Sign for Orlando Primer Outlet Mall Store
 

For the last three weeks I have been involved in cutting elements for an inside sign for a store in the Orlando Primer Outlet Mall near Disney World.

The picture shows two pieces of 2" x 20" x 48" Cast Acrylic material. These sheets cost $1000 per sheet and weighed 100 lbs.

Attachment 10270

The first rough cut - cutting out the inside of the letters. Used 0.50" bit at 150 IPM.

Attachment 10271

The first set of letters with the rough cut completed. When I finished cutting both the rough cut and the finish cut, each sheet weighed 30 lbs. You can see the remains. I could not use my dust collection because my foot was too large and I had limited hold down.

The letters were cut to a depth of 1.75" which left a 0.25" used to hold the letters in the Black Formica covered Plywood that the letters stuck thourgh.

Attachment 10272

Here is a picture of the plywood with the letters.

Attachment 10273

Pictures of the completed signs installed and ready for the opening which is taking place today.

Attachment 10274


Attachment 10275


Wider angle of the sign. I also cut a piece of 0.25" Acrylic that was used for Sun Glass display on the left.

Attachment 10276


The clients are very happy with the sign.

This is my first time cutting 2" Acrylic and I am very pleased with the results and that the client is very help.

That is awesome !!! I bet the pucker factor was high on that job. Is your business growing on word of mouth or do you have a marketing "plan" going?

Mike,

I paused a lot before starting the first cut. I did not want to be the one that had to purchase another piece of acrylic. Wouldn't you know, the power went off of 2 seconds about 3/4 into the finish cut. That was enough to shut the machine down. I was a little off when I started up but with .125" tolerance I had in my contract but no one said anything if they even noticed.

I have just been making connections with people and the jobs are starting to come. I do not have steady work but I am getting work.

I hope this high profile job will lead to additional work.

It was a shot to my confidence to have the designer of the store like what I did. The sign is high visual part of the store and is the center of attention.

It is nice to have photos of this work to show others.

Very nice work Nils.

Glad work is coming your way.

Beautiful Work Nils!

Thanks for sharing with us.

Nils, AWESOME! Very nice. :)

Nice Nils, can you imagine the man with the BLUE FACE making nice things like this..:D

Nils, The sign turned out great. When you explained it on the phone I had imagined something different but this turned out much nicer than the one in my head.


I see you didnt use your new dust shoe. :D Just wondering how the magnets are working out for you.

Nils, fantastic ;)

Nils, Nice buddy. Glad to see those nice edges again!

beautiful work, congratulations and thanks for Share it.:)

Beautifully done Nils, that is some fine craftsmanship!

Brilliant work! must be nerve racking working material of such value.

Ken,
The pucker factor is huge. I think the last time I made a conference table with "real gold plate inlay" I test cut the file 4 times out of plywood before the real material - then hold your breath that the bit doesn't break on the real stuff.

Sean

After wiping out so many potential profit no thanks to mistakes made in the earlier jobs... I'm still holding my breath everytime I get on to a new cut... :o
There are just too many opportunity to learnt from mistakes... freaks me out...:(

Most of my mistakes are due to "operator error". :o

Its not a pretty sight when zeroing off the wrong reference.

"If your not making mistakes, your not doing much". :)

Greg,
Did they teach you that at SLO too! :D?
Great to see your still out here reading the forums.

Sean

Watch it bud. :) Never said I was fast.

Yea, good to be back. Finally resigned from the day job last April and starting a small business. Having a blast. Not profitable yet, but I've got a two year business plan.

The last year with that old job was long and not fun. Glad its done with and I'm on to new, fun things.

Greg,
Good luck with your new venture. I as well, have 2 of those small business' on the back burner all the time.

...keep the snakes out of the shop and good luck!

Sean

Thanks Sean. Hope all is good with you too.

Speaking of snakes. Just had to take a dog to the vet last week due to a rattler. Saved my wife though. If it wasn't for "Rocky", my wife would have been bitten. Rocky's fine today and spoiled as ever. :)

Better give this tread back to Nils.

A guy is out trying to make a buck by delivering 1700 1/8" thick circles and his thread gets high jacked.

Rocky eating steak tonight? Glad to hear your wife got missed and Rocky is doing well. That is one great dog you got there.

Yes, the pucker factor, setting up the file in the right place and being sure you don't have a brain skip (fart). They are what kill you. I check my location lots of times before starting. Also to be sure the file I want to cut will fit in the material that is sitting on the table.

Sorry Nils. :)

I'm at the computer designing promotional items this morning and the MM thread reply keeps popping up.

Yea, Rocky's pretty cool. We've got 4 dogs and they are a cast of characters. I wonder some times, who owns who.

Glad someone is making a buck. I better get back to work.

Greg,

I do not mind you guys using my thread. Come up with any great ideas to get more business, I am interested in hearing about it.

I think I came out even. Destroyed some bits in the process of doing the job. Those small pieces get jammed and that is all it takes and your are installing a new bit.

Nils,

When I find something that works and brings in customers, you'll be the first to know.

I always fear the tabs will break during cuts & ruin job due to the job shifted from its position or waste pieces get in the way of the bit & cause loss steps... the worst night mare...

That's a beautiful sign. Can you take a picture of the bit you used to cut that 2" acrylic?

Nils, I hate to say it, but I just priced the same piece of acrylic here in Taiwan and I got a quote from my supplier for about $350 US for each piece. The price per cubic inch must be sky high over there!!!!

David,

The general contractor bought the material so I didn't have to be concerned with the price. I just didn't want to screw it up and have to buy one also.

Roberto Cavalli Sign Update
 

I recently learned from the contractor that hired me to cut the 2" Acrylic for the sign, that a Vice President for the Roberto Cavalli Corporation in New York told them that my letters were the best letters that they have ever had done for a store.

I was very pleased to hear that because it means my abilities are of a high quality. But it also means that the machine that Gerald designed is competitive with other CNC machines that are available and cuts better than most.

Thanks Gerald for sharing your design.

Nils, my drawings were only a guide, and do not guarantee that you will get a good cut. . . . . . as you found in the beginning. You must give yourself the credit for really getting stuck in and tweaking your machine until it gave that high quality.

Good work.

i would chase up Roberto Cavalli HQ and try to become a nominate suppiler meaning that any GC will need to order there signs from you.

Nils,

Looking back, your rough cut was done with a 1/2" Bit at 150 IPM.

If you don't mind, would you share your finishing pass information. Also, whats the allowance (how much did you "skim" cut) on the finish pass?

Thanks,

P.S. - Still working on the marketing aspects. Nothing worth sharing yet. Your doing the best marketing anyways, high quality work. Keep up the good work.

Nils,
I second the RCHQ followup. A letter and pricing schedule with availability times. You would get the defacto order.

GOOD LUCK - I know how hard you worked on getting that machine cutting beyond perfect.

Sean

Gerald,

The quality of the macine may of come from my efforts but the quality had the basis in an excellent design and lots of quidance.

Thanks for the comments from all.

Greg J, I will get back with you on the particulars. I used a 0.5" bit for the rough and I did use a 0.25" bit for the finish cut.

Thank Nils,

Haven't done allot of plastics, but I'm sure the time will come.

I'm finally getting my cut quality on hard woods down. Allot less sanding and minimal machine marks.

Funny how its not the MM design effecting cut quality, rather operator issues (pass depth, feed rates, etc). Garbage in, garbage out.

Just a quick update.

The display company that I have been cutting prototypes, just gave me a large order. 400+ sheets of 3/16" x 48" x 96" Acrylic. When I have some time I will take a picture of the sheet after I cut them. Wish I could sell them also.

No time, sheets to cut.

Well done Nils!

Glad to hear that !!!

Congratulations! Nils, we'll look forward to your insights on sheet material handling, as apparently you'll soon be an expert. Go easy on your back!

...I think Nils is going to look like its snowing in his shop soon!