My brother and I decided to combine our skills this last year and surprise our dad for Christmas. We started with the bathymetric map of Lake CDA in Coeur d'Alene, ID our hometown. 

I traced the different depths in Illustrator so Mitch could later cut each layer separately with a laser engraver, which was able to read the files. 

Besides the depths of the lake, I added the major highways and names of the beaches and coves, along with a couple other finishing features. 

We planned how we were going to layer the map on Illustrator and made a couple mock-ups. 

Mitch took the AI file to the laser engraver at his wood shop and cut seven sheets of plywood. 

We were working remotely from each other; I created the digital assets in Texas then sent to him in Idaho. We were having trouble with some of the type setting, line thickness, and slight tweaking was needed as he cut the initial draft. We emailed back and forth from the airport and before my flight took off, he sent me these pictures, letting me know everything was working out. 

When I arrived into town for winter break, we painted it together with light water color. The way the paint interacted with the board was beautiful. 

Final placement after the paint dried. 

Mitch then took it back to the shop to glue it up and give it a coat of polyurethane. He finished it off with a custom frame and we wrapped it up. 

Here is my dad receiving it Christmas day; he loved it!