Throwback Blog: Laser-Engraving Faux Wood into Precision Board HDU

This blog on creating a faux wood look with HDU using a laser system originally ran on 5/20/19.

A customer contacted us wondering if they could create a faux wood pattern on Precision Board HDU using their laser system.  They did not own a CNC and were trying to get a competitive advantage with what they had in house for equipment.  We reached out to our friends at Trotec Laser and asked them to have a go at creating a woodgrain look on Precision Board HDU using a laser…and the results are amazing!  Check out the photos and videos below and read more about how they did it.

faux wood

The first step that needed to be tackled was finding woodgrain patterns to program the software with.  Cameron Youngblood, Senior Marketing Specialist with Trotec Laser, searched online to find a collection of woodgrain patterns.

“Finding a high quality image is key to achieving an ideal and realistic end result. We found a few different free images that didn’t require a lot of editing or manipulation in our graphics software,” she says. “There are a couple of different approaches you can take to alter the image into a laser-ready graphic, and some of these approaches are dependent on the image itself. For example, finding an image that has multiple shades of blacks and grays may engrave better as a grayscale image.”

Cameron says more laser engraving power will be applied with the black areas and the power will decrease as you get into the various shades of gray- any white areas on the graphic will not be engraved. The more laser power is applied, the deeper the engraving area will be.

She cautions that it might take the user a little time to test out the settings, but as long as you can get a good image, it’s definitely possible to program your laser system to engrave a faux wood pattern into Precision Board HDU.

“Since the images we tested were black and white, we opted to use the color mapping option in our JobControl® laser software,” Youngblood said. “Color mapping allows you to assign different actions to each area of your graphic, as well as indicate the order in which each action should take place. In this instance, we used a total of three colors: one color for the deepest engraving, another color for the lighter engraving, and the third color for completely cutting through the material. This allowed us to achieve our preferred contrast between the two different engraving depths.”

Trotec Laser used their Speedy 400 120W CO2 laser on samples of PBLT-15 Precision Board HDU to get a faux wood look.

Here’s the settings info:

  • Engraving (first color) = 90{afbea94bd31582343c3017644f03ec8d7d8fa2386ecb82c250661e06c0c6e111} power, 60{afbea94bd31582343c3017644f03ec8d7d8fa2386ecb82c250661e06c0c6e111} speed, 1000 PPI
  • Engraving (second color) = 30{afbea94bd31582343c3017644f03ec8d7d8fa2386ecb82c250661e06c0c6e111} power, 100{afbea94bd31582343c3017644f03ec8d7d8fa2386ecb82c250661e06c0c6e111} speed, 500 PPI
  • Cutting (third color) = 100{afbea94bd31582343c3017644f03ec8d7d8fa2386ecb82c250661e06c0c6e111} power, 5.2{afbea94bd31582343c3017644f03ec8d7d8fa2386ecb82c250661e06c0c6e111} speed, 2000 Hz

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and while our material database contains recommended settings for almost every type of material, the user may prefer to alter those settings to their own liking,” she adds.

There are quite a few benefits to using a laser system to create dimensional signage.

  • Smaller vacuum system for smoke removal
  • No need for dust collector
  • Smaller-sized machines takes up less shop space
  • Effluent/smoke coming off Precision Board HDU is NOT toxic (see more info below)
  • Generally lower price point for machines

You may be wondering if the smoke that comes off Precision Board HDU from laser-cutting is harmful or toxic.  It’s not.  We wanted to ensure that the effluent byproducts of Precision Board did not exceed OSHA’s Permissible Exposure Limits (PEL), federal regulations that dictate safe chemical exposure levels, so we had Universal Laser Systems test several densities of our material.  Universal Laser Systems used a sophisticated RTGA Mass Spectrometer and a carbon monoxide detector to monitor the levels of effluent at all times during testing. They noted the following in their report: “The concentration of the detected compounds did not exceed their respective OSHA PEL at any level of filtration during this study.”  You can read more about the testing HERE.

Find out more by watching the videos on our YouTube Channel showing different woodgrain patterns being laser-engraved onto our PBLT-20 and PBLT-30 densities of Precision Board HDU.

You may also be considering using a laser to create a sandblasted sign look without actually sandblasting it.  Creating a sign this way could potentially mean that you wouldn’t have to worry about:

  • Strict environmental regulations around sandblasting
  • The use of a grain frame
  • Using a blast mask to designate where sand should and should not hit the substrate
  • Wearing a suit or helmet to protect against sand particle ricochets
  • Purchasing a system to filter sand particles out of the air

Check out our resource page to read more about Laser-Engraving of Precision Board HDU, including our toxicity testing (Precision Board is non-toxic), as well as more videos and settings information for cutting or engraving Precision Board HDU.

You can request free samples and try creating a faux wood look on our HDU!  For technical questions on the use of lasers, please contact Trotec via the website link below.

Trotec Laser is a leading international provider of advanced, high-speed laser equipment for cutting, engraving and industrial marking, and a wide selection of engraving supplies. Trotec was originally founded in Wels, Austria in 1997 and established in the United States in Mississippi in 2002. Now headquartered in Plymouth, Michigan, the U.S. business has grown to 10 times its original size.

Coastal Enterprises manufactures Precision Board HDU, a versatile, cost-effective and eco-friendly urethane sign material that is particularly effective for making professional-looking indoor and outdoor dimensional signs.  It is a closed-cell rigid substrate that does not rot, warp or crack.  You can request free samplesget a quote or sign up for periodic newsletters packed with helpful information.

Making a Miniature Precision Board Boat for ISA 2020

Coastal Enterprises, manufacturers of Precision Board HDU, is proud to host guest blogs written by some of the signage industry’s biggest movers and shakers, posted to the Precision Board Blog.  This guest blog is written by Mike Goulet, The Sign Specialist, based in El Mirage, California.  He describes how he CNC routed an incredibly detailed 3″ long model of a boat using Precision Board HDU as part of his ISA Sign Expo 2020 entry (now cancelled).

In Mike’s own words…

Ideas for projects come and go throughout the year.  Most of them fall away, but sometimes an idea sticks.  This was the case with multiple projects I have been working on this year for the ISA 2020 Expo. I had an idea for a boat as one of the detail pieces on my entry and was debating the best way to fabricate it.

I chose PBLT-30 Precision Board HDU because of its exceptional ability to hold fine details and how robust the material is. I set off using Vectric Aspire to design the boat in 3D, then made it a 2-sided machining operation.

Once our Laguna Tools Smartshop M2 was set up with the material and our new #46582 tapered ball nose from ToolsToday.com, we started the program with speeds and feeds settings of 400 IPM at 18,000 RPM. Machining the boat took a total of 3 minutes but the details were all immaculate, from the keel on the bottom to the lip all the way around the top of the boat. It was amazing to see the level of detail we could achieve with such a small model.

Next was the process of making our beautiful model look good enough to float as a real boat that had been shrunk down to a tiny size.

I called in a specialist with miniature designs. My grandfather, Rollan Wittkopf. He has made so many small projects over the years that range in size. His work is unparalleled, and I could not have anticipated any greater results.

The stand that holds the boat is a ½” thick piece of PBLT-30 that was hand carved and painted to look like waves. All of the pieces were primed with FSC-88 WB Primer and hand carved to add detail such as wood grain and water effects.

FSC-88 WB allows me to add the details I want in the final project and also doubles as a primer for my ISA project. After I had primed the boat, I handed it over to Rollan and let him take off with the final colors. He started with carving the boat and the base. The boat was painted using 1Shot paint with a base of brown, with darker brown used for the deeper carved areas for the grain effect. The same effect was replicated throughout the rest of the project utilizing different colors.

isa

We love the way this project turned out and look forward to its debut in the ISA 2020 Expo when this calms down.

isa

The Sign Specialist is a small company that specializes in the design and creation of dimensional signs and augmented reality sign projects. They tackle projects of any size. Their work has been published in Signs of the Times Magazine.

Michael Goulet describes himself as a visionary with the intention of being a trendsetter in the dimensional sign industry. His art career started in 2015 and although new to the industry, aims to bring vision, tenacity, and more artists to the field. Michael is passionate about creating new techniques that will help to bring the world of dimensional signs into the next century of innovation and to create more visibility for such a unique world of signs. Oh and to eliminate boring channel letter boxes all together.

Coastal Enterprises manufactures Precision Board HDU, a versatile, cost-effective and eco-friendly urethane sign material that is particularly effective for making professional-looking indoor and outdoor dimensional signs.  It is a closed-cell rigid substrate that does not rot, warp or crack.  You can request free samplesget a quote or sign up for periodic newsletters packed with helpful information.

Sawatzky Guest Blog: No Time Like the Present to Plan for Your Future

Coastal Enterprises, manufacturers of Precision Board HDU, is proud to announce a series of guest blogs written by Dan Sawatzky of Imagination Corporation, which will be posted on the Precision Board Blog each month. This month Dan Sawatzky talks about using the current COVID-19 down time to work on samples for your showroom or to spend time on your own shop sign, all with future sales and business in mind.

samples

In Dan’s own words…

We are all in an unprecedented situation without a doubt due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many sign makers are sitting at home waiting this out. Others are still able to go to work but projects and business has undoubtedly dried up in the last weeks for most shops. It is a distressing situation and far beyond our own control.

In our home-based business we are able to keep going for now. We have a large project that will keep us busy for a few more weeks yet but future projects are all suddenly on hold. We simply do not know when things will resume once more.

I’m not one that can simply sit idle and wait it out. While I understand the situation is unbelievably serious I still find myself looking towards the future. This is a wonderful opportunity to do some of those things we’ve long been putting off.

I’m asking myself, as I did during the great recession, what do I want to be doing when the good times return? We know they always do. It is time to get ready. When business resumes you will need to have some great samples to show your customers if what you wish to do is out of the ordinary.

For me that means it is time to make some samples for our studio walls. They don’t have to be large but each one should push the boundaries of what you are capable of. This is the chance to use up all those scraps of Precision Board HDU we’ve been hoarding. It’s a great time to learn that new software to do it. And it’s time to brush up on some new sculpting and painting skills.

During the last financial crisis I made the commitment (to myself) to make one outstanding sample per month. If things slow down or even stop for a while you should be able to do more than that.

Those samples I invested in the last time brought us many hundreds of thousands of dollars of work since then and still serve us well to this day.

Start small and with each project push a little further than ever before. I have made many name plaques for family and friends. Next Christmas when money may well be a little tight they will make great presents. These name plaques are a great way to experiment and learn new textures and finishing techniques.

I had time to make some more elaborate projects as well with time on my hands. I designed and made samples of the kinds of signs I wanted to make in the future.

samples

samples

I used that time to create a showroom full of samples that would make my clients gasp when they entered. There are more than a hundred and fifty hanging on our walls. These samples helped sell this kind of work in the ten years since they were created.

One of those many small sample projects was this model of the OGOPOGO (A fabled lake monster that resides in Okanagan Lake)

Last year a client saw the model I had done eleven years ago and ordered a full sized version. Last week we delivered it to our customer. Sample work!!!!

As we think about projects to give us the best opportunities in the future we absolutely should not forget about our own signs. What image do you want to present to your future customers? Your own sign should reflect the very best work you can possibly do. We made this sign during the last slowdown. It has won numerous awards, been featured in various magazines and most importantly brought us a ton of wonderful work. You will never have a better opportunity to create a showstopper for yourself!

We extended our creative efforts to all sorts of ‘home’ projects. They raised the bar for our future paying projects.

If you are stuck for ideas or how to proceed I would recommend browsing through the blog I created for Precision Board that features many of these projects (Ed note: that blog is no longer updated, but Dan continues to write monthly guest blogs like this one for the main blog). There are plenty of step-by-steps to help you along.

You have time NOW!

Stay well and be safe. Use your quiet time to get a head start on the good times in the future!

samples

Sawatzky’s Imagination Corporation is a small family company that specializes in the design and creation of dimensional signs and environments. They tackle projects of any size from small signs to entire theme parks. Their work has garnered numerous national and international awards.

Dan Sawatzky is best described as a creative force and visual storyteller extraordinaire. His art career spans almost fifty years of magic. Dan’s passion is to design and create imaginative places that take people from the normal world to a setting of delight and wonder.

Coastal Enterprises manufactures Precision Board HDU, a versatile, cost-effective and eco-friendly urethane sign material that is particularly effective for making professional-looking indoor and outdoor dimensional signs.  It is a closed-cell rigid substrate that does not rot, warp or crack.  You can request free samplesget a quote or sign up for periodic newsletters packed with helpful information.

Using Precision Board PBHT to Make PPE

Did you know that our high-temp PBHT Precision Board Urethane is a fast and easy to use tooling substrate that is excellent for use when forming plastics parts used in medical devices, face shields and other critical PPE?  With 1 to 3 working day lead times on most standard size blocks, we can help you get your new tooling made in DAYS, not weeks.

Monster City Studios in Fresno, California, used our high-temp PBHT Precision Board to form a plastic face shield as part of a push to support hospitals and help alleviate the shortage of PPE (personal protective equipment).  They shared photos with us and their process in creating a face shield prototype using Precision Board HDU.

ppe

UPDATE: Check out this story by the local Fresno, California ABC News station on their face shield efforts!

Monster City Studios forming plastic over the molds to make face shields / Courtesy ABC30 Action News Fresno.

From the Monster City Studios Instagram:

“Doing some prototyping after hours. Making a form for vacuum forming some hospital essential equipment. Let’s hope all goes well. We’ll see in the morning!”

Another update from their Instagram:

“Made some progress on this form today and started the next! Thanks again @coastalenterprises ! This needs just a touch of polishing before it is ready for the vacuum former.”

An update from their Facebook page:

“We now have PETG face shields with forehead protection in .030 and .060 thicknesses! Frame by PRUSA, cast by Monster City Studios.”

“We have vacuformed PETG face shields with forehead cover! Coastal Enterprises Company @healthdataengineering We can produce in quantity. Want info? info@monstercitystudios.com”

And just today (4/9/20), another update on the process on their Instagram:

“We are making face shields at MonsterCity Studios! These are vacuum formed with PETG on a mold made from @coastalenterprises 48lb precision board! First prototype came together quick. Now time to hone and speed up the process!”

Email us at hdu@precisionboard.com or contact our technical sales department at (800) 845-0745 to see how we can help and to answer any technical questions you might have about using Precision Board PBHT for forming plastic parts on PPE.  We’ll update this post with Monster City Studios progress, so check back to see how it turns out!

The Vision Behind the Insight I-Beam Sign

Coastal Enterprises, manufacturers of Precision Board HDU, is proud to host guest blogs written by some of the signage industry’s biggest movers and shakers, posted to the Precision Board Blog.  This guest blog is written by Jim Dawson with Synergy Sign & Graphics, based in Strasburg, Ohio.  Jim shows us how he fabricated the double Precision Board signs and then mounted them on a steel frame.

i-beam

In Jim’s own words…

Insight Vision Care approached us to design a multi-tenant sign for their new location in late 2019.  The key features were to be single post and easy to switch out tenants on the sign.  Having just returned from Chicago and Pittsburgh over the recent months, I had some ideas about which direction I wanted this sign to go.  I have always had a fascination with heavy metal architectural details on bridges and overpasses in big cities.  I love the steel lattice work and functional rivet details that you see on these early 1900’s pieces.  Knowing I wanted to use these, I settled on an 8” x 8” i-beam as the post for mounting the signs.

Once the i-beam was cut to size, I went about designing the changeable signs that would mount to the i-beam.  The boxes were designed with the same trellis designs that I saw when visiting the cities.  Once designed, the steel plates were cut on our Multicam V series plasma.  We welded the flat plates together to make the sign boxes and even welded in some old school hot rivets to finish the look.  Rounding out the metal on the design were stainless steel allen drive button head bolts that matched the look of the rivets.

Once the steel fabrication was finished, we started the carving on the PBLT-30 Precision Board HDU.  Each sign was designed with wood grain backgrounds and sent to our Multicam 3000 series router via Enroute Pro software.  Our X-Edge Tools tapered ball nose bit carved the Precision Board to perfection.  The panels were then massaged a little by hand and cleaned as they were ready for paint.

The sign panels were base coated with several layers of exterior grade latex paint.   Once those coats were dry, we moved on to painting the logo colors and the metallic straps on the signs with our Novacolor artists acrylics.  After allowing the signs to dry for 24 hours, we bolted everything together.

While we were working on the Precision Board signs in our shop, we dropped the steel parts off to be sandblasted and painted by a local contractor.   We chose a two tone look to make the brackets and the i-beam show more details through color separation.  Now we were ready for final assembly.

Everything bolted together without any issues.  A little extra time during the mock up phase of the project paid off.   The customer was very excited with the final results.

We could not be happier with the results.

Synergy Sign & Graphics was started in my basement 16 years ago. After losing my job as a design engineer at a local cabinet and display manufacturer, I decided I wanted to try my hand at graphics and POP displays. From modest beginnings with a laptop, digital printer, and a small laminator, we gradually grew according to customer needs over the years. 12 years ago, we discovered an affordable CNC router that was within our reach, and Precision Board shortly thereafter. We have been building and sculpting world class signs ever since. Synergy has been featured in multiple sign publications over the years and has won 8 international sign design and fabrication awards. We take great pride in offering the best of the best in the sign industry and providing our customers with one of a kind signs that stop people in their tracks.

We think that Jim Dawson and his team do some really excellent work. Synergy Sign & Graphics has a highly experienced staff whose backgrounds include graphic design, marketing, trade-show design, print media, branding, point of purchase design, fulfillment, and more. Check out their website or give them a call at (330) 878-7646 to see about your next project!

Coastal Enterprises offers free samples of Precision Board HDU.  Already have a project in mind for our material?  Request a quote and get started today.  Sign up for our monthly blog roundup so you don’t miss any of our informative blogs.  Have a special project fabricated with Precision Board HDU and want to know if it could be featured in a blog on our website?  Give us a call at 800-845-0745 or drop us an email with details.  We’d love to hear from you!