Workshop Sign Question?

[Scott Greaves]

I just read the post by Jerry Todd, showing his new workshop sign. What a nice sign!

How many of us have a workshop sign?

I don't. I have signs I hang up in the workshop, just for atmosphere, but nothing that says "Scott's Workshop".

I think I would like a workshop sign! When we had the thread about Sawmill Creek logo items a few weeks ago, I suggested that since Keith is a laser-cut expert, maybe we could get a laser cut workshop sign with the Sawmill Creek logo, personalized with our names, as a standard SMC item. What do you all think?

Scott.

[John Miliunas]

Sounds like a super idea to me!:cool:

[Keith Outten]

Let's Do It!

I'll make the signs, all we need is a design. Would anyone like to chip in here and submit a graphic or description of a design.

Materials we can use - Plastic in lots of colors (translucent also)and up to 1/4" thick, wood obviously, engraved glass or clear acrylic and we can combine the materials. I can also make the wrought iron scroll hangers.

I also have a commercial sandblasting cabinet so we could do some relief blasting but it would drive the costs up. The technique I use is to laser cut a rubber mask and then lay the mask over the wood and sandblast the relief areas.

We can laser cut plastic and inlay one color inside the other, this is easy to do as long as we have a backing for the inlay. Since we are talking about a number of signs we could purchase multiple acrylic sheets in various colors and build a marketry style sign. Check out the picture below, this is just an example of multiple solid colors using an inlay or puzzle technique (No Painting).

A lower cost solution would be to laser cut a wooden shield, or pattern route a plaque and engrave the sign. We can use the SMC logo or I would be glad to use your favorite graphic in the design. I have a ton of writing to do this weekend getting our board rules ready to post but I will work on a few ideas of my own and post them next week.

Everybody jump in and lets get a design decision.

[Howard Barlow]

Keith, you did an intarsia of Ken!

[Keith Outten]

Howard,

Strangely enough the intarsia picture of Rip does resemble a certain Good Ole Boy from Alabama :)

Actually Rip is one of the Wooden Memories plans made by Ken Williams. I own dozens of the Wooden Memories animal plans and have built the burros, goats, bulls and I'm working on a Clysdale now. I have built their haywagon and if I live long enough I hope to get the Conestoga wagon built with a team of eight oxen.

If you have young kids go to http://www.woodenmemories.com and check out Ken's web site. Ken has the best rocking animal plans I have ever seen. Here is a picture of the Ken's Clydesdale team.

I didn't mean to get so far off the sign topic.

Note: It seems that the Wooden Memories web site is now back online. I contacted them this morning (8/10/05) and they are shipping animal plans again as well as a host of other woodworking plans. I also inquired about letting my company produce templates and kits, we will see how this turns out.

[Ken Salisbury]

<p align="center">
A CONTEST IS IN ORDER HERE

I will buy the first shop sign made by Outten Enterprises:) </p>

However, the design is in question. So I would like to run a design contest for anyone interested in participating. The prize for the winner will be a custom made pen/pencil set. (made by you know who :D)

Sign Title: The Old Rebel Workshop.

The sign will be wall mounted next to the front door of my shop.

I will also run a poll of the members to select the winning design.

Something similiar to this:

<p align="center">
<IMG src="http://www.klsal.com/knorm1.jpg">

I will generate a unique thread on the Support Forum for this contest.

[Phil Phelps]

...I made this for the Lemon's. Met them last year while visiting my son in Sacramento.

[Keith Outten]

Nice work Phil,

Did you do the sign for the Lemons usng a scroll saw?

[Phil Phelps]

Originally posted by Keith Outten
Nice work Phil,

Did you do the sign for the Lemons usng a scroll saw?

Thank you, Keith. I'ts what I do for a living. I specialize in 3-D graphics. Been cutting our letters for 35 yrs. I do all the cutting on a 1956, plunge cut, Delta scroll saw and, a 1960, 17" Craftsman band saw. I have a plotter and lay out the letters in Illustrator, or use the art work from the client.

[Keith Outten]

Phil,

OK, now I'm really impressed. I've spent some time with a scroll saw myself but my hand has never been steady enough to produce scroll work like yours. Letters have to be amoung the most difficult things to produce on a scroll saw. The human eye can catch even the smallest error, like circles and heart shapes.

Very Nice Work!

[John Miliunas]

Originally posted by Keith Outten
Phil,

OK, now I'm really impressed. I've spent some time with a scroll saw myself but my hand has never been steady enough to produce scroll work like yours. Letters have to be amoung the most difficult things to produce on a scroll saw. The human eye can catch even the smallest error, like circles and heart shapes.

Very Nice Work!

"Very Nice Work" doesn't begin to describe it! You should have him show you some of his *nice* stuff! Scroll saw my butt...The guy himself is a regular machine! When I first saw some of his stuff, I though for sure it was with some type of CNC machine or something! :D :cool:

[Keith Outten]

John,

I hear Ya! That's why I asked if Phil did the letters on a scroll saw. I've looked at the picture Phil posted many times, the quality is just awesome.

If Aaron and Phil are both going to enter the sign design contest then I'm just going to sit back and watch. I'm not in their league.

As soon as the smoke clears I will fire up my laser and do some serious cutting/engraving though.

[Ken Garlock]

Phil, post a picture of the TI logo you made for all the lecterns. I had admired them for years, and finally found out who did it, Phil of course.....:)

[Phil Phelps]

Originally posted by Keith Outten
Phil,

OK, now I'm really impressed. I've spent some time with a scroll saw myself but my hand has never been steady enough to produce scroll work like yours. Letters have to be amoung the most difficult things to produce on a scroll saw. The human eye can catch even the smallest error, like circles and heart shapes.

Very Nice Work!
And, thank you again. Now for the hard part. I showed this to Ken Garlock, because he was retireing from TI last year. Technically, it is my first carving project. Remember the Cut-Awl saw I posted earlier this year? Well, I used the blade to cut the square end of the serifs on the TI letters. The knife and the blade were the only tools I used. The veneer is a cherry and, really curly, as you can see by the I in the "bug". Need I tell you it was slow going?

[Jim Baker]

Very impressive.

[Chris Teenor]

I'm certainly not skilled enough to enter this contest, but I might suggest that we have a sign that incorporates the SMC logo to give it some common identity.

[Keith Outten]

I'm not sure what happened to this thread, it seems that long ago we got caught up in a design contest that ended in us making a new sign for Ken Salisbury.

If there is still interest Aaron and I would be glad to work up a design for shop signs that is affordable, something we could run on our CNC router or possibly a dye-sub color sign that we could customise by including the name of each individual. We would need to establish a target budget for the signs, this would allow us to select materials and establish the size of the signs.

[Larry Browning]

Keith,
I think this is a great idea for fund raising for SMC. The sign could be offered along with other SMC logoed items in a store front type page. I was not a member when this post originated back in 2003 but I think this is just a super idea!!!! You could offer hats. T-shirts, golf shirts, coffee mugs, etc.. Along with items geared toward woodworkers like shop aprons.

[Kurt Aebi]

Keith,

Is this still an idea in the works?

I'd be definitely interested in a sign that incorporates teh SMC logo.

[John Miliunas]

Yeah, what the other guys said! :) I'd certainly be interested and thanks for considering it!:) :cool:

[Donnie Raines]

Hey...did'nt the fine print say, "no professional sign makers may enter said contest"..... :D :rolleyes:

[Jim Marshall]

Wow, I am just blown away with your talent!!! The quality of your work is outstanding to say the least.

This contest really has drawn my interest. The lasers have me spellbound. If I were younger I would definitely look into learning to do that. I will be watching this thread.

[Carl Eyman]

Put me down as a probable sign customer.

[Keith Outten]

Honestly I think the signs are a great idea and I would like to proceed with a design to submit. Aaron and I will post a color dye-sublimation sample photo for everyone to view in a couple of days. Anyone who would like to submit artwork or a design please do, everyone's input is welcome.

[Vaughn McMillan]

Sounds like a cool idea. I'll be staying tuned to this station to see how the ideas (and pricing) develop, but I'm pretty sure I'd be interested in a sign.

- Vaughn

[Bob Noles]

Please point me to the end of the line to own one. GREAT idea and I would be proud to hang a shingle on my shop :cool:

[Tom Stovell]

My brother made this sign for me as a Christmas gift long before I had a shop in which to put it. I kid him that he is the reason I had to build a shop, to display his work.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v145/ThosS/benchwork-2009.jpg

[Tyler Howell]

I'm in. Gotta let everybody know all that noise is lagit!;)

[Ken Kirkeby]

I'm in too.

[Jeff Sudmeier]

One more that would be interested :)

[Joe Blankshain]

I would be proud to hang a "shingle" with the SMC logo on it outside of my shop. Thanks for considering the project.:D

[Jim O'Dell]

I'm intrugued by the possibilities shown!! I just saw this thread for the first time. I'm in!!! Jim.

[Gil Mitchell]

count on me too

[Jerry Ingraham]

I'm In for one!