It is always exciting to begin a new project! We started by creating the CNC plasma cutting files for the giant DOWNEYS letters. Then I headed to our plate steel stock and, with the forklift, loaded up our FastCut CNC plasma machine. The backs of the letters are solid 10-gauge steel, and the front outlines are 1/4” steel plate, twenty sheets in all, easy work for our machine. The letters will be sixteen inches thick, and the edge pieces will be cut and formed from 10-gauge steel as we piece the letters together. We estimate the edges will require another four or five sheets of steel. Just as I loaded our last sheet of stock steel onto the plasma, our giant steel order arrived, so save for the time to unload, there was no delay. By today’s quitting time, we had finished cutting eleven sheets of steel, which is about halfway through the total required. Our Fastcut CNC plasma performed flawlessly, with every piece coming off the table perfectly. This will make the assembly much easier as everything fits without struggle. Stay tuned to watch these letters come together…
Meet the maker
I was pleased to be featured in a Sign Media article called Meet the Makers which was released today. Sign Media Canada is a trade magazine that caters specifically to the Canadian market. We’ve been proud to have our work displayed in the magazine many times through the years with a few cover articles as well. This light hearted series showcases various sign makers from across Canada and seeks to discover how they approach their craft and market.
Sign Invitational progress
For the Sign Invitational, all entrants are asked to create a double-sided, dimensional pub sign which hangs from a supplied post and bracket. The name on the sign will be “__________ TOAD”. Entrants can fill in the adjective to suit the theme. Examples of this would be “Ugly Toad”, “Loyal Toad”, etc. The entrants are to be creative with the theme! The suggested size for the sign is 16ish” wide x 24ish” tall.
I’m creating two signs for the International Sign Association EXPO. One will be entered in the competition, and the second will hang in the booth of Coastal Enterprises, who are a long-time supporter of the contest. I’ve been working on these pieces for quite some time and am down to the final stages. The sculpting is complete, as are most of the base colours. I’ve begun working on the glazes with some detailing and gold leaf, yet to finish. With the show now only a couple of months to go, it is time to get this finished. Stay tuned…
