posted
Finally got the monster out of my shop today. It was a somewhat complex installation, but it went off with very little delay.
Here is a photo of the 3-1/2' x 14' sign, bolted to two 2x4's to assist in strengthening the one vertical seem between the two pieces. The sign will be bolted through a 1" thick granite facade, over 1/2" durarock, on wood framing. I have a 3/4" MDO backing board with temporary digital graphics in place, that has 8 bolts through the granite. The finished sign is drilled to match 4 of those 8 holes. The 2x4 supports are attached through those holes.
I'm not sure if the sign weighed over 150 pounds, but it weighed a lot. By using the same template for the holes in the temp sign & the finished sign, I anticipated the process to go fairly smooth, but I didn't want to be supporting that weight for any amount of time, so as this photo shows, I created a ledge out of a 2x10 plank, supported by to 4x4's cut to fit on my hydrolic jacks, & jacked up to be halfway under the entry ceiling, & halfway out front of the granite surface where the sign goes. Since the sign was to be 1" above the bottom of that wall, I ripped two thin pieces of 1/2" MDO for shims. This pic shows my assistent removing 4 of the 8 bolts from the temp sign:
In addition to the 4 bolts that go through the granite facade, & into some 2x4 blocking I located between the studs, I also prepared 3 dozen countersunk holes at equal intervals, inside the 1/4" deep recessed border on the upper & lower copper sections. This allowed for pulling out any warp in this two piece glued up monstrosity & sucking it tight to the backing board. After this was done & all the stainless steel screws were touched up with black 1-shot, I only needed to put some silicon adhesive on the studs & put the 1" thick gilded letters up on the sign, with a 1' standoff, as shown in this pic:
Once it was all done, I had just enough battery power left for a few more pics without the scaffold. Here's a sideview:
...and right before turning my back & my attention away, to start getting ready for a week in British Columbia... I got one straight on shot as well! (can you tell I'm proud of this sign?)
-------------------- Catharine C. Kennedy CCK Graphics 1511 Route 28 Chatham Center, NY 12184 cck1620@taconic.net "Look at me, Look at me, Look at me now! I't's fun to have fun, But you have to know how!" Posts: 2173 | From: downtown Chatham Center, NY | Registered: Feb 2004
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That is a sharp sign, I am sure the photos don't do it justice.
-------------------- Sam Staffan Mackinaw Art & Sign 721 S. Nokomis St. Mackinaw City, MI dstaffan@sbcglobal.net Posts: 1694 | From: Mackinaw City, MI | Registered: Mar 2004
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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
Great improvement on the earlier ideas, too- well done, Doug!
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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I cropped out a closeup because I noticed the photos don't really show the smalt texture very well, but it was a thrill to see it out in the sun for the first time today.
posted
Nice work Doug. Welcome to the smalting club. Believe me, you'll get more. We just did a bronze smalt background which I'll post soon. Letterhead Sign Supply has some very cool colors, but with gold letters, black is still my favorite.
[ October 06, 2008, 09:21 AM: Message edited by: Dave Sherby ]
-------------------- Dave Sherby "Sandman" SherWood Sign & Graphic Design Crystal Falls, MI 49920 906-875-6201 sherwoodsign@sbcglobal.net Posts: 5397 | From: Crystal Falls, MI USA | Registered: Apr 1999
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posted
Doug, I'm sure this is much more rewarding to you in almost all ways compared to the cookie cutter vy-null quicky stickies. You've done well my friend and the sign looks awesome
-------------------- HotLines Joey Madden - pinstriping since 1952 'Perfection, its what I look for and what I live for'
-------------------- Jack Wills Studio Design Works 1465 E.Hidalgo Circle Nye Beach / Newport, OR Posts: 2914 | From: Rocklin, CA. USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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posted
Fantastic Doug! Did you use your new baby to rout all the elements?
-------------------- Ricky Jackson Signs Now 614 Russell Parkway Warner Robins, GA (478) 923-7722 signpimp50@hotmail.com
"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Issac Newton Posts: 3528 | From: Warner Robins, GA | Registered: Oct 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Ricky Jackson: Fantastic Doug! Did you use your new baby to rout all the elements?
nope, I could have though...
...but during the last year of ramping up to speed on selecting a router to purchase, aquiring a space to expand into, and proceeding with the shop build-out while the purchase of my MultiCam & assorted other equipment was running it's course...
...I also began selling more dimensional work, so I could practice seeing dimensional opportunities, practice upselling clients to take advantage of those opportunities, & improve my skills with the visualization, production and finishing challenges of dimensional design. In order to do all this, so I would already have a more substantial portfolio of dimensional work & more recognition as a dimensional shop, I began subbing out more dimensional sign work.
All my router work has went to Blueridge Fabrication. Besides being merchants on another board, they are very qualified professionals, who have made over a dozen excellent signs for me in the last 2 years. They knew I was getting a router & that business from me would eventually dry up, but they have been very supportive & extremely helpful & informative when I had questions about my design work, and what was possible. They have even shared tips on glueing, finishing & installing.
My router has been running for 2 months now... but with all the apprehension & assorted fears I've had with this sign... it's been in my shop for almost 6 months now
However, I do take credit for the original design, and the entire dimensional design of levels & depths.
At it's thickest point, the sign is 3" thick. This is where the 14' x 18" main panel border was built up with a second piece of 1" signfoam that was cut in strips & bonded to the border section of the routed sign. That routed sign was 1-1/2" signfoam bonded to 1/2" Extira, & routed to create 4 different depths. The copper is the original HDU surface. The V-groove lettering & border in the copper is 1/4" deep. The borders of the four little black corners are 1/2" deep, with the four small recessed sections 3/4" deep. Before building up the main border, the main copy outlines (and an inset black border) are also 3/4" deep, and the smalted area is routed to a depth of 1" (or 2" after the border was built up)
So, the 2-1/2" wide main border, was taped off with the 3/4" outer edge to remain black. The remainder was gilded only on the face, The inside returns are black & there is an inset black border that is 3/4" wide & provides the inside half of what appears as a black border both inside & outside of the gold, seperating that gold from the smaltz, just as the lettering outlines do.
I've done about 7 paying jobs on the milticam in the last 8 weeks. Not a lot, but signs like this one will help me sell more signs like this one, so I'm glad I have another dozen of them out there from before I even had the in-house production capability. My next smaltz and gold sign will all be done here!
Doug, are the red designs on the elements to each side of your sign turned at a certain degree for a purpose?
Jack
-------------------- Jack Wills Studio Design Works 1465 E.Hidalgo Circle Nye Beach / Newport, OR Posts: 2914 | From: Rocklin, CA. USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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posted
I see you got past your smaltaphobia . Nice job!
-------------------- "A wise man concerns himself with the truth, not with what people believe." - Aristotle
Cam Bortz Finest Kind Signs Pondside Iron works 256 S. Broad St. Pawcatuck, Ct. 06379 "Award winning Signs since 1988" Posts: 3051 | From: Pawcatuck,Connecticut USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
Do you think they may now have you put nicer "hours" and "open" lettering on the doors?
I've never understood business owners who drop major coin on really nice signs like that, then hang the cheesy $1.98 hours sign from Staples on the door. It's like a woman getting a makeover, and having a big ol' nasty wart on her nose.
-------------------- "A wise man concerns himself with the truth, not with what people believe." - Aristotle
Cam Bortz Finest Kind Signs Pondside Iron works 256 S. Broad St. Pawcatuck, Ct. 06379 "Award winning Signs since 1988" Posts: 3051 | From: Pawcatuck,Connecticut USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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-------------------- Kent Smith Smith Sign Studio P.O.Box 2385, Estes Park, CO 80517-2385 kent@smithsignstudio.com Posts: 1025 | From: Estes Park, CO | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
What a great addition to the neighborhood! Now all the shops around this guy will be calling... GOOD job!
-------------------- Jane Diaz Diaz Sign Art 628 W. Lincoln Ave. Pontiac, Il. 61764 815-844-7024 www.diazsignart.com Posts: 4102 | From: Pontiac, IL USA | Registered: Feb 1999
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posted
I am honored to get approving support by so many letterheads. I would have never done this sign, or even concieved of it, if not for this site, and many of the people already dropping in on this thread, so I am very appreciative of all those inspiring sign folks who share their portfolio pieces & tips and tricks here.
Cam, I almost photoshopped out those ugly signs they bugged me so much. After banking $11K, I think I may just whip up a copper, black & signgold solution for them as a favor.
(on the smaltophobia... I'll admit I haven't entirely stopped worrying... where the bolt holes were, which I protected with sections of rubber hose, the smith's/1-shot mix was still goopy 2 weeks later. Although the surface seems solid... I have this fear of it drooping down still... but if it's still fine today, 48 hours later... I think the smaltophobia will finally be a thing of the past)
Jack, although I designed the main panel from scratch (to fit this building & to cover up a large engraved sign in the granite)...the sun/compass icons have been their logo since before I met them. There are 8 "pie slices" and their edges line up every 45 degrees... but the contrast between those colors is too much IMO, and it does give it an out of alignment look.
posted
Well done, Doug. Dimension and smalts is kind of an "If you build it, they will come" situation. Once you have some of that work out there, it's easier to sell more because your clientele can now see visually what you pictured in your mind.
I look forward to meeting you tomorrow.
-------------------- David Harding A Sign of Excellence Carrollton, TX Posts: 5084 | From: Carrollton, TX, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
Nice job Doug. One thing I might suggest is to paint the spacers so they won't be noticed. The smaltz added a lot of character to this sign, glad you used it on this one.
-------------------- Jerry Berg South Paw Sign Washington State Posts: 87 | From: Washington State | Registered: Jun 2007
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posted
Stein, I'm guessing you are referring to the bright reflection of light in a real life view of gold leaf, where the gold "glows" perhaps? I don't have any better pictures, but it shines like no other sign I've done, so I may be able to capture that on film some day.
Jerry, I agree. As I mentioned to another letterhead of emailed that suggestion, I had decided to cut 1" sections of black surgical tubing & slice them to quickly sleeve over each stud. I realized the need for that immediately upon completion, but hadn't seen it coming because during production, I often held a letter over the sign to visualize the completed piece, but never actually inserted the studs until the sign went up, so I failed to see the need in time.
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. Nice job! ![[I Don t Know]](graemlins/dunno.gif)
It's like a woman getting a makeover, and having a big ol' nasty wart on her nose. ![[Bash]](graemlins/bash.gif)
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