Extra long carved sign

[jim shula]

I was requested to quote a sign for the front wall of a restaurant. The sign measures 3' high by 14' wide and will be carved/painted. My shopbot has a 5'x10' table so I can't make it all one piece. The material is to be HDU.

If I carve the sign in two halves, what is the best way to join the two halves together for a seamless fit. I plan to paint the two halves before I carve them, so that prevents sanding the joint flush when I join them together.

[jerry_stanek]

I would make the joint before I cut it and index the cut once you get it on the table.

[jim shula]

Hi Jerry,

I'm not worried about getting the carvings to line up. I would layout the vectors on a 14' piece of stock in Aspire then cut the vectors where I want the joint to be.

I'm thinking more about how they will be joined on the job site so you can't see the join. I would cut biscuit slots for #20 biscuits and use epoxy to get the butt joint to line up unless there's a better way to do this.

[jerry_stanek]

If you join them before you cut it then you won't have to up worry about lining up and seeing the seam. I mean make it one long piece.

[jim shula]

My table is 10' long. The sign is 14' long.

[gc3]

tiled toolpaths...

[sneakers]

I would join the HDU first with gorilla glue then cut the sign by indexing. Do not end or begin the indexed cut at the joint and you will never see the joint. I do this all the time with a 4x8 table.
Hope this helps.
Gary

[Joe Porter]

Jim, look on the Aspire-V-Carve website for training/tutorials, and look for "Tiling". You draw the whole project as one piece and tile the output so you can index the 14' work piece on a 10' table...joe