Dan Sawatzky's Imagination Corporation

Perhaps one of the most innovative forces in the signage industry today, Dan Sawatzky and his Imagination Corporation are a household name among many sign makers. Dan has been a friend of Coastal for many years and is a huge fan of Precision Board Plus, especially the higher densities such as PBLT-30 and PBLT-40.

Kellie Miller, our Customer Relations Manager has been friends with Dan since the late 90’s after meeting at Rick Glawson’s Letterhead meet. Dan was interested in incorporating HDU into some of his creations, and proceeded to test out different brands, with Precision Board Plus emerging as the winner.

Since then, Dan has used Precision Board Plus HDU exclusively and has won many awards for his work. One of the coolest things about Dan is also his willingness to help and teach others. This is evident in the sign and sculpting workshops he holds at his shop in Chilliwack, BC Canada. In addition to Precision Board Plus HDU, Dan also uses FSC-88WB Primer/Filler, PB Bond-240, and Abracadabra Sculpt.

Besides signs, he is also heavily involved in interior and exterior architectural theming and readily incorporates Precision Board Plus into his themed environments. Dan routes most of his projects on his MultiCam 3000 Series 4-axis CNC router using  software.

His blog is updated frequently and has extremely detailed tips on how he makes the magic happen with his signs, sculptures and themed environments. We host it on our website in addition to this one, so if you have a second, be sure to check it out!

****Update: Dan Sawatzky’s next Sign Magic workshop will be held this November 6 – 8 in Hackensack, NJ. Full information available here.

Here is some of the award winning work done made by Dan:

2012 International Competition – Signs of the Times

Fox and Hounds Pub – Second Place in the Sign Systems category

 

2011 International Competition – Signs of the Times

First Place – Commercial Sign Systems – MultiCam Western Canada

 Second Place – Commercial Monument Signs – Dhillon Farms

 Third Place – Commercial Building Signs – Shmyer’s Harbor Sign

2010 Sign Media – Canadian National Competition

Best in Show & Winner – Unique Signs – Sextant

Companion Products For HDU – Prime, Texture, Laminate & Bond!

Interested in trying out some of our Companion Products? Your local distributor doesn’t have them in stock?

No need to worry! We always have all of them in stock at Coastal Enterprises – TSF-45, PB Resin, PB Hardcoat, Adhesives, Primers and Fillers. As long as we receive an order from your distributor before 1:00PM PST, it will ship from our Orange, CA location the same day, right to your door if needed.

This means that you can put on that high-gloss PB Resin protective finish on your sign, or use the right adhesive to laminate those Precision Board Plus sheets because you will receive what you need promptly!

All of our Companion Products have been designed for use on Precision Board Plus HDU, and can also be used on many other materials. Trust what the experts use when crafting a professional sign. Want to try before you buy? Contact us for FREE samples!

Also be sure to check out our full gallery of step-by-step videos.

Also check out this Precision Board Plus sign made using PB Resin. Created by David Sherby at SherWood Sign & Graphic Design in Crystal Falls, MI.

 

 

Tips For Laminating/Bonding Precision Board Plus HDU

Tired of adhesives that expand too much or don’t cure properly? Check out our list of tips, and save yourself time and a headache!

Years of experience fabricating custom bonded tooling blocks and extra large Precision Board Plus sheets have taught us a thing or two about proper laminating techniques.

We have compiled this list of expert tips for bonding Precision Board Plus HDU using PB Fast Set, or PB Bond-240  (both adhesives also work great on wood, metal and many other materials):

  • Be sure to lightly mist the mating surfaces with water, or wipe with a damp rag prior to applying the adhesive.
  • A little goes a long way – only apply enough adhesive to change color of the board.
  • After application, the adhesive will start to bubble and thicken in approximately 1-2 minutes.
  • Apply as much weight as possible to the bonded piece, taking care to account for any movement it could make over time.
  • When edge bonding pieces that will be sandblasted, do not apply adhesive to the top of the joint. Because it will be blasted away later, this will make the sandblast process much easier.
  • When laminate bonding Precision Board Plus HDU to plywood or aluminum, be sure to apply the adhesive in ribbons that are parallel to the shortest dimension, with a diameter of 3/8″, approximately 5″ apart. Then apply a 3/8″ ribbon around the edge of the perimeter. This will seal against water, dirt or other debris from entering between the laminated pieces.
All of these tips can also be seen demonstrated on video here.

Ten Tips For Working With Precision Board Plus HDU

1. Carbide cutters are not mandatory when cutting Precision Board Plus. Because it is non-abrasive, Precision Board Plus can be cut with anything that cuts wood, but much easier.

 

2. To maximize CNC efficiency and cutting time, and to minimize dust and increase chips, the Onsrud Router Bit Selector Guide provides guidelines for proper router bits, speeds and feeds.

3. After you have primed Precision Board Plus using FSC-88WB Primer/Filler, it is best to dry using a large shop fan. Do not place in the sun, as this will cause it to dry too fast resulting in blisters. The FSC-88WB Primer/Filler training video can be seen here.

 

4. Be sure to prime and paint all sides of your Precision Board Plus sign. Because it does not have grain, it has no beam strength and can be pulled in the direction of the drying paint.

 

5. When sandblasting Precision Board Plus, use a larger grit for larger texture. Similarly, a finer grit allows for finer texture. Aluminum oxide is used most often.

 

6. If something happens to your sign during the build process, it is possible to fix the damaged surface. FSC-360WB Crack Filling & Repair Putty dries quickly and sands easily, and can really save the day in the event of a mistake.

 

7. Optimize your Precision Board Plus purchase by bonding and laminating the excess using PB Fast Set or PB Bond-240 adhesive.

 

8. PB Resin can provide an eye-catching, ultra-smooth protective finish to your sign. Be sure to only add enough lettering enamel to the clear PB Resin that will hide text on a printed page.

9. If you do not have time to route in wood grain, or to sandblast, TSF-45 or PB Hardcoat are excellent time saving alternatives for simulating wood grain. Apply both directly to raw Precision Board Plus, eliminating the priming step.

 

10. If you have a question, call us! We offer free technical support and are happy to assist in any way we can.

The Ice Cream Laboratory

Mark Blackford, owner of Signcraft in Santa Maria, CA sent us some excellent in-process pictures of a sign they made for Doc Burnstein’s Ice Cream Lab in Orcutt, CA. The sign was hand-carved from Precision Board Plus PBLT-15, except for the border which was cut on their ShopBot CNC Router. It was then painted using 1-Shot Paints. When asked why he prefers working with Precision Board Plus, Mark states: “Signcraft Santa Maria exclusively uses Precision Board Plus HDU due to its ease of carving, variety of densities, and excellent companion products such as PB Bond 240 and FSC-360WB.”

To see more of the amazing work Signcraft does, visit www.signcraftsm.com.

Thanks Mark for sending all of these great pictures!