posted
I've been mulling over ideas on how best to create this mural that is to be used as target practice for a 12 yr old boy and his pucks. It occured to me this morning that perhaps I could air brush it on some kind of sheet metal surface and clear coat it with an automotive clear.
Has anyone ever done anything like this? If the fiberglass goaltender helmets hold up, then is there any reason why this shouldn't? Any suggestions as to what kind of metal is most economical and the type of primers to use on them? If it was to be backed by 3/4" plywood, how heavy a metal would I need to use? Would something like an baked enamel .081 aluminum be heavy enough?
I'm thinking this would be more economical, attractive and durable than using a lexan shield over the mural. Plus, it would allow me to work on my airbrushing skills in the comfort of my own shop.
-------------------- “Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?” -Winnie the Pooh & A.A. Milne
Kelly Thorson Kel-T-Grafix 801 Main St. Holdfast, SK S0G 2H0 ktg@sasktel.net Posts: 5496 | From: Penzance, Saskatchewan | Registered: May 2002
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posted
I feel that even with a plywood backer, the face metal would still dent and take an unnecessary amount of abuse. Too much clear, from the effort to offer maximum protection, on the face will eventually crack, craze, or have some other malady fall upon it.
Why not use a piece of Econolite(or the available equivilant) with the lexan face over that. Unless the kid fires some Bobby Hull-esque slapper at it, it should be OK for a quite a long time. Look how hard it is to break the "glass" at the professional rinks and arenas.
This would allow you the freedom to do the majority of your work and most, if not all, of the painting in your shop.
Have a great one!
-------------------- Bruce Bowers
DrCAS Custom Lettering and Design Saint Cloud, Minnesota
"Things work out best for the people who make the best of the way things work out." - Art Linkletter Posts: 6451 | From: Saint Cloud, Minnesota | Registered: Jun 1999
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posted
I'm in the process of plasma cutting out letters for the monumental school sign we currently have in the shop. Because its at ground level and will undoubtably get some abuse in its lifetime I decided to use 3/16 steel as the substrate.
I've already cut out most of the letters and very quickly too I might add with my handy dandy PLASMA CUTTER. A little grinding and then I will weld them to a framework with home made 5/8" standoffs. This assembly will go to a body shop for paint before we fasten it into our 'sign'.
The whole thing will be literally bullet proof. The materials are relatively cheap... only a couple of hundred dollars.
Did I mention how handy the PLASMA CUTTER is to have around the shop for these type tasks??
Oh yeah... and in relation to your post Kelly. I'd use STEEL PLATE. Think of the cool goaly you could cut out (with your PLASMA CUTTER if you had one). Your hubby would love it around the farm too.
-grampa dan
-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!! Posts: 8738 | From: Yarrow, B.C. Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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Bruce I priced out the lexan to cover the mural and it was going to run around $1200 - That added to the cost of the mural is going to make it unaffordable to the client. Plus the fact that I just don't see a mural behind Plexi being overly asthetic.
Bill - I'm just not that talented I have enough trouble thinking through things as it is....my head hurts just imagining having to paint a mural in reverse.
Dan - do you think I should get a plasma cutter?
I do have some etching primer for vehicles here, if I took it to an autobody guy nearby he would probably spray it for me fairly reasonable...what thickness would I need to look into?
I had actually decided to paint the mural onto canvas and glue it to the plywood and let them worry about how to protect it, but this just seems like a much more durable option.
-------------------- “Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?” -Winnie the Pooh & A.A. Milne
Kelly Thorson Kel-T-Grafix 801 Main St. Holdfast, SK S0G 2H0 ktg@sasktel.net Posts: 5496 | From: Penzance, Saskatchewan | Registered: May 2002
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posted
What about if you though about the durability issue in reverse? Istead of making it rock hard puck proof, make it with some give. I like your canvas idea ... what if you put something behind it to absorb some of the force... and spring back instead of dent. I don't know what ... just a brain fart.
-------------------- Compulsive, Neurotic, Anti-social and Paranoid ... but basically Happy Posts: 2677 | From: Rochester, NY, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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My mind wanders. And that's not a good thing, 'cause it's too small to be out there alone. Posts: 3129 | From: Tooele, UT | Registered: Mar 2005
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posted
Depending on what you want to do...i have used cheap drop cloth canvas from lowes to paint on. Just tack it up...prime it....and paint it.... It works great for banners and backdrops that people want to be done in canvas, but dont have the money to pay for "real" canvas , like artists canvas.... I would "DEFINATELY" recommend that dropcloth stuff....
I would do it in vinyl ink on a vinyl banner stretched in front of the wall with bungee cords. Or even better laced like a trampoline to a frame. It would absorb all the velocity of the puck and wouldn't dent, scratch etc.
Other advantages you could show your customer is the lack of dangerous riccochets (sp?) and the fact it could be movable.
There is a projector you can buy that mounts to the ceiling. It is a cylinder about 4.5"x12". and it has a 50w bulb. It is made for static displays...that is, you can project images on the wall. and leave it on for several hours at a time.
It came with some small transparencies that are similar to 35mm slides, and each one was a different holiday of the year, so I reckon the idea is to sell these things for seasonal displays. I found that I could reduce a color picture or other file on my computer to a size that would fit the projector,then print it on my desktop printer on acetate. Then I just cut it out and put it in the projector, and I had my own "slide". It would blow up the image as large as 8-10 ft or so.
You could let your customer fire away at his own wall.
If you want to find out more about this projector, it's sold by Cooper Lighting, Burlington NC, and is model *HPL65. Sorry, I have no other contact info for them.
Just a side note , not trying to change your thread....I have had it in mind to use this projector someday to mess with the sign inspectors head the next time I am given a hard time over a permit for something painted. I want to see the look on his face when he sees an image on the wall, but realizes it's not a sign, but a light image. I don't see any wording in our ordinances around here that prohibit a projected image. This could be fun when you have something you can just turn off, and it disappears...I can imagine some funny scenarios over that.
Oh well, back to hockey pucks...
-------------------- Jeff Ogden 8727 NE 68 Terr. Gainesville FL, 32609 Posts: 2138 | From: 8827 NE 68 Terr Gainesville Fl 32609 | Registered: Aug 2002
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I know you've spent alot of time researching this already. I don't really think there is a perfect substrate for this job. Hit every board you have in the shop with a hammer and see what happens. If the client cant afford lexan, that isn't your problem. If they really want to ruin it letting their kids beat at it with REAL pucks, that is their problem.
I think some of these guys might be onto something with the canvas though. Possibly spray gluing it to plywood and then mounting may hide some of the dents in the wood. It would be easy to paint on and take a clearcoat really nicely. I know you have connections in the canvas market....ha ha ha
Suelynn
-------------------- "It is never too late to be what you might have been." -George Eliot
Suelynn Sedor Sedor Signs Carnduff, SK Canada Posts: 2863 | From: Carnduff, SK Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
Just how big is this thing Kelly? I have some ideas for you but knowing what size you're dealing with would help.
-------------------- Dennis Veenema The Sign Shop Dresden, Ont. but what do I know anyway...I've only been doing this for 20 years! Posts: 368 | From: Dresden, Ont.,CAN | Registered: May 1999
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It is only 8' x 16 ' Dennis. I'm still leaning pretty heavily towards the metal, but nothing is final yet - If you have some ideas - Fire away
-------------------- “Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?” -Winnie the Pooh & A.A. Milne
Kelly Thorson Kel-T-Grafix 801 Main St. Holdfast, SK S0G 2H0 ktg@sasktel.net Posts: 5496 | From: Penzance, Saskatchewan | Registered: May 2002
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I envision a rod at the top, suspended from the ceiling about 12" (30cm for those of you up North!) from the wall itself. Wrapped around this rod (think banner pole pocket) is a heavyweight cotton canvas tarp with your painted mural on it (dyed into it would be better). At the bottom either another rod or other kind of weight system to keep things in place and snapping back after impact. Wouldn't have to be alot of weight.
I believe that this system would allow the puck to hit and deform the canvas without it hitting the wall. Then the canvas can drop right back into place as the puck drops to the floor. And it would be quiet for the rest of the house too!
The two best things about this option: 1 - My best guess is you could find the tarp in something near your size requirement pre-made from a local tarp vendor and 2 - think of the option to upsell your client on a different mural on the backside of the canvas, be it a different hockey layout or a bit of fine art for when it isn't being abused by pucks. All you would have to rig is a quick change hanging system to pull it down and turn it around.
Mark
-------------------- Mark Sheflo Renton, Washington A-Squared Signs, LLC Posts: 145 | From: Renton, Washington | Registered: Feb 2003
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posted
He's looking to aim at a net, so give hime a net.
You mentioned airbrushing it. Maybe a mesh net would be workable. As long as the mesh was close enough, the image would show. You could do a layout on a board, stretch the mesh over it and paint away. Nylon perhaps?
Just thinkin'... Rapid
-------------------- Ray Rheaume Rapidfire Design 543 Brushwood Road North Haverhill, NH 03774 rapidfiredesign@hotmail.com 603-787-6803
I like my paint shaken, not stirred. Posts: 5648 | From: North Haverhill, New Hampshire | Registered: Apr 2003
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