Quick Sign

[pro70z28]

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/910/moolamoolashoppingmall.jpg (http://img97.imageshack.us/i/moolamoolashoppingmall.jpg/)

I cut this sign out of 2" Styrofoam today and sprayed it with rattle can latex. I wasn't sure if Styrofoam would cut clean but it wasn't too bad. The rough texture sorta' works to make it look like stucco. It's a little fragile so I think I'll have to glue a couple strips of plywood across the back after it dries to stiffen it up some.
This is a sign for the upcoming Children's Christmas program at church, so it's a one time use deal. I have about 18 bux invested and a little time.

[bleeth]

Gary:
The sign looks really cool. Note that when Image Shack opened it brought several pop ups and tried to install some "junk" on my computer. You should find a different photo server.

[joe]

Gary,

Good going. Like you, were working with more and more of this material. Since our work is primairly outside, a hardcoat is necessary but this foam has lots of potential.

Prof. Rosenbleeth has a good point. I allways listen to him.

[pro70z28]

Thanks Dave & Joe. Sorry about the pop-ups.
Well, it looks like I have to look for another image host. I really like photobucket but I've maxed out my account there. I really don't want to spend money for a pro account.
Any suggestions for a good (free) hosting site out there?

[pro70z28]

Joe. What do you use for a hard coat?

[joe]

For this kind of use I'd suggest purchasing exterior texture coating. It's now available at most paint stores. This works well for wall signs or wall applied letters.

When making ground signs you will need a much tougher, harder surface. But for what you're up to the texture, stucco, materials will work fine.

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

[ghostcreek]

Nice project Gary. Excuse my ignorance, but what type of styrofoam? I am trying to expand my material possibilities (just now playing with HDU).

Joe, could you expand a little on the "Exterior Texture Coating"? Thanks in advance.

[pro70z28]

Michael. This was done with Styrofoam. The cheap stuff like cups are made of. Cut from a 4'x8'x2'' sheet @ $9.99 a sheet. I had to glue a couple strips of 1/2" plywood to the back because it is very flimsy. It doesn't cut clean like HDU but for this sign it worked out well. This sign will be used indoors... a one time use deal, so I wanted to keep cost to a minimum.

[pro70z28]

I'm excited now.....I just ordered Aspire. This should be fun.......!!!!!!

[coach]

kool looking sign.
I have cut a few 3D files from 2" styrofoam.
They were in turn hard coated.
They are now hanging on City Hall in Melbourne Fl. I would ask the guy I cut them for how they were hardcoated but you will get better info here.

[joe]

Michael,

In the past four or five years mos major paint company's make exterior texturing stucco's. They come with a choice of textures. I usually order the sand texture. There's actually sand in it.

For my larger signs which have been hardened off, I hopper gun sevseral coats of stucco. It must be applied in light coats. It will in time, two weeks, get very hard.

Joe
www.normansignco.com (http://www.normansignco.com)
6012

[bleeth]

I think a lot of people use flickr.
If I'm "Prof." than Joe is the Doc!!

[joe]

Prof Rosenbleeth, what is "Flickr"?

[myxpykalix]

Isn't that a horse?

[navigator7]

Several years ago I was looking at getting into the CNC foam cutting biz.
On architectural stuff, they run the part through a cementious filled bath. Bottom line: its cheap but a mess.

That new spray plastic has gotta have it all over anything cementitious.

[pro70z28]

Dave. I'll have to check out Flickr.
Strange thing happened. I deleted about 1/2 my oldest photos from photobucket to shrink my bandwidth space. It didn't make any difference and all my photobucket links were broken. That was a week or 2 ago. A day or so ago all of a sudden the links were restored and photobucket works again. It must have just taken time for photobucket to notice my leaner bandwidth. So, for now I'll probably stick with them, but I'll keep Flickr saved, maybe use both. Thanks for the suggestion Dave.

[bleeth]

Doctor Crumley: It's a photo sharing site.

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

That is where Bill posts the Shopbot camp photos.

Go there and search Shopbot!!!