In The Shop This Week

[signfab]

Just introduced myself in the New Members section and thought I'd start a thread.

Completed these four signs this week, three of the same units went out two weeks ago and three more will be ready to roll out the door next week.


Laying on their side before loading.

The mid and lower panels are removed for transportation and installation.

The panel are fabricated from 5mm aluminium sheet, V-grooved and folded, funnily the designer originally specified 10mm mild steel plate for these panels.

 

[Z SIGNS]

Wish I could keep my shop that neat.

 

[Craig Sjoquist]

Interesting & clean fabrication Be great to see them when installed liking the image.

 

[thesignexpert]

Interesting & clean fabrication Be great to see them when installed liking the image.

Definitely want to see the final install here as well. Those are looking pretty sweet already.

 

[Marlene]

Definitely want to see the final install here as well. Those are looking pretty sweet already.

O too would like to see them installed. they look really nice

 

[dlndesign]

Looks clean, i too would like to see final install photos

 

[signfab]

OK,
here's some pics for those who wanted some shots of the signs installed.
Apologies for the grainy pics as they were taken with a phone by the installers.

 

[Marlene]

love the look of these signs. very nice! thanks for posting the signs installed

 

[signfab]

Started on some ACM clad doorway features this week.


We don't do a lot of ACM fabrication, maybe a hand full of shoe box lid panels a year and the odd pylon sign which calls for ACM faces which I usually V groove with a laminate trimmer.
So since I have half a dozen of these to build of varying shapes and sizes I decided to convert our makita power saw into a V grooving track saw.


Should have done this years ago as it works better than I expected, ok it doesn't have the plunge feature like the festool ACM mill but it also didn't cost $5000.

 

[signfab]

Fabricated aluminium letters this week, Building Id's for a University.



Dressed and sanded ready for powder coating.



65 of them.



And found another use for the track saw, V-grooving the returns for folding.

 

[vid]

oooOOOooOOOOoooooooOOOOOOOhhhhh... very nice!

 

[signfab]

I do like fabricated stainless steel but keeping mirror stainless scratch free while fabricating is a pain.

I knocked this out today.



In hindsight I would have fabed the cross differently, the returns of the cross were done in quarters so there is a "vertical" seam in each straight section of the cross (see bottom of cross in last pic). Meaning that the two tight radii in each section were a long way apart making it difficult to get the length right, if I had of placed the seams in the straighter sections of the larger curves it would mean that the tight radii would be close together and joined by a straight section, much easier and quicker.

 

[signfab]

Can I come work for you? :Big Laugh

Thanks Pat, high praise indeed but I'm just a humble employee plus I don't think you'd like the commute.

As for advice in regards to fab letters? Patients, rushing and taking short-cuts makes letters look terrible, you want the return to match the contour perfectly.

 

[signfab]

Big stuff this week and probably for quite some weeks to come.





I have seven of these to build before Christmas.

It will be clad in 3mm aluminium with cut through text in the centre and RH sections.
The LH section is a window or picture frame that the customer wants to encourage people to sit or stand in hence the extra bracing on the floor.
I will take more pic as this first one continues to take shape.

 

[signfab]

The first unit is ready to go apart from the missing letter centre the powder coater lost.
Obviously I'm not going to get all seven done before Christmas.

 

[Bly]

Who do you work for?
Looks like a pretty big place.

 

[S'N'S]

Who do you work for?
Looks like a pretty big place.

Looking at the sign, I'm guessing someone in Ballarat (Victoria)

 

[Craig Sjoquist]

Enjoy seeing your posts on what ya building & glad to see such excellent craftsmanship.

Nice idea customer has having people interact with sign if they like, that is good marketing.
..Did same sorta thing here with Gatorland, painted a mural & a sign that letters were just outlined & said Gatorland on wall behind the area where ya could hold a snake or a gator & have ya picture taken, pictures would always seem to end up in all kinds of publications local to international

 

[Kottwitz-Graphics]

Enjoy seeing your posts on what ya building & glad to see such excellent craftsmanship.

Nice idea customer has having people interact with sign if they like, that is good marketing.
..Did same sorta thing here with Gatorland, painted a mural & a sign that letters were just outlined & said Gatorland on wall behind the area where ya could hold a snake or a gator & have ya picture taken, pictures would always seem to end up in all kinds of publications local to international

That's cool, Craig. I went there while on my honey moon. ..A cool place indeed.

 

[signfab]

Bly,
That whole building is not our shop just the two roller doors behind the sign, left is office and graphics room , right is the fab shop.

S'N'S,
We're in Melbourne, just have some work for Fed Uni at the moment.

 

[FS-Keith]

I do like fabricated stainless steel but keeping mirror stainless scratch free while fabricating is a pain.

I knocked this out today.

In hindsight I would have fabed the cross differently, the returns of the cross were done in quarters so there is a "vertical" seam in each straight section of the cross (see bottom of cross in last pic). Meaning that the two tight radii in each section were a long way apart making it difficult to get the length right, if I had of placed the seams in the straighter sections of the larger curves it would mean that the tight radii would be close together and joined by a straight section, much easier and quicker.

how are you fastening the returns to the faces? what are you using to cut the faces of the stainless? thanks