Instant ancient vine (frame work)

Work continues on many fronts on the Fox & Hounds pub project. Today the outside entry received the final coats of base paint, leaving the glazes to be done tomorrow. In the ladies washroom the last of the welded rusty steel stall dividers was installed today. With the bulk of the welding done it was time to do one last task before that equipment goes home once more at long last. The primary task fo today was to weld up the framework for the thick vines. 
It is my bet that at least one person will lean on, swing or climb on the vine in the next years. That means it needs to be sturdy. REAL STURDY. Anchor points were drilled into the floor to anchor the base. I bent and positioned a single rod for each vine from the ground, then screwed in heavy lag bolts at key points ensuring the vines will grow for many years to come. The vines intertwine around the brick post and wander up to the beam above, then down towards the beer dispenser below. A video screen will be mounted to the end, positioned perfectly for reference of the bar tender to access.
The next step will be to wrap the welded armature with diamond lath and then using sculpting epoxy to form the weathered and twisted grape vine. Stay tuned for progress.
-dan

Published with permission from precisionboard.blogspot.com. Source.

Workshop name tags 4

Old car insignias have always intrigued me. For Rafael’s name plaque I decided to create one. The type style I chose is called air conditioner. 
The vectors were basic. The open contour was modified by simply bending the two sides. 
I used the bevel tool to create a relief. It is fairly shallow.
The letter outline was created as a zero height flat relief. This was then merged LOWEST with the first relief.
Then I created the background relief, applying a subtle texture to the inner, raised portion. The lettering was created as a separate relief, positioned vertically and then merged highest to complete the file. It was now ready for tool pathing and routing.
-dan

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Workshop name tags 2

The second name tag was a relatively simple one. Jeff’s name tag would feature his name on a log round.
I imported the long round with splits bitmap from my TEXTURE MAGIC collection. The relief was a simple circle with a dome shape. The bitmap was then applied.
The lettering outline is then made into a relief, and then modified into a dome shape with a similar sized circle vector using the same settings as he original background vector.
Stay tuned for some more name plaques coming up.
-dan

Published with permission from precisionboard.blogspot.com. Source.

Workshop name tags 1

With the next Sign Magic Workshop quickly approaching (September 30 – October 2) it is time to start in on the name tags we create for our guests. I started with a sketch, as always. I designed in a hurry, ideas flow better that way, and scribbled down my ideas, moving on to the next as soon as I had it nailed. The details would come later.
The vectors were quick and easy… nothing hard here.
The relief was a simple oval, modified with a raised oval.
To create the texture I perused my TEXTURE MAGIC collection and selected one I like…  spaghetti. I enlarged it enough to make sure the 1/8″ ball nose bit to fit in everywhere. This was then applied to the relief.
The lettering border was made into a relief which was then modified with the oval to shape it to the same dome shape as the background relief. This was then merged (highest to the relief.
Then I applied the lettering.
When I created the bowl for routing the relief I took notice of the cool effect that happened when I created a separate 3/4″ thick relief. I decided I loved it. The spaghetti faded out on the edges and looked a lot like spaghetti on a plate.So I created a new oval slightly larger than the original relief. I used the limit height command to chamfer the edges. 
 This was merged highest with the original relief, completing the file.
-dan

Published with permission from precisionboard.blogspot.com. Source.

Sign design in a different light

When most sign makers think of a sign their thinking is limited to the flat substrate and what they might stick onto it. At our shop we think of a sign as anything that attracts attention to our customer’s business, product or service.
In the entry hall of the Fox & Hounds Pub we have a project that closely resembles a sign under most definitions. The sign is dimensional of course for that is our style. We take it further than that however. The base of the sign, a large barrel tied the sign into the theme of the restaurant and helps tell the story. The brick wall behind the sign also was part of our work. It is actually the back of a seating booth in the pub. The curved brickwork mirrors the extensive carved concrete brickwork we did elsewhere in the restaurant. The large beams overhead also are part of our contract. 
But there is more to the ‘sign’ we are creating. My design also included the fancy tile work on the floor. The work was to be done by another subcontractor but is an important part of the design. The lighting above is placed and focused to show the sign in the best possible light. Everything works together to bring attention to our customer’s brand. This is an effective and memorable sign.
-dan

Published with permission from precisionboard.blogspot.com. Source.