Constructive Criticism Appreciated

[James & Zelma Litzmann]

As many of you know we started back in 2006 with our laser and recently added our CNC. We have only produced a couple of things for sale with our CNC . . . so far. We are just trying to produce things for our shop here in town with this one. This is one inch thick cedar, 10" X 36". Any constructive criticism is much appreciated.

[Bruce Page]

I have no criticism, I think it looks very nice. I do wonder why you made it out of 1" thick material. It would look just as nice out of 1/2".

[James & Zelma Litzmann]

I have no criticism, I think it looks very nice. I do wonder why you made it out of 1" thick material. It would look just as nice out of 1/2".

Just what we had available at the local sawmill.

[phil harold]

with the your cnc can you make the scrolls in 3-d?

ps i know nothing about cnc but would like to own one

[Dennis Ford]

No criticism from me, it looks great. Adding a second layer at the ends would allow for 3D scrolls if you have the software, might make the sign too expensive though.

[Ed Harrall]

I would have added just a little more distance between the line because of the closeness of y to the t in the lower line. I would have also painted the letters black for more pop. But over all a good looking design.

[Dan Hintz]

If you ever redesign it, I'd add a little more curvature to both the board and the lettering... as it stands now, the lettering looks a bit straight compared to the board.

[Keith Outten]

James,

I like your design.
.

[Jerome Stanek]

It is very nice clean and to the point

[Bryan Rocker]

I think it looks good, I do however agree that if you wanted to enhance the scrolls on the end it would look even sharper.


Bryan

[Rich Fennessey]

I like it. Do you know how you would hang it?

I used the identical verse and similar scroll picture on 1/2" birch plywood. I spay painted it and then sanded but I started sanding through the top level veneer showing a reddish hue. It created an interesting effect that you might interpret as aging. Also, you see black paint remnants that I was afraid to sand anymore because of exposing the glue surface. I gave the sign away as part of a craft fair raffle. I think this would work with maple plywood - I use that quite a bit for indoor plaques. I put a picture hanger on the back of this. If I used a paint mask or painted by hand, it would have turned out ok. I did this when I was fairly new to CNC and pretty much dismissed plywood signs until recently. This is the first and only plaque like this that I did - it was truly an experiment.

[James & Zelma Litzmann]

Thanks everyone for your comments. I agree we should have done the 3D, however, we knew it would add more time, so with this one we decided not too, BUT, it is in the plans to do. Spacing between the lines, I will have to either make the scroll larger (wider) or the writing smaller, but I agree the two letters are too close. Curvature, I agree, I tried, but it just started looking distorted, so I'll have to practice on that one. Hangers, since this piece of cedar 1 inch thick and 36 inches long, I just put two hangers on the back.

Thanks again everyone, hopefully we get a 3D plaque completed soon, since we have the machine and software, it sorta seems a waste not to.

[Ed Harrall]

There are different ways to solve the problem.. One way, I might move the the scroll notch on the upper left and then move the top line up a little and also move the lower line down some. I small amount of movement will make a big difference. Or as you stated reduce the text size. For hanging I like use key hole slots on the signs. Very easy to do with Vectrics software using the gadget tools.

[Keith Outten]

James,

Not many people can afford 2.5 or 3D machining so the sign you made will be more typical of what your customers will be requesting. IMO your time is better spent making signs that sell rather than pretty ones that hang on the wall. If your goal is to practice making a more intricate design thats time well spent but you already know that customers who request 3D machining are rare.

You can break the two lines of text apart then just nudge them to increase the distance between the lines. Your text size looks good to me. I agree with Ed that keyholes are the best way to hang most signs and they allow the sign to hang flat on a wall.
.

[James & Zelma Litzmann]

I agree on both, I will try to "remember" the keyholes next time, I just totally forgot to do them until it was done, rather than go back and try to line it up, I just put the hangers this one.

Keith, you are right, we just need to come up with things to sell in our shop, right now . . . or have to close the doors and we really don't want to have to do that.