Creative Examples needed

[joe]

Wouldn't it be refreshing to have a few really creative examples of work being done? Seldom seen.


After all this equipment has the potential for exciting and inspiring posts. At one time we enjoyed many creative idea's and posts. The topics covered finishing materials and techniques along with the in's and out of different carving substrates.
O well.

www.normansignco.com (http://www.normansignco.com)

[Greencarvings]

https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/20448898_1536338249773737_8326685461329280607_o.jp g?oh=f2b33abb8b7ecc6ae272993829b9f1bb&oe=5A282D68

https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/20292661_1536338326440396_5664094540575863461_n.jp g?oh=733d78b20840d11e7024bd8bf035d484&oe=59F593FC

https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/13517582_1069313203142913_3334791505399975630_o.jp g?oh=2e757d6961fd90da8522031ebe92cb4e&oe=5A285DF6

https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/13063482_1023567651050802_4442796309338709697_o.jp g?oh=f5f20bc9dae25cd0e439a3db43baa6ea&oe=5A38FBBD

[Greencarvings]

https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/p720x720/12513735_993704680703766_3062784424147470446_o.jpg ?oh=2e98059c951759eea992289c3ba3035f&oe=5A2CC32C

https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/12814194_986972834710284_603357230761440136_n.jpg? oh=62fe97b5b247eaa3deb9130eb65919a9&oe=5A22E8E6

https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/p720x720/12795250_983597418381159_8358521910453399840_o.jpg ?oh=43631ecfb5613c3899d55d2379568487&oe=5A2FD144

https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/12047156_913797708694464_1284571565397963740_n.jpg ?oh=8ae4911164a7e4b77035db02556a2658&oe=59F11735

[joe]

Patrick,

Thanks for posting. Would you be interested in sharing more information about the signs and what you do? I can tell from the photo's you have lots of knowledge and skills.

[Greencarvings]

Joe,

I make signs! LOL!

Well, back prior to 2008 I was in the aquarium business making things out of acrylic for life support equipment for saltwater reef aquariums. In 2008 I built my router to cut acrylic parts as I was paying a lot of money for a local shop to do it. I started with a $100 cheap chop saw and a cheap hand held router, piece of counter top and some 2X4's for a bench. I equipped my entire shop before the recession hit. Since reef aquariums are a luxury item there I sat with a shop full of equipment and no idea how to even use a CNC router other than I purchased Aspire.

So just as we were about to enter a period of recovery in the economy, I met Rodger McMunn and the rest is history.

I do a lot with 5050 smd LED water proof strips. The Electrical union sign is completely solar powered which was a true learning curve in solar controllers etc etc. It runs 2 hours after sunset and 2 hours before sunrise.

I also have a 3X2 laser that I imported from china and I do a mixture of router and laser to do the acrylic signs. My favorite are the lit acrylic signs such as ANNA's and the 1915.

The rest, I have to say, well I learned from you reading this forum. Rodger does a lot of brush work and when I read about your pocketing technique I went for it.

The electrical sign while solar powered uses a 5050 SMD strip, as well as flicker LED's to give the lightning bolts the effect of actually striking.

It was the first sign I built out of PVC after reading your posting about it. Actually it is built up of PVC, 1/2" acrylic and dibond with the hand being a 3D model of HDU.

I still like extira and PVC, I am going to do an MDO sign here and try Dave Correl's version of peel bond on the edges to seal it.

I also want to check into your sherwin williams texture technique. So many things to try and learn and not much time to do it all.

I push myself with every sign. Always something different. Always a new technique and sometimes it costs me in materials and sometimes it works out.

[joe]

Thanks for the newsy reply,

Good to know you are a friend of Roger. Haven't talked to him in some time.

Yep, it's true there are so many techniques to learn and experiment with. One of the materials I've left behind is Extira. Except for my concrete casting clients I've left it behind. It's not held up very well for exterior work.

One of my favorite surface effects is the use of Sculpt Nouveau. If you want to give it a try, the solution B is the way to go.

Once again thanks for the post.

[joe]

In general there's no photo's showing what Shopbotters are doing. What happened?

[Walt_S]

In general there's no photo's showing what Shopbotters are doing. What happened?

I'm not sure, and I'm not sure what you're looking for with "signs", Joe. My idea of signs and your idea of signs are two hugely different things, at least in practice. You make huge commercial signs that I will never in my lifetime get anywhere near. I make small personal signs and plaques for people to display in their backyards, camping, maybe by their mailbox, in their living rooms, etc. So what you do, with all your incredible talent, really doesn't apply to what I do, with my very little newbie talent. I read your posts anyway, becaue just reading and seeing what you do is inspiring. So I feel no reason to post my stuff, as it's a lot of "the same old stuff people are peddling on Etsy". And speaking of Etsy, that's another reason I don't like to post, there are SO many people out there who are just waiting for a new idea, my idea maybe, for a new sign, so they can crank some out and literally give them away. Have you looked there lately and the prices that are being asked??? I refuse to give my work away. I hate Etsy, but in my small corner of the market i have to be there. I get a few sales, selling for less than I really want to, but if I posted for what I want to, I wouldn't sell anything there. On my own website it is different, but the two clash at some point. All tha said, here is something I just did for a friend who gave it to her friend as a house warming gift. Her question to me was, "can you do something with Lucky's Landing and a pelican for a friend who just bought a house on the water?" That was it, I knew nothing else. I threw this together in about an hour and sent it to her as a "here's an idea for starters, where do we go from here?" and she was thrilled just as it was and asked only if I could add their name and how soon I could have it ready? And she was happy to pay me what I wanted for it. :) Nothing fany, nothing earth shattering, pretty plain and boring to many probably and I doubt anyone here will be inspired by it, but it is what it is, and there you have it. :)
30577

[joe]

Walt,

Beautiful Sign.

I completely agree with your post but my question was not for signs, it was about general postings. Why don't people show what they are doing?

I'm full well aware there's no one doing what I am. And I don't expect anyone to engage at this level. I will tell anyone how I go about making my product all they have to do is ask. Not only that I give my competition the prices I charge. I'm an open book when it comes to secrecy. But I don't expect anyone else to follow.

Let me also say I like your product and admire your business. But what I don't understand is why there so many posts on the forum with few examples of what's being produced. Nothing is more inspiring than pictures and examples.

[Walt_S]

I don't know, that's a good question. And thank you! I too enjoy looking at what others are doing. It gives you ideas, inspirations, or just say "oh wow, that's awesome". I belong to this and the Vectric forum, and it seems there are many more over there who are willing to just post what they are doing out of the blue. Granted the user base is much larger, but other than that you have a good question. Every post doesn't necessarilly have to be a question about something IMO.

[scottp55]

Pretty sure this isn't what you meant Joe, BUT..
Went to an unofficial New England Vectric "Meet and Greet" at Leo's in Mass. 2 Saturdays ago(wonderful informal get together!), and made 10 Bloodwood key fobs for people to take home.
Michael M's "Small Celtic Dragon" model;
http://forum.vectric.com/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=27678

NOT the best pic to show the wonderful detail of the model though:(
I have 2 left that are getting the full 6 coats...will take close up pics of one later.
Also 2 little Bloodwoods I did for a guy in Texas, to match a much larger "Tree" that he did for a cancer fund raiser, and his wife made him take the winning bid so she could have it at home. :)
scott

[Chuck Keysor]

Hello Joe. I appreciate your request for people to show what they have made, as I do like to see the designs people come up with. I personally haven't made anything on my Shopbot this year, as I have been sidelined with other things. But as exampleshttp://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=30586&stc=1 of some interesting designs, I found these two carvings on auction sites and simply offer them as examples of designs that I think others will also admire. http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=30585&stc=1 Chuck

[joe]

Thanks for posting guys,

Chuck, those are complex carving. Beautiful.

Scott, I think it's good to see what everyone, anywhere is doing. Glad you spend the time going to these e It's always a treat to look over your carvings. You're one of the few guys, down in the trenches, who knows how to produce quality work.

I'm suspicious the reason for so few examples of routing being done is low production. Which is saying most of the current guys aren't doing much. One thing for sure, those of us running businesses are after it every day. For example, today I'll be using a sanding mop and hand held router for half the day. Tomorrow is a Sikkens stain and painting. This will take a couple of days between coats. Then it's down to inserting letters in their sockets.

It's all lots of fun and takes a little time. If I didn't have a business and customers with expectation, I'd probably be setting on my back side.

[BJRphbow]

Not your typical sign, but …
Where I work, we sell admission tickets with a time stamp for entry. The old system for informing the visitors which tickets were entering was a dry erase board on an A-frame base. It was a pretty sad and dilapidated system. I was tasked with designing and fabricating a sign that could tastefully and easily inform the public of the entry time (in increments of 15 minutes) while maintaining the current signage standard of a substrate of no more than ½” thick. I came up with the following sign made from phenolic, solid surfacing and aluminum. The white discs of varying size inside are HDPE to reduce friction during rotation and prevent scratching between faces. The ½” diameter metallic discs are inlayed neodymium magnets to help register the dial location for aligning the numbers in the windows. The sign was designed to be located outdoors, so I modified some stainless steel bathroom stall hinges that allowed the sign to be lifted up and off its post for storage indoors during the night to prevent vandalism (a frequent occurrence).
http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=30595&stc=1http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=30596&stc=1http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=30597&stc=1http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=30598&stc=1

[BJRphbow]

http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=30599&stc=1http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=30600&stc=1

[BJRphbow]

Sorry pics are so freakishly big ... not sure how to remedy.

[joe]

Try reducing your photo's with "Photo Pad Image Editor". It's a free download.