posted
A customer has given me a project using his logo "the bulb" as a 3D wall sculpture. This is an advertising firm, and rather large for our city of 50,000. I am doing a carved and gilded entrance sign for this client so I would like to be able to please him on this interest. He wants closed sides which creates about 3 times as much of a project. It is to be 2.5 plus inches deep The sculpture to be about 5 feet by 10 feet and will mount to a large and tall interior wall.
My immediate idea is to use mdf to shape and then cover it with a metal or metalike formica. He seems to lean toward the metallic look. Do they make a metallic type vinyl in a brushed finish? Any ideas would be appreciated. I would love to go cnc on real stainless, but feel the sides would be a big job.... Thanks, Bronzeo
[ October 09, 2001: Message edited by: bronzeo ]
-------------------- "Don't change horses in midstream, unless you spot one with longer legs" bronzeo oti Jack Davis 1410 Main St Joplin, MO 64801 www.imagemakerart.com jack@imagemakerart.com Posts: 1549 | From: Joplin, MO | Registered: Mar 2000
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I think I have some ideas that you can do on it...call if you are interested
Posts: 1033 | From: Arlington, Texas | Registered: Jan 2001
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That'd look great halo lit with a bit of neon. David
-------------------- David Fisher D.A. & P.M. Fisher Services Brisbane Australia da_pmf@yahoo.com Trying out a new tag: "Parents are the bones on which children cut their teeth Peter Ustinov Posts: 1450 | From: Brisbane Queensland Australia | Registered: Nov 1998
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Personally, I would suggest using 1.5" or 2" HDU and cut to shape, roundover all edges appropriately and prime and sand to a super smooth finish, then, gild to a nice shiny gold finish. If the cost was an issue for the gold, I would spray it with OneShot brass paint and coat with Pelucid. Then, affix all parts to the wall with pure clear silicone. Yup, that's what I would do !
[ October 10, 2001: Message edited by: John Smith ]
-------------------- John Smith Kings Bay Signs (Retired) Kissimmee, Florida Posts: 822 | From: Central Florida - The Sunshine State | Registered: Jan 2000
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Hey Jack, this looks like a project that would work well fabricated like reverse channel letters. That is, cut out of mill finish aluminum flat stock with aluminum 'returns' tack-welded to the back and the faces routed off flush with the sides. Follow with a grinder in a randon, circular, swirl pattern for a very industrial metal effect. Since it's interior, you could clear it with just about anything or leave it raw. An interesting upgrade would to mount it off the wall with blind studs and have neon hidden inside to cast a glow on the wall behind it.
I did a similar project many moons ago that I had fabricated by a national wholesaler. (Sorry can't remember who, way too long ago). I sent them patterns and they shipped back the completed project ready to install with stud patterns and everything. I doubled my wholesale cost, added my time on for selling and installing and everybody was happy. (oh yeah, I did my own swirl pattern after it was delivered because I wanted to have final control over that effect). Good profit and very easy. Good luck with it.
posted
Thanks Guys, .....Joe, I think that might be the answer I was looking for. I am consulting with Gemini by e-mail. Though I would like to do it myself, I really don't have the correct facility to work with that large of metal. Forming the sides and Tacking stainless is my biggest problem. The routing should clean up the corners well. Thanks Again
-------------------- "Don't change horses in midstream, unless you spot one with longer legs" bronzeo oti Jack Davis 1410 Main St Joplin, MO 64801 www.imagemakerart.com jack@imagemakerart.com Posts: 1549 | From: Joplin, MO | Registered: Mar 2000
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posted
Gotta be stainless??? Cuz this is pretty straightforward stuff to do in aluminum. Not to say it's simple...there could be possible issues with heat deforming the aluminum during the tack welding. Being able to use the router to make the flush cut AFTER the sides are tacked in place is what makes this process so slick. I've watched shops fabricate stuff like this for me that was done kind of down-and-dirty* in my opinion, but the finished product still looked fine.
*by down-and-dirty I mean I don't think they knew much about what they were doing. Some of the welds were pretty sloppy but all was concealed inside the channel so from the outside you couldn't tell. It appears to be a pretty forgiving process.
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Joe, I think aluminum would be fine. I have never welded aluminum because I don't have a TIG. I have heard that you can MIG one with aluminum wire, and like you say it don't have to be pretty inside. I think you have a great idea. I figure that one would cnc cut the shape. fit the returns and weld. They clean up 1/8" approx edges. One question though,,,Doesnt the crack vary and show a little on the edge where welded of can this be disguised? A small even seam should be fine. We have a custom metalworks producer here which has went from shop to factory size last year. Perhaps they could do it for me. I will let you know how we deal with it as time goes on, but pretty sure you have the inside track on this one. Thanx, Jack
-------------------- "Don't change horses in midstream, unless you spot one with longer legs" bronzeo oti Jack Davis 1410 Main St Joplin, MO 64801 www.imagemakerart.com jack@imagemakerart.com Posts: 1549 | From: Joplin, MO | Registered: Mar 2000
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