Conference Room Door Signs

[Keith Outten]

Here is a couple door signs I recently made. The 28" long wooden plaques were CNC routed from cherry, stained to match the existing mill work and finished with laquer. The text was laser cut using black acrylic for the backing and gold acrylic mirror.

[Karin Voorhis]

Wow that it some nice work and combinations with the wood and acrylic stack. I really like that. Nice as also.....

[Mike Null]

Keith:
Beautiful job. What's the brand of the gold acrylic?

[Shari Loveless]

Keith,

I never thought about mixing acrylic with wood. You did a great job and it looks very classy.

thanks for sharing,
Shari

[Keith Outten]

Mike,

I purchase Acrylite acrylic from a local supplier, they had to order the gold mirror but it was worth the wait. It looks just like the real thing, clear as a bell and I am now thinking of lots of other projects to use it. I might make some regular mirrors with it using the dark stained cherry which would definately be different. (120 bucks for a four by eight by 1/8" sheet)

Shari,

Thanks, I made twelve of these for the conference rooms, ball room and the boardroom at the new Student Union at Christopher Newport University. I was orginally asked to make them from brass, I submitted this design and they really liked the look and there is no maintenance.

.

[Scott Perry]

Keith, would you mind telling us the your costs and the customer's cost?

[Joe Pelonio]

Beautiful work, Keith! The gold with the dark would is a great combo. I'm curious, did you paint the edges of the gold mirror at all, or just leave it?

[Keith Outten]

Scott,

I bought the gold mirror at 120 bucks for the sheet and I used about 2 square feet. The black acrylic I had in my shop left over from another job and the cherry was scrap left over from the building construction. My total cost was probably under twenty bucks per sign which includes the adhesive.

I have recently accepted a job with Christopher Newport University as the University Sign Maker and Engraver so their cost is basically my salary. I am in the process of setting up a new sign shop now at CNU. I ordered a Laser Engraver and ShopBot CNC router a couple of weeks ago and I am now putting together a list of other tools and supplies that I will need to open the new shop. If I had made these in my shop for a customer I would have charged in the neighborhood of $300 each, installed.

At the same time I still have my sign shop open for business, it will be a part time business for me for the next few years. CNU has a 600 million dollar construction program that is about 50% complete now, it will take another ten years to finish the building program they have planned. I am 55 years old so the schedule fits us both and the work opportunity is incredible. I will have the best equipment and most expensive materials to work with and have the opportunity to design and build very high end signs plus custom fabrication jobs in support of the construction program. Its not about the money, there is plenty of opportunity to make a handsome annual salary just working part time in the sign business with the right equipment.

Joe,

I didn't paint the edges of the gold mirror. As you know laser cut acrylic leaves a mirror smooth finish so the edges didn't require any coating for this project.

.

[Scott Perry]

Keith, guess my second post didn't post. Anyway, thanks and your signs are great looking. Good luck in your new job. Later I would like to pick your brain about CNC routers.

Scott

[Keith Outten]

Keith, guess my second post didn't post. Anyway, thanks and your signs are great looking. Good luck in your new job. Later I would like to pick your brain about CNC routers.

Scott

Scott,

I would be glad to tell you what I know about my CNC router, sadly it won't take long. Although I have owned mine for almost two years I can't say that I know much about the machine. Unlike most newbies to CNC work I have figured a way to overcome the steep learning curve and not let it keep me from making my router a productive machine. In spite of my lack of knowledge I have been able to route simple shapes and combine routing with laser engraving to obtain some stunning results that have been profitable.

Experience with my ShopBot will come in time and I am looking forward to producing some very detailed signs. I have several coming up at CNU that will be multi-layer/color Corian signs with custom wrought iron hangers that should be real eye poppers.

Contact me via Private Message and I would be glad to provide my cell phone number. You can't beat a ShopBot Personal Robotic Tool for the money or the capability it will add to your workshop. The new ShopBot we just ordered for CNU has a 4HP Spindle, mine has a Porter Cable 7518 router so the two machines although identical otherwise will be interesting to operate.

.

[David Harvey]

Keith, really good work on the plaques and a clever way of combining CNC and laser.
One question, ...what did you use to fasten the lettering to the wood with?

David

[Keith Outten]

Keith, really good work on the plaques and a clever way of combining CNC and laser.
One question, ...what did you use to fasten the lettering to the wood with?

David

Thanks David.

I used Loctite Power Grab, never leave home without it

I also use Power Grab to mount signs, depending on the design and the installation surface. Even if I machine keyholes in the back of wood or Corian I will use a dab of Power Grab to keep my signs from being removed by Students who think they need them in their dorm rooms

For light duty signs I use 3M double sided tape combined with Power Grab. The tape will hold the sign in place long enough for the adhesive to set.

For acrylic to acrylic I use IPS Weld On number 4, Power Grab or sometimes Shoe Goo. Shoe Goo is more elastic than Power Grab and works in some situations better than other adhesives.

.

[Keith Outten]

Below is a mockup which is a variation of the same sign design, the text is identical but the plaque is Dupont Corian and I made changes to the plaque detail. I have several signs to design that will be placed in dining areas, these must be easy to keep clean and meet the local health code.

Although I like the look I think I will machine beveled text from a contrasting Corian color which would make the signs more durable and even dishwasher safe I could use the routers engrave function to machine the text but it would be necessary to paint fill the text and I prefer these signs to be absolutely maintenance free.

Back to the drawing board.