is pretty basic, and now with the option to import the file in it's original size it's a lot easier to see how large the creator intended the end product to be.

I imported the SVG file with each layer separated (it came that way).

Then I "Selected All" to make sure everything was selected.

Next, go to "Align" and center all the pieces both horizontally and vertically.

Your file should now all be layered like photo #4. You can group it to make moving/sizing the layers easier but if you select all again, all you have to do is click and move.

Now, you're wondering how did I make a 14.5" cross from a 12"x12" piece of wood? Take a look at the photo. I rotated the layers to fit my wood. The wood is not shown here but all you have to do is grab one of the "handles" (the little white squares) and drag to the size you want. OK...but now the "green box of annoyance" or the bounding box is outside the work area.

You can easily solve this by choosing "Outline" and setting the offset to 0. This will create a new bounding box. You will have to do each layer individually but be careful not to stretch the size. What I ended up doing was once all the layers were collected, I selected "cut" to turn them purple. Then as I "outlined" each one, I deleted the purple one. Once they were all done, I selected them all and selected cut again.

So, as you can see, I removed the outer rim without disturbing the layer I needed, a very thin frame.

Then, I tried to remove the "Thin" frame and sure enough, I was able to without disturbing the loose, cut pieces. You know how satisfying that is when you find the "perfect" settings to cut? Also note, I did not use air assist and there was no scorching.

So, yeah - do that 7 times - 7 layers.

The next step is about painting each layer of wood. My technique is basically water-coloring the wood. This allows the wood grain to be seen and gives it a nice texture. I use acrylic paints and just dab a rag with water then the colored paint you want to use. Rub in the color on the wood and wipe off the excess paint. You're pretty much just staining the wood.

Final note: I prefer adding color to my projects and although it's time consuming, it can be eye catching to friends, family or customers. You can always skip the painting as I did on this version of the same file. Take a look at the different color of natural wood. Some people enjoy that as well. Just remember, clean up glue spots that may develop around the edges. When I find a dried glue spot it irks me so I take the time to clean it up before it dries. If you prefer, you can seal it with spray varnish or craft sealer. When I don't paint them, I usually don't use a sealer.

OK...well I know that was a pretty long explanation of how I did the 14.5 inch "Mega Cross" but I really wanted to share how to get the most out of your wood.

Thanks for your time and as always, if you have any questions, comments or suggestions please feel free to leave them in the comments below.

Thanks,

Robert

Oui B Cr8f