Still in a rush but doing well.

Every time I got a break in my schedule I would spend a few minutes on the next step of the project. The edges got my attention first. I used my trusty die grinder to whip some woodgrain texture into the sides and ends of the signs. It didn't take long.

Then a quick coat of primer and two coats of base color was applied to the sign. I kept the shop fan on the work to speed up drying times. The deadline was quickly approaching... Once the base coats were dry I mixed up some light acrylic glaze. This was brushed on in sections...

...then wiped off carefully. Once this was dry a darker glaze was applied.

Then I painted the round sun graphic in the same manner, working from dark to light. Last up was the lettering - applied with a small brush. I finished the sign late Friday night after I had gotten home from the trade show. I was to meet my client on the way to the trade show Sunday morning. The extra day would be for the paint to harden.

My MultiCam had allowed me to once again tackle a project I would have previously simply had to pass on. The machine had done in mere hours what would have taken me days to accomplish all by hand.

-dan

RUSH project.

Every once in a while I get the opportunity to take on a project I really should say no to. There is just too much going on and the deadline should be impossible. Last week a new customer came to me wanting a simple dimensional sign. The sign was to be presented to a retiring colleague. The deadline was four days away. We were busy getting ready for a trade show. Even so I knew our MultiCam would take care of the bulk of the work on the project. It would do it while I was busy with other things too!

I whipped up a design which my customer approved instantly. He paid the deposit and we started work. Creating the file in EnRoute only took minutes and I sent it off to the MultiCam while I got busy with other tasks once more.

The sign was to be single sided (at least the writing) the back side featured the same woodgrain and texture as the front. The two center layers of 1" thick Precision Board were simple cutouts.

When the MultiCam was done I glued up the pieces, complete with some structural steel inside. This sign would never fall down.

-dan

Little progress...

The last week has been crazy in our shop as the last minute preparations for a trade show were made. In between those preparations a little progress was made on the restaurant sign.

The first order of business was to clean up the glue lines between the eight layers of sign that has been glued together. I used a die grinder and while I was at it I quickly added a little texture to the edges. Next I did a little shaping on the scroll ends and then spent some time carving the mountain. The die grinder whips through the precision Board pretty quick so a light tough is necessary.

Then it was time for a little sculpting using an epoxy medium. I used this to create the foreground trees on the lower mountain and the rows of plants in the field. Those didn't take long. At this stage the pictorial is pretty bland but it will come alive as the paint goes on.

Stay tuned...

-dan

Making the machine do the hard part in a hurry

Once the design was approved I created the lettering vectors in Illustrator, then imported them to EnRoute to finish creating the file.

This would be a simple 3D file compared to many we make. There would be four different routing files, each would be done twice on the MultiCam to make a double sided sign. The inside layers were simple cutouts, something the MultiCam handles in minutes. The oval with the lettering was roughed out with a 3/8" bit and then a final detailed pass with 1/8" bit. The lettering was cut with a v-groove. I'm sure glad I had the automatic tool changer as it made things real easy and quick.

While the MultiCam happily worked I was busy out in the shop fabricating the steel work for the sign. I wished I had one of MultiCam's CNC plasma cutters but my hand unit would have to do...

Once the MultiCam was done I set about assembling the pieces. First I used my die grinder to cut the grooves for the structural steel. It didn't take long.

Then the gluing and clamping started. I used Coastal Enterprises one part urethane glue PB Bond-240 to make things permanent.

Once everything was secure I lifted the two layers into place and welded the sign to the post. It would be far too heavy to handle with all the layers in place. While I was at it I welded on the motorcycle cutout and other pieces of the bracket.

In the morning I glued on the rest of the layers. Things were looking pretty snazzy already. I could easily visualize the finished sign. Up to this point my hand work was minimal as the MultiCam had done the bulk of the grunt work. I'd get to start my hand work soon.

Stay tuned...

-dan

Brackets and holes

I've long advocated that our signs should be so much more than simply boards with lettering on them. Signs should tell the story of the business they represent. Our signs should include the method of which they are fastened to the building, the landscaping and beyond.

Our latest project is a sign for just a half a block down the road from our place. A local restaurant wanted a new sign and I was happy to be of service. I first asked for a meeting so I could listen to their story in order for me to get the sign and image right for their business. The business is called Vedder Mountain Grille. They serve great food too! By the time I left I had a pretty good idea of what the sign would look like. It featured the same mountain I admire from the studio windows each day. I decided to route a hole in the sign allowing the real sky to show through on top of the mountain. The signs would be double sided and hanging.

I presented the idea to my client and they asked for one small addition... they asked that I include a motorcycle and rider somewhere on the sign as he rides the mountain often... hence the name of the restaurant. I struggled with the idea for a few days before I came up with a solution that included the motorcycle image but didn't mess up the design. The motorcycle would be featured in the bracket that held up the sign.

I presented the finished idea to my client and they happily signed off on the design. Now its on to the fabrication - using our MultiCam router of course!

-dan

FLYING HIGH!

Once the sign was done I could hardly wait to drag it out into the sunshine to photograph. The 23K gold leaf letters absolutely sparkled, jumping to prominence as was right. In spite of being small in relation to the sign they instantly became the focal point. The natural light played on the textured surfaces of the sign, the shadows adding even more dimension.

The little red plane, complete with pilot roared through the center in dramatic fashion. The sign will be a great centerpiece in our trade show display. The back of the sign is just as fun, detailed and interesting. In this view you can better see the sturdy steel rod that holds the plane firmly in place.

The sign another great example of how our MultiCam router helped us craft a sign that would have taken many times longer than by hand. Even though it was largely made by a state of the art, automated machine it still looks very much hand crafted. Once again the MultiCam did the grunt work, saving the fun parts for me.

I could now cross one more of my 'one-of-these-days projects' off my list. No worry though, I have plenty more of these type imaginative and fun projects still there...

-dan

Basics of gold leaf - PART TWO

Once the size has tacked up it's time to lay down some gold at last. Make sure there isn't a strong draft draft or a fan blowing when you do the gold. It is so thin it will blow around wasting it unnecessarily. Take a sheet of gold (still on the tissue paper) from the book and gently lay it into the size. Press it down, burnishing it by rubbing through the paper gently. Lift off the paper leaving the gold stuck to the sign. Move to a new section of the lettering and repeat.

The gold will be a little ragged and uneven but not to worry. Once you have finished a section take a large, very soft brush and go over the letters, gently knocking off the excess gold. The brush actually scratches the surface of the gold and these minute scratches make the gold catch the light and sparkle. The effect is dramatic and amazing. Tiny flakes of gold will fall like snow to the floor. Don't sweat it.

The reality is that the gold isn't a big number in the scheme of things. This sign with all its lettering only used 32 sheets of gold. In the quantities I buy (by the box) it worked out to be only about $50 worth of gold in total. A second coat of paint on the lettering (if I had done it with paint instead of gold) would have cost the same or more if you include my labor at my shop rate. With the dollars we can fetch for gold leafing I make a lot more profit for less cost. The gold work also sets our work into a class of its own as so very few sign shops offer gilding these days.

Next installment I'll show the finished signs - sparking out in the sun...

-dan

Basics of gold leaf - PART ONE

When I tell my customers that the gold on the signs we do is real they often don't believe me. Once I convince them it REALLY is 23K gold they assume the sign is worth a fortune. We all hear on a regular basis just how valuable it is. The truth is while gilding parts of a sign do add value to a sign it really isn't that expensive nor hard to do.

We buy our gold in sheets. They measure 3 3/8" square and are slightly bonded to sheets of tissue paper. This is called patent gold. Gold can also be bought loose but it is much harder to handle that way. There are 25 sheets of gold in a book, twenty books (500 sheets) in a box. I buy my gold by the box as it is a lot less expensive that way - especially if you include the cost of shipping it.

I use oil based size to fasten the gold to the signs surface. It comes in slow or fast determined by the time it takes to tack up or dry to the point you can lay the gold. I like fast size for surface gilding as our shop tends to be dusty. The size looks like varnish and is clear. A thimble full was more than enough to do this project. A little goes a long way! We recycle plastic pudding cups for this type of job. Once we are done they are tossed and in that fashion I don't have to worry about using any solvents - except to clean my brush.

I brush the size on with a small brush. Because we routed the bevelled letters with a slight shoulder, raising them off the surface, they are pretty easy and fast to paint. Skill helps but isn't critical. A good, quality brush is critical however for a good job. I took my time and covered each letter well so there would be no holidays (missed spots) later.

Now comes the hard part... waiting for the size to tack up. How long we wait depends on the temperature, the humidity and if there is air movement. When its ready a knuckle dragged over the size will squeak. (do this on a test piece - not your finished work)

Next installment we'll get to the flashy part...

-dan

The magic of paint.

Paint always adds magic in a big hurry. I had decided we would make the compass star look like it was cast in copper and bronze. The lettering will be 23K gold for extra pop. We used Modern Masters acrylic metallic paint. This metallic paint is brilliant and holds up well outside in our experience. Best of all we can apply it by hand with a brush. A little paint goes a long, long way. I whipped on two quick coats of gold purposely going well onto where the copper would go next. When I applied the copper I only needed to cut in once making the job quick. The copper covers extremely well. A second coat was done to be sure. The piece was extremely bright at this point but I'd tone it down shortly.

The first glaze I applied was a rich caramel color. The glaze is put on thick in small sections and then wiped off with a small soft towel. I had to work quick to keep a wet edge between areas. After the first light colored glaze the textures already popped a little more a. Back it went under the fans to dry.

The last coat of glaze was a dark chocolate with a hint of metallic purple to deepen the shadows dramatically. I worked from top to bottom, jumping quickly from back to front and side to side to minimize dry lines between segments. The work went quickly and the piece instantly came alive. The dark brown was the same color we had mixed for the plane over a year ago and visually united the plane with the frame through which it 'flew'. Everything suddenly made sense.

It will dry in the warm studio overnight, waiting for tomorrow's finishing touch. I'll be adding the 23K gold to the lettering. In the next installment I'll take some pictures of the gilding process and show just how easy this amazing technique is.

Stay tuned...

-dan

Off the ground and flying!

The first two layers of Precision Board came off the MultiCam in a hurry because we had used a large diameter bit to route them. I glued these up over a simple welded steel frame and clamped them good. By the time the second set of pieces came off the MultiCam the previous pieces were dry enough to add the new ones to the assembly.

The next morning everything was good and dry. The clamps came off and the fun began! First I gave the entire piece the once over with my air powered die grinder. I trimmed up the glue joints, textured the edges and aded some extra character here and there making the sign look well used. It took less than 15 minutes and was well worth the effort.

Then I sawed the old stand off the model plane and drilled a new hole in the bottom. The 1/2" steel rod would come more out of the side of the plane instead of the bottom as it had previously. By lining it up with one of the balloon tires it became much less noticeable and not where one would expect it. The sign was coming along nicely already.

Next up was some paint!

-dan

Coming together quick!

To build any file in EnRoute I first imagine what it is I want to build... then work backwards from that point. i basically deconstruct the project, break it down into manageable pieces, keeping in mind the material thickness I am working with as well as the size and length of the bits I will work with on the MultiCam. In this case I designed the compass star so I could route it with a 3/8" ball nose bit keeping the run time pretty short.

For the lettering I knew I would require a smaller bit size. I designed the ring separately and tool-pathed this piece with a 1/8" ball nose bit. Both pieces were routed from 30 lb Precision Board and were run at 300 inches per minute.

As soon as the compass star was off the MultiCam I glued the two halves back to back on the metal frame I had welded up. I used my die grinder to cut some grooves in the back to accommodate the 1/2" steel bars which would give the piece some strength. The pieces fit together perfectly (as always) and it was together on the frame in less than a half hour. This morning I glued on the rings with the lettering... its in the clamps now. I'll be posting some more pics as it goes together.

Stay tuned...

-dan

Da plane boss - da plane!

A little more than a year ago I created this little plane on my MultiCam. I actually built two - one for a friend of mine from Texas who attended one of my workshops and another which I've been meaning to incorporate it into a sample sign for my showroom. Last night I finally got the inspiration for the idea I would use. I had remembered seeing a crop duster in action as I drove a country road down south somewhere. It was the most awesome flying I had ever seen. I decided to create a sign honoring that skillful flyer. The name of the fictitious business would be 'DUSTY'S FLYING SERVICE - SINCE 1954' (I was born in '54. :)

I had my laptop handy and in the commercials of my favorite TV show I created the vector file for the sign. It would feature a compass star. The plane will fly through the middle of course.

This morning I came out to the shop and kicked the MultiCam into gear to warm up for another project. While it warmed up I built the 3D file for the sign in EnRoute. I'll post some screen captures and describe that process next installment...

-dan

Instant MAGIC!

Not long after we purchased our MultiCam I was looking through my old collection of National Geographic magazines looking for inspiration. I came across a picture of a fish skeleton which had been fossilized. The picture was great! And it inspired an idea I just had to do.

I scanned the picture into my computer, opened it in Photoshop and set about making the image suitable for use as a bitmap. I made it a black and white image, then adjusted the tonal balance, cleaned some things up and added missing details. I spent about 10 minutes creating the bitmap I wanted and which I knew would work for the idea I had in mind.

I then created a second black and white image in Photoshop using a large speckled brush. I called it spilled Coke. This one took only a minute or two to make.

I also spent about ten minutes creating the vector files for the panel shape and lettering which would form the border. All of this was imported into EnRoute pro. I created the reliefs forming the medallion shape and then using the bitmaps I layered them onto the surface one at a time. It only took a couple clicks of the mouse to make the magic happen. I tool-pathed the file and sent it out to the already warmed up MultiCam.

In less than an hour the panel was routed from a piece of 30 lb Precision Board. I whipped on a coat of acrylic paint and put it under a large fan to dry while I mixed up some glaze. The panel had dried sufficiently by the time I was done. I slopped on a quick coat of glaze and then wiped it off with a shop towel. It was done that fast.

Thinking back to how I might have done the panel in years past it was an amazing process now. It took about an hour and thirty minutes (half of which I was doing other things while the MultiCam worked). The panel had gone from inspiration to completed project in this short time. The piece was so much more detailed than I ever would have contemplated in years gone by. I even incorporated a slight dome to the panel - something that was very labor intensive previously. Had I needed s second copy of this panel (in any size) the working time for each would be cut in half as the file was already done.

This project really sold me on my MultiCam and just how useful it would be in the years to come. Just imagine the things I could create...

-dan

Finish line

With the bulk of the work done on our MultiCam it was just a matter of adding a thin layer of sculpting medium over the car body with details added after things were smoothed out. The car instantly developed a hot rod attitude, complete with the big fat tires out back. After only a couple hours of hand work we were ready for paint.

We decided on a lime green metallic paint to stand out from the rest of the signs in our colorful display. The black and white checkered flag and speckled grey 'blacktop' base toned things down nicely. Plain metallic silver finished off the lettering in an appropriate manner. With all different colored areas separated vertically by the MultiCam the painting was quick and easy. The water based acrylics were all applied by hand with a brush.

The sign is small and measures 26' wide x 24" tall x 10" deep.

I had a blast with this little street rod. This little sign is a great example of how we can use our MultiCam to machine much of a project. Combining that work with a little hand work makes for an outstanding piece which makes the best use of my artistic skills and available technology. I have no doubt it will catch the eye of all who pass in the upcoming show.

-dan

Let the machine do the tough stuff

We are entering a local car show and needed another display sign for our booth. Since we are marketing to car enthusiasts a small sign featuring a hot rod was deemed appropriate. I whipped up a sketch and the idea came together in about 10 minutes.

Then it was time to create the file in EnRoute. I decided to do the sections of the sign in two ways. The face of the sign, the checkerboard backdrop, and the wheels of the car would be created as detailed 3D carving files. The lettering was done as separate reliefs which was merged with a textured background. The checkerboard was done with bitmaps. I created the bitmaps in Photoshop, one for the squares and a series of blends to make the flag wave in three dimensions.

The routing file for the car (except the wheels) was done as simple cutouts. Tool-pathing was done with a rough pass (3/8" ball nose) and a final pass with a 1/8" ball nose at 80% overlap. Since the sign was relatively small it didn't take too long for the MultiCam to be done. Once the routing was finished I glued up the pieces and then using my die grinder I did a quick shaping of the fenders on the car and added texture to the top, side and bottom edges of the sign.

Things were looking pretty good already. Now it was time for a little hand work on the car...

Stay tuned...

-dan

Finished - with style and some jingle in the pocket!

Today we put the last strokes of paint on the farm sign. The MultiCam simplifies the construction of a sign like this a great deal, taking the grunt work out of the process and still allows me to have fun with the parts I enjoy. The lettering is prismatic, raised off the background by about an eighth of an inch making it easy to paint the top. We did the same for all the other parts of the sign too. Light works for us as the sign is viewed.

The basic shape of the animals was routed into the sign in two layers, then built up with hand cut scraps. This strengthened the sign and economized the use of the sculpting epoxy. I sculpted the basic shapes first, allowed it to cure, then added the detail in two sessions over two days.

Our MultiCam speeds up the sign making process a great deal, both in the carving and painting processes. The end result gives me my hand finished sign making jollies and still allows me to make good money on our projects. It's a win - win situation.

-dan

Selling out or working smart?

I have lots of friends who are true artists. They are old school, and have worked for many, many years with old fashioned tools creating three dimensional art and signs. As you can imagine we often have spirited discussions about modern technology and it's place in our workshops. It seems that I have embraced 'the dark side' and gone with a CNC router while they have remained with their 'old fashioned' tools, still doing everything the old way. I still love working with my hands, and still have all my 'old' tools. I still use them regularly too. And that isn't about to change. But I'm more than happy to use my MultiCam to help me out too. It takes the sweat and drudgery out of many of the tasks I need to do.

I find it funny that they can use some modern tools while shunning others. They have the latest bandsaws, lathes, planers and sanders. Some use Dremmels or air powered die grinders. I see chainsaws and plenty of other twentieth century tools in their workshops. Some happily use well paid assistants to do a good portion of the labor. But they stop short of a CNC router. Somehow using this tool is cheating. I don't understand the logic.

I believe a dimensional sign or piece of art is worth the same no matter how efficiently it is made. Whether it takes days or hours is of no consequence. So why labor over something endlessly if I can use my MultiCam to speed things up. I can effectively use it to take the grunt out of my tasks and save my hands for the important bits and the finishing touches. I often will machine a part of a project and then purposely finish it by hand, purposely leaving hand tool marks in my wake.

A couple of years ago I attended a workshop given by a friend of mine - a very talented hand carver who demanded and got top dollar for his work. In the course of the lessons he showed us examples of his awesome work. I remember asking him how long it had taken him to produce a domed oval which was but one small part of a larger piece. He told me it had taken him a day and a half to accomplish. There was another identical oval on the back side of the sign. I was dumbfounded. On my MultiCam I could have done the same task in about an hour. He vigorously defended doing it by hand although I still don't see the reasoning. He could have at the very least roughed it out with a slight offset using a CNC router and then finished it by hand and saved many hours. His hard labor hadn't changed the price or quality of the work in the least... and neither would have it changed if he had done it with the help of a machine. I asked him if he had enjoyed working on that part of the sign to which he said no, it was kind of boring. The truth is he could have selectively chosen which parts to use a CNC router for and which to do the old fashioned ways.

I want the best of both worlds in our shop. I happily embrace technology and modern tools like the MultiCam and use them to help me do the things we do. I still save a good portion (the fun parts) of most jobs to do by hand. I believe there are some things I can do better that way. Faster too.

In choosing the machine I purposely selected a top end CNC router with all the bells and whistles. I chose MultiCam because it would allow me to think about the work I do and not about the machine I was using to help me do it. It's worked out pretty well so far. I know I would never want to go back to doing everything by hand. Sadly, my awesomely talented friend has recently packed up his hand tools and moved on to a whole different way of making his living. He says he simply couldn't make it working with his hands.

-dan

Learning more by becoming a teacher

As the work we did on our MultiCam became widely known through word of mouth, trade shows, the web and magazine articles I started getting a lot of emails and phone calls. People wanted to know how we managed to do the things we were doing on our router. I did my best to answer the queries but many of the questions simply couldn't be answered by email or on the phone. There is nothing like spending time face to face and working hands-on for those who desire to learn more.

We decided we would host workshops a couple of times each year in our shop with a limited number of students who were eager to learn. We would share all we have managed to learn in the last 40 years and we would do our best to cram as much of that knowledge as we possible could into three long days of learning. This would be a workshop like no other. As we put out the word we found there was no shortage of students. We have had people come from around the world. They have numbered well over a hundred so far.

As I prepared the material I would cover in the classes I quickly decided I too needed to get up to speed. The very best way to learn is to do. As a teacher I needed to learn a LOT more! One of the ways I brush up on my own skills before each session is to design and create a panel for every student who signs up for our workshops.

Each plaque is unique, designed in EnRoute Pro using techniques we would also teach in the workshop. Then they are routed on our MultiCam. They measure about one square foot in area and are routed from 30 lb Precision Board. The panels are finished using the very same painting and glazing techniques we show in the hands-on portion of the workshop. As we are continually making new name panels for upcoming workshops we are constantly stretching ourselves to create new ideas and discovering new ways of finishing them.

The name panels have proven to be a great way to brush up on our file building, routing and finishing skills before each workshop. With over a hundred name panels (and students) to date we have also made quite a number of exciting discoveries along the way.

It continues to be an exciting journey!

-dan