Easy Money II

[Belinda Barfield]

Sort of . . .

This project was completed last Wednesday. 16" letters originally spec'd as metal to "match the door hardware". End prodcut is 1/2" scrap Corian cut with the CNC, painted with a metallic automotive paint. The photos don't show the gloss of the paint as the lighting isn't very good at the 12' height of the installation. I'll try to get by today and get a better photo of one of individual letters to give a better idea about the paint. The project manager required the mountings to be virtually invisible. The letters were mounted using metal brackets adhered to the back of the letter and to the surface of the stone with a two part polyester stone adhesive. The "O" in Police appears to be off a kilter a bit but that is the way the font was designed.

And it gets better. I stopped by during the installation to see how things were going and had the opportunity to talk with the assistant to the city administrator. Turns out they needed some additional signage and I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. This will be lettering cut from Ikon metal using the laser. She is also in charge of all awards, retirement gifts, plaques, etc., and we'll be meeting to discuss those items in the near future. It pays to chat! :D

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[Chip Peterson]

Well done! It seems that you've learned your ABCs...Always Be Selling!

[Keith Outten]

YES!!!

Very nice Belinda and with more work on the way you gotta be smilin like unto a possum:)

[Scott Shepherd]

Thanks for sharing Belinda, nice job!

Ugly ugly font, but nice looking job. Serif's on the bottom of the letters and not on the top? Strange font.

Keep up the good work!

[Belinda Barfield]

Thanks for sharing Belinda, nice job!

Ugly ugly font, but nice looking job. Serif's on the bottom of the letters and not on the top? Strange font.

Keep up the good work!


Thanks guys!

Steve,
Apparently the font is a lower half Times New Roman, and upper half some gothic font. The font designer was going for an ultra modern look. I think this is really going to date the structure (city government complex), but they didn't ask my opinion. :D

I just received the order for 19 nameplates for the same project. The order came through a local office furniture company - go figure. I did have a hand in designing the name plates so I'll post a pic when I get the first one finished and you guys can critique it! (be gentle) I'll probably post the pic over on the EF as these will be lasered.

[Belinda Barfield]

YES!!!

Very nice Belinda and with more work on the way you gotta be smilin like unto a possum:)

Thanks Keith! Like you, Corian scraps are multipurpose for us. I use it as a backer for Ikon metal to beef it up a bit, and I use it as a substrate for all sorts of other things. We frequently cut letters and paint them. Corian's durability, IMO, is far superior to many other sign products on the market. Have you tried sand blasting for texture and then painting? It gives sort of that textured foam look.

More work on the way . . . I'm smilin' like a possum who's up to his butt in alligators! :D LOL . . . you know how it goes sometimes, it's feast or famine. For the next few day's I've got more than I can handle. I ain't complainin' though!

[Keith Outten]

Belinda,

I haven't tried sandblasting Corian, It never dawned on me....but I will now :) Thanks

Have you tried breaking the edges with a crescent wrench?
It takes a bit of experimenting but the broken edges look like coarse stone. The effect is more pleasant on the Corian colors that look like stone rather than the solid colors.

I have a bit of a feast going around my shop right now and I'm not complaining either, just frustrated because I can't seem to get caught up.
.

[Belinda Barfield]

Here's the best shot I could get to show the paint gloss.

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[Ken Dolph]

Keith

Several years ago we made some display units for jewelry. the customer wanted them to liik like iceflows and icebergs.

We broke the edges of Glacier White Corian. They made the jewelry just sparkle. They made everything that you put on them look good.

Great job Belinda

[Mike Null]

Belinda

Nice work! Wierd font. Designer must have been high on something.

[Rick Moyer]

The "O" in Police appears to be off a kilter a bit but that is the way the font was designed.



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Belinda, I thought it was done that way to emphasize how that word is pronounced in the South..."PO-lease"!!:D

[Belinda Barfield]

Belinda, I thought it was done that way to emphasize how that word is pronounced in the South..."PO-lease"!!:D

Well Rick, if we were going for correct pronunciation there would be a "W" in "Hall". :D

A friend and I have threatened for years to print a couple of bumper stickers that read "Just Say Naw To Drugs."

[Belinda Barfield]

Lettering in Ikon Metal. Placement template cut from posterboard. 15 minute installation.

We did not do the medallion in the center. That was produced by a sign company from Atlanta.

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[Scott Shepherd]

Nice work Belinda!

Have I mentioned lately how much I hate that font? WOW....whoever picked it needs to be fired. It's a criminal act to put a font like that out and let it get into a system so large! It'll take years to get rid of it one day, as soon as someone with a clue about graphic design gets put into the right position, they'll rip them all out.

Keeps us signmakers in business, I guess.

It makes the letters look like they are sort of upside down or something, and that super wide "U" doesn't fit in.

I know, I know, you didn't pick it, you just made it! :)

[Belinda Barfield]

Nice work Belinda!

Have I mentioned lately how much I hate that font? WOW....whoever picked it needs to be fired. It's a criminal act to put a font like that out and let it get into a system so large! It'll take years to get rid of it one day, as soon as someone with a clue about graphic design gets put into the right position, they'll rip them all out.

Keeps us signmakers in business, I guess.

It makes the letters look like they are sort of upside down or something, and that super wide "U" doesn't fit in.

I know, I know, you didn't pick it, you just made it! :)


LOL. I believe one of the founding members of the advertising agency designed the font. It is everywhere in the new government complex. The "man in charge" originally wanted the lettering in a circle around the medallion. I convinced his assistant that because of the U and the varying widths of the letters this would not be the best method of installation (she's a reasonable woman thank goodness). Together we were able to convince her boss that she made the right decision.

A little background. The old government complex was built in the 50s. In the new building areas of dark, traditional woods transition to painted glossy white areas, very modern fixtures are in areas adjacent to reproduction gaslight fixtures. The font was designed with the idea of melding the old with the new, hence the upper very "modern" style font grafted onto the lower more traditional style. I can't wait for you guys to see the council member nameplates we're fabricating. I got to choose the font on those at least. :) We did make a change today. Originally they were to be engraved granite with gold filled lettering. I talked them into using the Ikon metal letters adhered to the nameplates. I get the repeat business as council members change without having to make new namesplates and trust me, with the design of the nameplates I'd rather remove and replace letters than make new plates!

[Belinda Barfield]

And Steve wins the prize!!

After several officials walked through yesterday and this a.m. guess what happened . . . general concensus is that the "U" is too wide. Fortunately, the letters were temporarily adhered with two sided tape just in case. So, back to the drawing board, so to speak.

[Scott Shepherd]

Did I win anything? :D

[Belinda Barfield]

Did I win anything? :D

You get your choice of the following:

1) A phone call from me everytime I have a sign job asking "What do you think, Steve? What can go wrong?"

2) A one year subscription to "The Trials and Tribulations of Belinda's Foray into Sign Fabrication".

3) The beverage (or two) of your choice if we are ever at the same place at the same time.

And the saga continues. Yesterday we discussed at length the design for the Executive Board display, with options for changing names as necessary, etc. I got a call this morning from a local company, who had been contacted prior to this about producing the same item, asking if I would work with them on the project. Rock - hard place - me. :eek:

[Scott Shepherd]

Thanks!

I'll skip #1, as I have enough of these issues with my own clients :)

I'll skip #2, because I already have a subscription to a similar one :)

I'll take #3, but you can just drink it for me now :)

It's certainly an experience, isn't it? People can take something so simple and make it so complex. If you haven't experienced Pantone color requests yet, you're in for a treat.

I could write a book on what I've learned about the paint industry in the last 3 months, and it wouldn't be pretty.

Best of luck on your situation with the other company.

[Aaron Koehl]

And Steve wins the prize!!

After several officials walked through yesterday and this a.m. guess what happened . . . general concensus is that the "U" is too wide. Fortunately, the letters were temporarily adhered with two sided tape just in case. So, back to the drawing board, so to speak.


I was thinking it look and aweful lot like the set union operation.. must be my inner computer scientist coming out. Reads Exec-Union-Tive to me. ;)