SIGN MAKING

[coach]

I have been using my shopbot since November, 07.
I have been requested to make a sign with raised letters,,,I got that ok,,,my question is how do you paint this project and remain cost effective?
I think the biggest labor cost will be the maticulous painting of the letters and the board itself without making a mess.
I won't do this if I cannot give excellent quality.
I mainly use the bot for custom laminate tops and custom cabinets.
I appreciate any input out there.
what are the best, inexpensive materials for signs? exterior and interior.
Thank you.
David

[mmccue29]

We mostly cut sign foam HDU. We spray the background color than hand paint the letters. If the letters are flat it is easy to pull a small paint brush to the edge. If your letters are rounded I make a small wall at the bottom giving me a place to pull the paint to.
Hope I answered your questions

[dewey_dog]

I just completed a sign that I cut a pocket for the letters on the board that was about .01 deep, just enough to position them. I painted the letters seperate from the background then glued them on. Makes painting much easier. Hope this helps.

[joe]

Lets not overlook the most important step in making a nice clean looking sign. The Design.

While painting and pocketing letters seperately is a proven time saver, the real task at hand is the layout and design. Even a small simple sign can be a delight to the eyes with a little extra effort.

The point is, the best materials and techniques are of little assistance without a good layout.




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[stockbub]

Joe, What material did you use and are the letters recessed into the back portion for exact placemenet and how do you cut letters out so small without them moving. I love how this looks and want to make my own personalsign like this.

[joe]

Martin, it's very easy.

At our little shop we use the inset letter technique on many of our signs. Here are a couple hints.

First we never use a vacuum. Our letters are held in place with bridges, two per letter. The above letters are made from Extira but PVC is also a good choice. I like the Extira when doing round over letters becaue it's so easy to sand.

I've grown fond of texturing my letters with exterior spackle. Then, lightly sanded, primed and painted. The texture give a custom look. Give this a try and let me know what you think.

I give extra room around the letters. That is about 1/8" clearance on all sides. They easily plop down a 1/4" in the background. Painting them first of course.

This extra clearance tellegraphs to the casual observer the letters are in the sign, not just setting on top.

Good luck with the sign.

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

[randall_e]

Joe, Great looking sign. Did you use sign foam for the background or is it Extira? Looks like it was sandblasted using the grain frame.

[joe]

That's right Randall.

We used 15lb.Precision Board for the panel and Extira for the letters.

This is a old sign which we posted the step by step about three years ago. The lettering is gilded and the fluted posts are from Extira.

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