Raster Braille

[jbworden]

Is anyone using their Shopbot to install Raster Braille dots? Anything I should be aware of before I spend a small fortune buying the license?

[myxpykalix]

Isn't briale just like the blind alphabet? And why would you have to license the alphabet?

[ljdm]

Bad taste, I know, but...........if you are talking about spending a small fortune, be careful they don't rob you blind? Sorry, had to do that.

[knight_toolworks]

reading how guys with lasers do it. they drill a hole and glue small plastic balls in place. this is far easier then trying to carve out bumps. we can carve faster then a laser but still drilling holes and gluing beads is pretty fast.

[dana_swift]

Jim, why not buy a braille font and VCarve it using a ball nose, then glue in balls like Steve suggests.

Might save some cash-

D

[knight_toolworks]

it's not just the font you need. it has to be sized right and I can't remember but I think grade two or is it three. a font won't give you that.
the different grades are like shorthand. no way would you be able to fit the text with grade one braille it is just too bulky. you should see the size of grade two books my wife gets.
I would use a straight bit as it gives you a little room for glue to fill.

[chodges]

We are a sign company, so we produce a LOT of braille on signs.

Our experience with the acrylic balls is that they are too easy to pop out with meddling fingernails, and they are a real pain to use in fabrication.

Instead, we use a grade 2 braille font and a flat-bottom 1/8" bit to remove a rectangular background 1/32" deep around the braille dots. This produces braille that won't come off the sign face, and it looks very clean.

Since there is no ADA requirement that braille dots have a rounded or domed top shape like some people would tell you to sell their "system," we have never had any signs rejected making our braille like I described.

Just be sure your braille characters are 5/8" tall and at least 3/8" away from any other text, graphic, or the edge of your sign face - those ARE elements required by ADA.

[jbworden]

For those of you not familiar with the Raster Braille system it is the method (a method?) of drilling small holes and inserting an acrylic bead (dot) into the hole. For the $2000 license you get a jar of beada, an insertion device, a couple of drill/engraving bits, a book on how to make ADA signs, some advertising, and the right to use their system... one one machine. Probably worth about $100 or so. If someone can direct me to another source for the beads and the inserter I would gladly bypass these bandits. The license does not cover the Braille alphabet, just the method of implanting the dots.

We have the bit set (from Gerber, I think) to engrave the Braille in basically the smae manner that Charles describes. They even give the dots the rounded tops. But the final result is not nearly as polished looking as the Raster Braille. We are selling perceived value here so we want our new signs to match the existing signs in all of the buildings we produce signage for.

[bryson]

Jim, McMaster Carr has them listed as acrylic balls.
Bryson

[donclifton]

You can buy a braille cutter at bur-lane.
Thanks
Donald Clifton
Daytona Sign-Tech, inc.

[blackhawk]

I have a little knowledge on patents. ("little" being the key word). It looks like Gravograph has us on the raster method of inserting balls into drilled holes. I believe that i found the patent (5,720,616). It looks like any method of drilling holes and inserting a ball or pin into that hole for Braille is covered. Without buying the license, it looks like routing them out per Charlies method is the only legal method, at least for another 9 years when the patent runs out.

Charlie - How do you toolpath the braille letters? Is there some type of font that can be typed in like Dana suggested versus drawing out the individual dots?

[gabepari]

I only scanned all the legal mumbo jumbo, but all I could find was mention of an "elongated pin member", nothing about a ball.

Anyways, how can they patent sticking a pin in a hole? Thats how the braille signs at my highschool were made, in the 80's. And the patent was filed in 1996??

I guess I don't get it


Gabe

[chodges]

Brad;

We use engraving machines that are operated by Xenetech controllers. These controllers come with a grade 2 braille font. We just type the letters in Arial, etc., then change the font type to braille.

Another way to do this (this works great in Corel on our Epilog laser) is to buy a braille font, like the one found at http://www.vershen.com/psgcatal.html (scroll down to the heading "Braille grade 2") for $110.

Define a rectangle around the braille characters and pocket toolpath the area inside the rectangle and outside the braille dots 1/32" deep.

[keith_outten]

I make ADA door signs from Dupont Corian. These are cut on the ShopBot then the text and braille is laser engraved.
5983

[keith_outten]

My description of the Corian door signs leaves a bit to be desired, I will try to expand on the technique I use.

Laser engraving the text, graphics and braille holes is done by setting the speed and power of the laser so the resulting holes are 1/32" deep. I laser cut the sail graphics and all of the numerals and letters from 1/16" thick engraving plastic sheet and use CA glue to bond everything except the acrylic braille balls to the sign blank. This leaves everything standing proud of the top surface by 1/32" which is required by ADA/COFR.

Since the Corian is 1/2" thick I machine two keyholes in the back of the sign blank for hanging. The end result is a very durable sign that will last for many decades. I use construction adhesive on the back between the two keyholes when the signs are hung in an area where they have been previously removed by students who like to keep them for souvenirs.

.

[joe]

Just my thoughts on Brail:

Yesterday I signed a contract with Royal Oaks Retirement for a complete interior and exterior sign package which includes 80 ADA signs. We've been fortunate to complete four of these so far but after the first one, I knew we could make more money by jobbing the brail out.

We send our carved, frosted plex panels to Debo Graphics. A few days later they return with lazer graphics and raised brail dots, ready to install.

I have no patience, for dirlling and applying those little plastic dooies. I'm so glad there are folks offering these services.

There's always a few strageling panels to be made after the job is completed. I get an agreement with the client to send these to another vendor. At that point we consider the work complete. I've found those straggeling little panels are a financial loss even at twice the price.

Bur-Lane is a good company to deal with. They also have a sample book of materials from Rohm Haas which is dazzeling. I think it costs $40.

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

[keith_outten]

Steve,

The font size is 24 point. Should you want to use your ShopBot you could drill the braille holes with a 62 thousandths drill bit.

There is a Grade2 Braille interpreter that is available for free from the NIB, check their web site.
.

[eaglesplsh]

Just out of curiosity I took at look a the patent Brad refers to (5,720,616)

It is limited in 2 specific ways:

First, it only covers putting an "elongate pin member" in the holes. Second, the pins must have "a hemispherically rounded end".

So, if you use a ball that is perfectly round and not elongated, or a pin that doesn't have a hemisphere on the end of it, this patent shouldn't apply to what you're doing.

To answer Gabe's question - patent lawyers make money on writing patents, so if you ask one about patenting your great idea they'll probably tell you it can and should be done. They'll probably be able to get that patent approved by the patent office, too. BUT, in order to be approved they need to provide a description of how your "great idea" is unique from all other ideas already out there. To meet this "unique" requirement they often have to limit the patent to only cover products that include a long list of specific details - such as pins with hemispherically rounded ends".

[harryball]

I checked the signs in the building during a Doctor's visit, the braille is sitting in an area cleared region and the dots are flat on top. It looks like the job was done with a flat bottom V bit of some kind. I wouldn't call them "classy" signs but they looked professional and clean. I can't imagine gluing little balls into holes, that'd drive me nuts.

/RB

[joe]

R Ball,

That's not the way it's done. Once the holes are drilled there's a application gun, looks something like a hot gule gun which is used to insert the plastic dots. The process isn't that difficult but boaarrrring.

Joe

[wcsg]

The only thing Accent Signage has a patent on for their Raster Braille License is the Braille insert tool, the pen and automation tool.

You can buy other braille balls from other less expensive vendors like http://www.brailleballs.com/order.asp

It's just easier and time saving to insert the braille using this tool and getting support. They even offer wholesale pricing to license users.

There is also different braille spacing as well. I do mostly ADA compliant signs here in CA, we have California Braille which is spaced differently than the standard that the Library of congress calls out for. CA is leading the way and most states are seeming to adapt CA's standards.

Anyone interested in this typ of work, there is a lot of reading and understanding of codes that different states may require.

I recommend picking up a book by Sharon Toji from Access Communications.

I've never had a issue with these balls popping out of acrlic or plastic face signs, just with metal face signs. In that case I will lay a strip of transfer tape over the area where the holes have been drilled prior to inserting the beads. I've never used a laser for holes, so that might make the hole area slight larger.

Doing all this work on your router table, you'll have to make sure you really have it dialed in. I'd recommend cutting all your profiles on the table and buy a engraver for the tactile profiling and hole dilling.

For braille II translation which is the short hand form, I'd buy the translation software by Duxbury.