Another Easy Money Sign

[Keith Outten]

This 24" by 36" exterior sign is still in the works, I still have to fabricate a welded steel hanger.
Another Corian sign but this one has a 1/4" thick acrylic inlay 1/8" deep.
I cut the acrylic letters on my laser engraver and used Dupont adhesive to glue the acrylic letters to the Corian.
I used a black textured Fusion paint, this is the toughest paint I have even seen.
Total time so far - Four Hours.
Same old technique I use on most of these signs:
Route, Paint, Sand and send them the bill
I really enjoy making signs, the best job I ever had......
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[Joey Jarrard]

man that is cool I love the look. I think next time at Jim's I will join the class and not work so much. Jims out of a helper.
Great Job Keith

[Bob Savage1]

That's beautiful, Keith!

Out of curiosity, could the acrylic letters have been cut with the router, or would the edges be too rough to reasonably finish?

[Keith Outten]

Sure, cutting acrylic on a CNC router is a snap. Even small letters are easy, I would have used a 1/8" bit if I hadn't have been so lazy and cut them on the laser. A bit of a rough edge isn't a problem when you only have 1/8" above the surface and these types of signs are never viewed close up anyway.

[Bob Savage1]

That's good to hear. Thanks Keith.

[Peter Meacham]

Keith

Great sign - can you advise what bit(s) you used for the text, outline and letter insert routing pls.

Thanks, Pete

[Keith Outten]

Pete,

I used a half inch diameter 90 degree bit to vcarve the text. I used two spiral bits to machine the logo, a 1/8" diameter and a 1/4" diameter for the roughing pass and for the sign outline.

A couple of days ago I finished welding the hanger for this sign. Its a simple design, I used 2" square pipe for the risers and 1" square pipe for the cross pieces. I have two coats of paint on the hanger now and I am working on a design for the pipe caps that will be machined from Corian. I should have some more pictures in a couple more days.

This job is going slow due to a commercial building I am working on for CNU that involves almost 300 ADA door signs, building directories and some specialty signs. The final inspection for the new building is scheduled for December 1st so I am going right down to the wire. I will start installing the door signs on Monday. The truth is I haven't had any energy in the evenings to get much done on my homework!
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[Robert Alexander]

Keith when you did the inlay for the letters. Do you make it a tight fit, or do you allow some "wiggle room" for the letters?

[Keith Outten]

Robert,

I didn't have to adjust for the fit, the laser kerf is just enough to allow for a very nice fit. It isn't a press fit but the letters/logos just drop in nicely with near zero wiggle.

The only trick to using both a laser engraver and a CNC router together is that you must adjust your graphic/text/numbers interior corners to fit the radius of smallest router bit you intend to use. The fit will be picture perfect every time

If I didn't own a laser engraver I would have used the new inlay feature in Aspire.
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[james mcgrew]

a few years ago i used SS (dovae) to make treads for the step up dock box for my sailboat, it did fade but i do not remeber it warping, what is the longest time you have seen a SS sign out doors?

jim


oh an joey you are now stuck at permanent helper!

[Robert Alexander]

Originally Posted by Keith Outten

Robert,



If I didn't own a laser engraver I would have used the new inlay feature in Aspire.
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Keith that's what I will use when I make a large 24" x 36" sign later this month, or early December. I will be doing a sign for our city. I had to make a small granite type color sign to show some people what it would look like with corian, or Gibralter or whatever it was. I got a rem from a cabinet shop in town.

[Keith Outten]

Robert,

Very nice! I expect you will be making a lot of solid surface signs in the future, once you get started it is impossible to stop

I have to make three building directories soon and plan to make them from Tumbleweed Corian. They will have windows machined on the back side for the drop in that will be engraved Vanilla Corian.

This technique works really well for large signs also, the window effect looks great and allows you to replace the drop in if you need to make changes.

[Scott Shepherd]

Originally Posted by Keith Outten

and plan to make them from Tumbleweed Corian. They will have windows machined on the back side for the drop in that will be engraved Vanilla Corian.

Working off the "E" list these days Keith? Tumbleweed......$$$$$

[Robert Alexander]

Originally Posted by Keith Outten

Robert,



I have to make three building directories soon and plan to make them from Tumbleweed Corian. They will have windows machined on the back side for the drop in that will be engraved Vanilla Corian.

This technique works really well for large signs also, the window effect looks great and allows you to replace the drop in if you need to make changes.

Keith I don't understand? Do you cut out a area on the backside of the Corian blank, and then fit it over another larger blank?? I'm a person who has to see how something is made before I understand I'm verbally challenged.

[Keith Outten]

Robert,

Take a look at this thread, it has a couple of pictures of an ADA door sign that I recently made that has a window machined in the plaque.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=1204711

The directories will be done in the same fashion with multiple windows machined like mini picture frames. In the fourth picture you can see the step I machined, this is where the laser engraved insert will be installed. The inserts can be changed easily, I call these back-loaders.

Tumbleweed Corian has brown marble look, I will be using a creme colored insert.
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