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

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Workshop name tags 3

Cory’s name plaque  was to be a diamond shape. The vertical and horizontal lines play off this shape and a comic font offsets the squareness of the diamond. It uses a bitmap from my TEXTURE MAGIC collection called checkerboard squiggles.
The border of the panel is a basic flat relief. Then I modified this relief by using the bevel tool, but I set the perimeters to limit to the height.
Then I imported the bitmap, enlarged and entered it on the panel. 
The letter outline was created as a separate relief, adjusted vertically and then merged highest to the plaque.
The lettering was the last element to be added. It is a bevel with a base height of 0.15″. As quick as that the file was ready for tool pathing.  
-dan

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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

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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

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Mantle installation

Monday morning started out with a bang. A new hire, Annie, started this morning. When I arrived at the Fox & Hounds Pub she was waiting and eager to start. Our task was to install the routed mantle on the fireplace and finish framing the upper portion of the fireplace feature. There was lots of figuring to be done, coordination with the electrician and other trades. We would be working inside the pub which was operating. We were the entertainment for the day.
Annie knew the tools well and had done carpentry work before, but never anything quite like this. Nothing was straight and we worked without levels or straight edges. Everything was built by eye. She caught on quickly. While I built one side she would follow along on the other, matching my creations. 
The curves were gentle enough that I didn’t need to use the heating pad to bend the Precision Board. I had milled the pieces to be 1/2 – 3/4″ thick at most and so they took the bends without breaking. We used PB Bond-240 and it held securely in no time. I’ll be using the die grinder to tidy up the corners and match the woodgrain as it transitions from the front to the top and bottom. The curved mantle absolutely works with the curved roof above. the wall of the upper fireplace bows out about 6″ and the mantle is almost 14″ deep. The london roofline above is now almost tied into the bottom portion. and it WORKS!
We were almost done before the electrician turned on the power to the lights and there was instant magic. In the next days we’ll staple on the diamond lath and then start in on the carved concrete ‘brick work’. By next week it should be looking like the magical fireplace I designed, what now seems like ages ago.
The guests love the family crest and are curious as to the translation of the latin phrase on the front. We happily translated it for them when they asked. The crest is suspended about four inches off the back face of the sunken circle and throws a marvelous shadow while it catches the light in a spectacular fashion. It will look even better when it is painted up and then aged appropriately. I can hardly wait to see it all done!
It was a fun day with lots of progress. 
-dan

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