a few signs... it was inevitable!

[Ajcoholic]

Today I was working on pricing some cabinet work... started thinking about the bot' so I turned on the computer and fired off a few simple signs.

#1 is for my neighbors. My shop is out in the country, and the next property over live a nice couple. I wanted to make them something simple they can hang out at the end of their drive.

Western red cedar, painted the background black and gave the sign a coat of Sikens finish.



#2 is taken from my shop logo (which is an old wooden handplane with my company name on it).

I just grabbed a piece of white pine, and stained it after it was cut. Yes, it is rough - but after a few days with the new machine it was inevitable that I try and whack out a few signs



I actually plan to try and make some nicer samples - and show them around to some of my clients (that I have done furniture and cabinet work for). You never know - there may be a demand around here for some wooden Vcarved signage!

AJC

[Rick W]

Andrew,

I have been watching your posts and you are a born natural. I never cut anything but styrofoam for the longest time, chicken I guess. You know about a year ago I was in your position, waiting for my buddy, I could feel your suspence.
I had the same only after the truck left I opened the crate and it was the wrong buddy (unbelieveable!!!) Had to wait another month for my real one!!!!
Anyhow, just wanted to say keep up the good work, I enjoy seeing your work and progress.

Rik

[Ajcoholic]

Rick, I think having gotten Aspire the day I paid for my machine, and then working with it almost daily (well, at least 5 nights a week) for the 5 weeks I had to wait both allowed me to get a grasp on what I was going to be doing, and also think of some projects to work on when I received the machine.

I looked at some of the videos and worked through the tutorials as well. And of course, I lurked here for months previous to actually buying the machine and there is a ton of info to be had from the various posters.

I first saw a Shopbot in real life last summer, at the Las Vegas AWFS woodworking show (I went specifically to talk to someone from Shopbot and see the machines, and software - and spent an hour talking to one of the guys there). I was hooked...

But, I have to say having the machine for less than a week, and only running it for a few hours... it has exceeded my expectations in terms of ease of use, and how I have been able to make usable stuff right off the bat.

Now, if they sent the wrong machine all the way to Northern Ontario... I guess I would have been a little miffed! Unless it was a big one with the tool changer - I'd have just kept my mouth shut!

AJC

[Rick W]

Hey Andrew,

They sent the wrong machine all the way to B.C., and yes it was better than my machine. I have a router, the one they sent was a spindle ( 3 phase though ).
About 10 min after I realized they had sent the wrong machine shopbot phoned me and said don't open the crate (too late). The people at shopbot handled the whole thing great. My biggest problem was getting those huge crates off and on the trucks without a forklift (not fun).

Rik

[David Iannone]

Andrew,
Great job with your new tool. You are by far doing more than most (or at least me) in your first week with your bot. It took me many weeks to get cutting usable stuff, and lots of wasted MDF test material. But that was back in 2001. Vectric is available now and makes a great product with great tutorials. I have V-Carve Pro, but cant spring for the Aspire upgrade yet. Good for you for doing your homework and setting your goals for when your Bot rolled into your shop. Keep up the great work and keep posting.

Dave

[Ajcoholic]

Well, after several weeks I am trying to revisit signs. I have a trade show (for my furniture products) coming up and I have decided I will make up some sample wood signs just to fill my booth, and show people what is possibly available vs the vinyl stuff everyone else is doing.

NO ONE around here is cutting wood signage, and there are tons of lakes & cottage/homes, as well as a lot of rural homes all around the city.

Please be gentle, I am just trying this stuff and I am also brand new to the design of signs. I hope to learn a lot of things by trying different types of cuts, and shapes, etc.

Here is one, for the show. I will be painting the lettering. Cut from a 24" by 48" by 1.4" white pine slab I laminated...

[Ajcoholic]

This one I just was fooling with Aspire, trying to create a 3D domed shape on an ellipse.

Also 1.4" depth, about 38" by 12"

I will paint this up, but will cut out the ellipse and mount it onto another board I plan to make up. A work in progress...

It is hard to see the 3D shape on the computer. Looks pretty cool in real life.





AJC

PS I had a chip in the "I" so I glued a piece of pine and reshaped it by hand

[Ajcoholic]

PS I cut the last sign first (roughing) with a 1/4" endmill, and did the finish cut with an extended length 1/4" ball end mill.

Took about 1 hour and 40 minutes.

AJC

[chiloquinruss]

Andrew, great signs! A couple of comments about signs if you ask Ted he will tell you at some point in time all Botters are in the sign biz! One of the recurring comments in most of the sign related posts is that most customers have no idea what cnc is and frankly don't care. So the one sign with cnc on it would serve your custom business better is the custom made was bigger and the cnc went away. Just my observations from being on the forum for awhile. My customers only find out about the tools in the shop if they care to visit it. Please keep up your entusiastic postings some of us need that shot in the arm on occasion! Russ

[Ajcoholic]

Andrew, great signs! A couple of comments about signs if you ask Ted he will tell you at some point in time all Botters are in the sign biz! One of the recurring comments in most of the sign related posts is that most customers have no idea what cnc is and frankly don't care. So the one sign with cnc on it would serve your custom business better is the custom made was bigger and the cnc went away. Just my observations from being on the forum for awhile. My customers only find out about the tools in the shop if they care to visit it. Please keep up your entusiastic postings some of us need that shot in the arm on occasion! Russ

Russ, I see your point... I was just fooling around late last night

One thing - I do NOT want to be a "sign maker" per say, I have my hands full with my custom woodworking business. That being said, I love to offer any wood product that I can to my customers, and many I work for live in areas that cry out for a nice sign... And I am always looking for ways to bring an extra dollar or two into my shop.

I always listen to advice... and appreciate it!

AJC