View Full Version : A Little Something For Myself, Kinda....
I made this Falcons Fan Plaque this week just killing time. I used 3/4" PVC and fleck stone spray paint as my base color and sprayed the whole plaque with it, going for that "carved in stone" look. After the fleck stone dried, I rolled and brushed on the red, metallic silver, white and black. It's 22" in diameter and was a breeze to cut and paint. The bolt heads on each side are carved and fake, of course, as it hangs with picture wire on the back.
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f332/Superfan52/falconplaque001.jpg
Anyways, no big deal, but I posted this pic on the Atlanta Falcons message boards last night and already have 5 confirmed orders @ $175.00 ea. plus shipping for individual personalized plaques! Sports fans will always spend money, I tell ya.
Fleck stone spray paint has been around a while, as has Krylon Fusion for plastics, but I was surprised to see the new(?) metallic spray paints available. Gold, bronze, brass, copper, silver, etc. These could be quite handy for small jobs, especially when ya don't feel like cleaning out a gun again!;)
Has anyone said anything about the use of the logo ? Looks great .
dvmike
04-03-2010, 12:10 AM
Looks really cool !
Might want to check on the licensing though.:cool:
Has anyone said anything about the use of the logo ? Looks great .
Thanks, Gene. I actually work for the Falcons part time as their official cartoonist and have full rights to my work and any replication of their logo by contract. I'm making one plaque for my Falcons boss to hang in his office as a favor. Hopefully, Arthur Blank (the owner of the Falcons and co-founder of Home Depot), will see it and want one too. THAT one will be $5,000.00! :-)
(http://superfan.blogs.atlantafalcons.com/)
Cool, didnt know that you are in the click. Do you have one of them fancy box seats at the games? Hopefully this will get into the catalog for fans to order ( at a modest profit) . Good luck:)
Cool, didnt know that you are in the click. Do you have one of them fancy box seats at the games? Hopefully this will get into the catalog for fans to order ( at a modest profit) . Good luck:)
Haha, they give me season tickets for 2 as part of my pay, but the seats ain't in no box seats!:rolleyes:
They have their own Falcons merchandising department. If I can get in with that, it could be a very, very good thing. The KEY to this endeavor is personalizing the plaques. There is TONS of NFL gear and paraphernalia out there, but very little of it can be personalized. You can order a personalized jersey, but that will set you back about $250.00 clams. Folks buy 'em, though. Sports fans are nuts,...almost as crazy as I am!;)
Excellent post Mark,
Once again you've shown us how inventive you can be. Posting your sample on their Message Board is brilliant. I hope you get lots of orders.
I've also moved over to PVC from HDU. It will carry twice the detail and is several times tougher and at a fourth the price.
Some of the best cuts I've been getting is with the Belin up spiral bits. I've had excellent luck with their 1/8". What are you doing with masking?
Joe Crumley
cabindoors
04-03-2010, 11:19 AM
Joe,
I'm also interested in the PVC and never used it. After a google search it seems the price is about $358 for a 3/4" x 48 x 96" sheet. That doesn't sound cheap to me. Could you let me know where you buy yours? Perhaps it's called something else in the sign industry.
Tom
Joe,
Thank you sir. Yes, PVC is the way to go for many applications. I had all but given up on it with too many cutting issues until I purchased 0 flute up spiral bits which solved all the problems of re-welding and ragged cuts. PVC is all but unbreakable and like you said, much cheaper than HDU.
I didn't use any masking at all,...didn't have to. But if I had V-carved it, masking would have absolutely been necessary.
I have my first production run going out in the shop and got orders for 2 more this morning! :)
Tom,
I purchased a sheet of 3/4" (19mm) black Ex-Cel PVC for $115.00. Don't remember why I got the black, as the white would have worked fine and is cheaper. Here's a link to my supplier:
http://www.alumapanel.com/products.cfm?step=1&lines_ID=317
PVC isn't the end-all. It can have thermal issues when exposed to the hot sun if not properly mounted and/or backed. No problems at all for interior applications. If you have any questions about applications, post 'em in here and you'll get knowledgeable answers from me, Joe, or somebody. Good luck!
Mark,
It's true the colored PVC's and black have serious warping an fading issues. Chappy, Chapman, says he has had some warping with 1/2". I'm not fond of 1/2" of anything, except MDO, for large panels without backing. However 3/4" and 1" seem to be excellent.
1/2" is good for us when cutting letters of 12" or smaller.
I'm exactly sure about 3/4" pricing. I think it's less than $200.
Joe Crumley
www.normansignco.com (http://www.normansignco.com)
blackhawk
04-05-2010, 09:55 AM
Joe and Mark,
Have you found a ballnose bit that works well for 3D work in PVC?
You got me on that one, Brad. I don't do 3D work.
Joe, any suggestions?
Brad,
I'm not sure PVC is a good material for 3D. It doesn't sand well and I'd imagine it may not carve well with a ball nose. Any ball nose would be a good test.
we have done some carving in celtec and it worked real well with a 1/8 ball nose
How do you smooth out detail area's?
I've never seen a 3D carving which couldn't be improved by using a chisel or sandpaper. How do you do that?
Please post photo.
How do you smooth out detail area's?
I've never seen a 3D carving which couldn't be improved by using a chisel or sandpaper. How do you do that?
Please post photo.
Yeah, I'm curious too, because you can't sand PVC. Ya can't chisel it either. It has properties all its' own, like all substrates.
Sometimes I've thought that if I had to do it all over again, I'd have been a chemist so I could invent the perfect substrate for us CNC sign making guys and gals. The perfect substrate for routing and painting for us would have the following qualities:
1. Cheap (like pine wood or MDF)
2. Practically unbreakable (like PVC)
3. Cuts like butter with no chip-out (like HDU & PVC)
4. Impervious to heat, cold, moisture, etc. (like HDU & Exteria)
5. Easy to sand. (like HDU)
6. No priming necessary (like HDU)
7. Needs no backer if it's thick enough (like aluminum, MDO and Exteria)
8. Light weight (not like Exteria)
No such animal exist, of course, but if'n I could invent it with my imaginary degree in chemistry, I'd call it "One Billion Dollars"!:cool:
steve_g
04-06-2010, 01:00 AM
Is this the same stuff as Sintra?
Is this the same stuff as Sintra?
Yes and no. It's all PVC, but in my experience, Sintra (brand name), is the best. It's a little more dense (and costly), and it cuts a little smoother. My supplier doesn't carry Sintra, so I have to make do with Ex-cel, which is fine for what I'm doing and how I'm doing it.
google celtec pvc
we like it
i can't post pics due to being away on vacation, but it cuts like butter and did not need much sanding.
we get it from myers plastics in indianapolis
google celtec pvc
we like it
i can't post pics due to being away on vacation, but it cuts like butter and did not need much sanding.
we get it from myers plastics in indianapolis
Robert, I did google it and it looks VERY promising! My supplier doesn't carry it, but I may contact Celtec and ask for a small sample.
Like I said, Ex-cel is working fine for what I'm doing, but I am always interested in different substrates and materials.
Hope you're having a good time on vacation, and thanks for posting!!!:)
One of my first orders completed:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f332/Superfan52/TandyPlaque.jpg
Consistency is key, although I'm going to experiment with V-carving, paint mask, maybe a fancier font, and templates to see if it'll speed up production just a little bit and improve the product. Always try to improve, right, Joe? ;-)
FUN!:)
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