That's Not Metal, It's All In The Finish!

Its hard to believe it’s not solid cast metal, but this is a custom finish applied to Precision Board Plus by the artisans at Synergy Sign & Graphics in Strasburg, OH!

This massive gearbox was built by Synergy as a showpiece for the front of their business as part of a recent Steampunk rebranding theme and also to show their 3-D and design capabilities.

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We asked Synergy Sign & Graphics owner Jim Dawson how he came up with this project and he responded: “Out of nowhere except my crazy head. I wanted to design something that reflected our recent Steampunk rebranding, and I came up with this idea.”

Thinking of a project is one thing, bringing it to life is another. “I started this project by planning out the contour layout for the gears and side beams in . Designing the project in AI is always our first step in our workflow of a project, as it is such a powerful drawing tool. Next, we imported the AI designs into our Enroute CNC software and put the CNC to work. We routed three sheets of Precision Board Plus PBLT-30 on our 5′ x 10′ MultiCAM 1000 and they came out absolutely perfect,” explains Dawson.

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After the pieces were cut, it was time to assemble the behemoth. The rolled chain was linked together with 1″ PVC pipes cut to size and PVC splice connectors for spacing to keep the chain aligned.

One of the major standout features of this project is the finish. After seeing the finished picture and looking close, it was apparent that every square inch of the gearbox was textured with an extreme amount of care.

Two coats of FSC-88WB Primer/Filler, undiluted, were hand-brushed on. Jim decided against diluting the primer, purposefully keeping it thick in order to simultaneously add texture while priming.

“After priming and texturing the entire gearbox, we added base coats of Modern Masters black and black metallic. Next we did 3 or 4 coats of a combination of a wipe on/wipe off glaze along with a lot of dry brushing. The aged look was completed with an application of Modern Masters Iron Reactive Paint, which is a 2-part process consisting of the paint and rust activator,” stated Dawson.

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Jim also used denatured alcohol on a rag to fine-tune the appearance of the rust in many of the low spots. “One of the coolest things about the Iron Paint is that the rust is continually activated by water if you don’t put a clear coat over it, which we didn’t. When it’s set up for good in front of our shop, it will continue to develop real rust, continually looking more aged,” says Jim.

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Jim plans to also create a fictional story documenting the history of the gearbox and its recovery from the Titanic. The story will be inscribed on a plaque attached to the front.

All in all, we would like to congratulate Jim and Synergy Sign & Graphics on this awesome project!

Be sure to check out more info about Synergy Sign & Graphics here.

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State-of-The-Art Signage Techniques & Materials

A famous Mr. Rogers song says, “You can grow ideas in the garden of your mind.” Well, we took a page out of his book and hit the streets with this great idea we came up with out of nowhere. It involved three different companies collaborating on a three-part project that we knew would turn out great. So, who are the players?

  • Plate-All, with their spray metal coating and it’s eye-catching, protective finish
  • KDF Reprographics, respected sign makers, known for their CNC expertise and unique craftsmanship
  • Coastal Enterprises, manufacturers of Precision Board Plus, the versatile sign and tooling substrate

The first leg of this creative expedition starts at KDF Reprographics in Rockleigh, NJ, where the very talented owner, Mr. Stephen Hoey, created three 3-dimensional designs using CNC software.

“I imported each company logo into Enroute in vector format and made a relief for each logo. Next, I set the logos aside and went to work on the design for each piece – for example, since the spray metal produced by Plate-All comes in a variety of finishes, I went with three major themes: a wave, gears, and a weave – each of which I thought would be accented nicely by the spray-metal produced by Plate-All.”

While the process may have sounded easy, it by all means wasn’t.

“Due to the smaller size of the PBLT-30 samples (15″ x 15″), it meant more time in the design phase and on the CNC than some of the larger projects we work on. We also had to use a smaller bit on the CNC – 1/16″, which, although it took longer, allowed us to produce samples that practically look as if they came from a mold. All told, total process for each design was about an hour,” says Hoey.

Here are the Enroute designs crafted by Steve:

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After finishing the designs, they were CNC routed into three 15″ x 15″ pieces of Precision Board Plus PBLT-30 (30lb. pcf).

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The next leg of the journey will take them to cold-metal spray manufacturer Plate-All in Baltimore, MD, where each sample will receive a different spray metal finish. What is spray metal? For the best answer to this question – and to see some pictures of spray metal finishes, head over to this page on the Plate-All website.

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We will be producing three articles on each sample and the custom finish it receives in the near future. Sign up for our monthly Blog Round-Up to stay up to date!

3-D Sign Samples: Let Your Work Speak For Itself!

Take a look at this beautiful 3-d sign sample made by Vamp Graphics in Holtsville, NY.

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Owner Adam Mooney CNC routed the sign out of Precision Board Plus PBLT-30 HDU and painted it with Modern Masters to highlight Vamp Graphics 3-d capability to shop visitors.

Making a sample for your shop is a time-tested sales technique, especially since the majority of customers know nothing at all about the art of sign making. Nothing really compares to having an example on hand for a customer to see and feel, while at the same time showing off your shop’s skill level and expertise.

Be sure to also check out our also article featuring Vamp Graphics eye-catching Vampire-themed sign: Enter The Vampire’s Lair.

See the Vamp Graphics website at: http://www.vampgraphics.com.

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The coffee beans are made out of epoxy sculpting putty.

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Great American Sign Co. Wins USSC Award with PBLT-30

Gary Johnson, owner of The Great American Sign Company in Basking Ridge, NJ, is the proud winner of the 2013 USSC Non-Illuminated Building Sign Category with his Precision Board sign.

Gary used Precision Board Plus PBLT-30 CNC machined on a Gerber Dimension 200 CNC Router using software for the hemispherical logo, and rust-induced steel for the curved panel. More info about the making of this award-winning sign can be seen in this excellent SignCraft article: “What’s it cost to produce this fascia sign?

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Whistle Punk Hollow Theming Job by Dan Sawatzky

Whistle Punk Hollow Adventure Golf in Squamish, BC is the newest recipient of an Imagination Corporation 3-D makeover. Precision Board Plus PBLT-30 was heavily incorporated into many aspects of the designs, including a massive train complete with Precision Board railroad tracks that turned out beautiful!

As a side note, here are a few of Dan’s favorite things:

Many more details about this project are available on Dan Sawatzky’s blog.

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