Need help with a project

[David Summers]

My son is finishing up with his last year of Cub Scouts and several other parents and I are working on Arrow of Light Plaques for the boys. We put something together in Visio and want to make a router template we can use to make the plaques. The template needs to be cut out of thin plywood preferably. We would then use a template bushing on the router with a 1/4" radius core box bit

I need to get some ideas about where to look for someone who can use a laser or CNC to machine the template. I have a basic visio file and need to know what the correct format to send would be. Am I sending a tiff, png, or some kind of visio cad export?

Sorry about the rambling post, but I'm kind of lost with this and just need to get some ideas. If you have any other ideas on how we can do this, please let me know.

I attached the rough concept of what we are shooting for, so let me know what you think.

Thanks,

David Summers

[Mike Null]

In the case of the ones I made the board was too long (36") for my machine so I made laser engraved cherry appliques which were placed on the board. They had the boys name, pack, etc.

The rays were routed or painted (I never saw the finished product) and the arrow was mounted with dowels as I think you are showing.

If painted rays would work for you then a stencil is quite easy to laser.

[Mike Ross]

Hi David, lots of folks on here with the equipment and knowledge, let us know where you are located, I bet someone local to you can help.

[David Summers]

Thanks for the ideas. I am in Carrollton, TX. I asked about the paint concept and the other parents really want to try to have it routed or even etched with laser. My belief is the laser time could get expensive for the hole thing to be done, so we came up with the idea of using the router and a template.

As the the text, we still aren't sure about doing it with smaller plate(s) attached, or trying to have a laser do that, or even painting. I think that want to get the basic plaque figured out now that we got the arrows, then work on the text.

If anyone is in the Carrollton, TX area and can do something thats 28"x8", then let me know.

[Phil Garcia]

David, I am in Irving, TX. I could make the template out of 1/4" acrylic as long as it is shorter than 24" and not wider than 12". I would be glad to discuss this further if you would like, I am sending you a private message.

[Matt Calabrese]

David,

We have laser engraved many Arrow of Light plaques for the troop.
We use scrap maple, cherry, and oak from the local mill.
It's a good projects for the kids to prep the plaque once it's roughed out.

I think I know what you're asking for as far as a template.
Visio is no problem - as we support most software packages.

We can cut any size up to 36" x 24".
Acrylic or hardboard should work.

We're located in Melbourne, FL.

Let us know if we can help.

Graig Calabrese
MBSI Graphics

[James A. Wolfe]

David,
How many plaques will you need? I've been a supporter of Scouting for a long time and have received offers of help here from a few Creekers. Might be time to pay it forward. Let me know what your time frame is as well. I seem to recall February as the month we used to do this.
Jim

[ROY DICK]

David I'd give Phil Garcia a call. Very nice guy and does good work.

Roy

[Phil Garcia]

Thanks for the word Roy, it's greatly appreciated. All we can do is to do our best and I think that goes for all of us. :D "Go Steelers"