Precision Board Replaces Sheet Metal Architecture on Church Built in 1841

Calling it “one of the most technically challenging projects of his career,” the 40 foot long balustrade Will Williamson made for Old St. Mary’s Church in Detroit, MI is an incredible feat of craftsmanship.

The church, built in 1841, had a once magnificent sheet-metal balustrade that had deteriorated over the years and was about to collapse into the street 30 feet below. Having performed much work for the Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit over the years, Will, owner of Williamson Lumber and Millwork, was confident he could offer a long-lasting solution for the church.

18 OSM 30 feet off the Ground

 

4 Old St Mary before

1Old St Mary before
Original balustrade, note sheet metal erosion.

With over 15 years of experience using Precision Board on a variety of projects, Will figured it would be the perfect long-lasting substrate for this project. Also, because Precision Board is available in 5′ x 10′ sheets, 2, 3 and 4 inches thick, he could CNC cut and shape all of the large ornate details easily.

“I chose to use Precision Board HDU on this project because it’s such a stable material that I knew could withstand the rough Michigan weather. When I received my Precision Board Plus shipment, it was the middle of December and about 10 degrees outside. The first thing I did was open the package and measure the sheets before we brought them inside. There were 10 5′ x 10′ sheets, 2″, 3″ and 4″ thick. When I measured the last 4″ sheet 6 months later in June, it was pushing 90 degrees. The sheet had only moved 1/16th of an inch in the 10′ length and about 1/32″ on the 5′ end. That’s when I knew I had made the right decision going with Precision Board for this project,” says Will.

Using his American-made Thermwood CS45 CNC router, Will designed all the architectural details in Autocad and exported the dxf files directly to Thermwood’s e-Cabinet Systems 3-D design software.

Screen Shot 2014-08-05 at 4.19.30 PM

9 OSM Balusters

Inside e-Cabinet, 3D parts were created and nested onto 5′ x 10′ sheets of Precision Board Plus. This resulted in a very efficient use of materials with very little scrap. When everything was finished, Will had 32 6″ x 6″ balusters, 4 24″ square newels with recessed panels, and 40′ 12″ x 6″ hand and foot rails.

After all the Precision Board was machined, it was primed with FSC-88WB Primer/Filler and finished with Sherwin-Williams paint.

Before installation began, Will removed all remnants of the previous metal balustrade.  Will and crew built new pressure treated pedestals underneath where the newel posts would lie, and had a new rubber roof installed.

The newel posts were made by building a white oak frame and surrounding it with CNC routed Precision Board pieces that were engineered to lock in place because Will did not want to bond the dissimilar materials together due to different expansion and contraction rates.

Fotor0806155354

0512001237

Because the 40 foot length of the balustrade exceeded the space in his shop, the entire piece was pre-assembled and painted in Will’s driveway. Midway through the project, Will suffered a Quad-Runner accident and broke his wrist. Frank, his son, stepped in and tackled the planing, jointing and assembly of the 2″ thick White Oak frame, pre-fitting the entire assembly.

17 OSM White Oak Frame2

When installation time came, the white oak newel bases were set onto the new rubber roof, followed by slipping the HDU down over the base.

A crane was then used to lift the pre-assembled railings into place and the framing was fastened to the newels. A final caulking of the joint where the balustrade contacted the building and the project was finished! This project was officially completed in 2009, though it was over 2.5 years prior to that when talks began!

449px-GreektownCasinohotelandStMaryRCChurchDetroit

For over 40 years Williamson Lumber & Millwork has been a licensed and insured State of Michigan contractor, and their projects have included everything from church restoration, to sign making. Will Williamson started his trade as an apprentice rough carpenter and progressed into finish carpentry contracting. In 1985, Will started Williamson Lumber and Millwork, producing architectural millwork and selling kiln-dried hardwood lumber.

Will’s reputation for fine work has seen him undertake projects for the Archdiocese of Detroit along with major motion picture studio Paramount Pictures. Currently, Will has been commissioned by the Arch Dioceses of Detroit and is in charge of designing and building an entirely new TV set for the Mass Shutins TV show (channel 2 in Detroit!).

Please see additional information on Will’s website, www.willmade.com.

Hi-Perf. Composites Article Discusses Metal Vs. Soft Tooling

Much-respected composites publication Hi-Performance Composites featured Coastal Enterprises in their July issue. The article, written by Sarah Black, examines the cost-savings polyurethane foam blocks can provide for certain layup tooling applications, referencing the famous Nemesis Air Racing plane of which many parts were produced from Precision Board molds.

Also discussed:

  • Time-saving benefits of custom, pre-bonded Precision Board blocks
  • Why metal tooling can increase cost, weight and lead time
  • Reducing witness lines when bonding tooling board
  • Temperature ramp up/down procedures for PBLT (up to 200˚F) and PBHT (up to 300˚F)

See the article in its entirety here.

Screen Shot 2014-07-25 at 1.42.25 PM

Rustic Signmaking With HDU: Glazing A Sign To A Cool Finish

Almost medieval looking, the sign crafted by Synergy Sign & Graphics for Teal Insurance practically looks like it was made with ancient wood and hardened steel. In reality, Synergy used 30lb Precision Board Plus and a combination of other materials to give their sign a rustic, aged look.

teal_finish_-4

We’ve worked with Synergy Sign & Graphics on several articles now, and one of the nicest things about working with them is that Jim Dawson, the owner, is an amateur photographer and takes excellent photographs documenting his signs every step of the way.

This unique sign began its life in Adobe Illustrator, based off an initial proof provided to him by the customer, before Jim generated a 3-D model with  CAM software.

Screen Shot 2014-06-25 at 3.59.01 PMInitial proof (left) and final Enroute Pro design (right).

Once the design was finalized, Jim’s MultiCam CNC transformed a piece of Precision Board Plus PBLT-30 HDU into the design he made in Enroute.

teal_6

Since he sure didn’t want to see this beautiful sign get damaged by the weather or anything else, Jim reinforced the sign with a custom welded steel bracket, sandwiched into a routed slot in between each sign face. Once inserted, the sign faces were laminate bonded together with PB Bond-240, a single part urethane adhesive. A small opening at the top allowed space for eyebolts attached to the inner frame to mount to the faux tree – a simple, yet complex strategy.

teal_5
To compliment his sign, and because Synergy Sign & Graphics refuses to make anything run of the mill or standard, Jim designed and built a custom faux tree from which he would mount the sign. The tree’s core was built from a custom-welded piece of steel.

teal_tree1-1

Using an epoxy clay, Jim added a subtle, yet major touch to the signs appearance. The brackets surrounding the sign would be formed with the epoxy clay, and painted to look like hammered steel.

Screen Shot 2014-06-25 at 4.42.23 PM

A wire mesh frame provided the perfect foundation for the fiberglass reinforced concrete to be applied to and sculpted into a tree and surrounding rocks.

lathe_1

Screen Shot 2014-06-25 at 4.47.38 PM

This sign is a great example of the “jack of all trades” skill set that it takes to make a sign. So far, this project has required welding, CNC machining and masonry, and the finishing steps will include painting and glazing – in short, beautiful signs are a lot of work!

Screen Shot 2014-06-26 at 1.31.54 PMSign primed with FSC-88WB (left), 3 coats of exterior grade latex paint (right).

After priming the sign with FSC-88WB Primer/Filler, and coating with three separate coats of light brown exterior grade paint, it was time to start the glazing process on both the faux tree and actual sign (to see the glazing process, please visit Jim’s blog). Once the three-stage glazing process was complete, the sign was clear coated with exterior grade flat latex clear, resulting in one of the most unique hanging signs we’ve seen!

teal_finish_-2

The recipients of the Teal Sign stated that it was “More amazing than they could have possibly imagined,” which is a real testament to the skill and craftsmanship of Jim Dawson and the entire crew at Synergy Sign & Graphic! Be sure to visit www.synergysign.com for more information and pictures!

Unknown-6

Hot off the Grill! HDU & BBQ Make A Great Combination

Summer’s here and BBQ season is about to move into full swing. In addition to the savory aromas emanating from their restaurant, Bailey’s Smokehouse in Blauvelt, NY, also has a brand new lighted Precision Board HDU sign, beautifully crafted by KDF Reprographics, to attract customers. Sign Builder Illustrated published a great article documenting how the sign was made (the final design was a complete surprise to the restaurant!).

Check out the article in its entirety here.

10420182_747700551959849_165376672360365045_n

Need For Speed: 2014 Human Powered Vehicle Competitions

Calling the 2014 Human Powered Vehicle Competition “One of the best in terms of teamwork,” Missouri S & T HPV team member Jon Sanders details the Missouri S & T experience at both major competitions on the East and West coasts this year, where colleges and universities all over the nation competed to build the fastest Human Powered Vehicle.

Our article earlier this year outlined the major technological improvements Missouri S & T has implemented help them win – specifically, building a three-wheelend chassis instead of a bicycle chassis and using a new type of carbon fiber for the body. “In addition to being a great teamwork experience, after two previous years working with Coastal Enterprises donated Precision Board, this year’s tooling experience was by far the best we’ve ever had,” states Sanders.

SONY DSC

On April 11, 2014, the Human Powered Vehicle Challenge East competition (held at the University of Central Florida) began. “We showed up at HPVC East knowing we would need to complete the vehicle on-site, which is obviously the worst-case scenario because it meant less time for testing than we were accustomed to,” recalls Sanders. “Nevertheless, we did complete our vehicle and some testing prior to competition. However, once  the competition started, we realized that the drivetrain was about twice as hard as it should have been to operate. This was due to imperfect alignment, meaning we had to push the tires instead of roll them.”

SONY DSC

Alignment problems aside, Missouri S & T faced an even bigger dilemma at the end of the Endurance race when rider Jon Sanders collided with another HPV from the University of Central Florida, sending him into a wayside haystack. The full consequences of that crash became evident three laps later when the steering column, pushrod and balljoint snapped while team leader Nikia Chapman was competing. Unable to repair the vehicle, Missouri S & T team members pushed/jogged the vehicle to a finish.

SONY DSCAt the conclusion of HPVC East, Missouri S & T still ended up placing 5th overall out of 35 schools, a remarkable finish after such serious mechanical complications.

Not long after, in San Jose, CA, HPVC West commenced on April 25th, with Missouri S & T in attendance this time with a much more extensively tested HPV. “We had time in between competitions to sort out our alignment issue, and also complete some additional testing,” explains Sanders. “We came into HPVC West much better prepared than at East, and it showed. Our car was performed beautifully until the end of the endurance event, when the steering column pulled out while I was driving. The only thing I could to was pound it into place with my fist every 100-200 feet to make sure it didn’t completely fail.”

SONY DSC

“At HPVC West, we really came together as a group and were able to finish in third place overall,” states Jonathan. “Overall, I think the vehicle we brought this year was the best we’ve ever created.”

We’ve followed and reported on Jon and Missouri S & T for three years (since they started using Precision Board), compiling an impressive showcase of the progress the team has made over the years. Check it out and see how the team (and vehicle) has progressed!