My first sandblasted sign!

[signmeup]

I just finished up my first attempt at sandblasing sign foam. I'm really happy with the results. The sign is about 26" x 18".

I was worried that my compresser and blaster would not be big enough to do this type of work after reading all the posts I could find on the subject. I was also concerned that my plotter would bog down trying to cut blast mask.

I was really surprised at how quickly the blasting went. I have a 2 hp/60 gallon "light commercial" grade compressor. It delivers 11 cu feet a minute at 90 psi. For a blaster I have a 5 gallon pressure pot type that I got at Princess Auto for $88. I spent maybe 10 minutes blasting the panel and that includes stopping to refill the blaster. I had the pressure set to about 65 psi at the blaster. It took longer to peel off the blast mask than it took to blast the sign.
I'm stoked! This is by far the easiest technique I have tried for making a sign with depth. Now I just need to get some orders for blasted signs.

Adrian

[Marlene]

That's your first try at a sandblasted sign!!!! Holy crap!!! Can't wait to see what you do next. Very, very nice.:U Rock:

[geb]

That is nice Adrian. Are the letters carved in the word signs?

George

[bevets]

Thats great, really looks sharp! What media did you blast with that quick?

steveb

[vinyl destination]

I make you a warning for sign foam - dunno if you've used it before. If (when) this is broken, don't be surprized, and try not to cry because of you're wonderful artistic talent. Great work!

[Replicator]

It looks great, but it looks fake, like it was photoshop'd . . . !

[signmeup]

That is nice Adrian. Are the letters carved in the word signs?

George

The letters are carved and gilded sign foam.

Adrian

[signmeup]

Thats great, really looks sharp! What media did you blast with that quick?

steveb

I used a third of a bag of silica sand from the auto supply. I had it left over from repairing and painting my car a couple of weeks ago. Wear a respirator if you try any blasting!

Adrian

[signmeup]

It looks great, but it looks fake, like it was photoshop'd . . . !

Fake?! It's real. It was in photo shop to crop it down so I could post it here.

Adrian

[signmeup]

I make you a warning for sign foam - dunno if you've used it before. If (when) this is broken, don't be surprized, and try not to cry because of you're wonderful artistic talent. Great work!

Thanks for the complement. I have made a few signs from sign foam
(actually I think it is really Design Board). I have broken scraps up to throw away and I'm impressed with how strong this stuff is. I couldn't carve the letters like that out of wood. They would constantly break under the strain of the knife where the grain was short. For large signs I have imbedded steel tubes for strength.

Adrian

[jdb]

Very nice job! Lot's of fun huh. There's nothing like creating a sign like this. You've just added another ability for your business.

[signmeup]

Thanks jdb. This is the closest to instant gratification that I have found in making a sign. Hopefully it's not a fluke.....we'll see on the next one.

Adrian

[Air Art Girl]

what paint did you use on the sign foam?

[GXSignCo]

A BIG WORD OF CAUTION...do NOT use Silica sand! It will cause silicosis if used much at all w/o very good equipment (with fresh air supply). Personally, I use Garnet for media and then use a cartridge-style respirator and face shield.

Regarding the sign, very NICE work!!!!

[jdb]

By the way, what type of primer did you use on the hand carved / gilded letters? They look nice and smooth.

[mgraef27]

Very Nice!!!!!!

[Sign_Boy]

Nice Sign!! Can you post a pic from an angle to show the depth?

[signmeup]

what paint did you use on the sign foam?

I primed the sign with 2 coats of Home Hardware latex primer brushed on. The black is Rustoleum flat black latex...2 coats foam roller. The green and bright green are Ceramcoat craft paint. The bright green is called Geko. One coat coverage! It's not flourecent...just looks like that against the black and also the texture of the blasted surface reflects a lot of light. The body of the sign was then sprayed with Varathane water based clear.

The gold letters were primed with 2 coats of auto primer sanded in between. Then 2 coats of Ceramcoat "straw"...then 2 coats of One Shot gold size.
The sign body took about 4 hours and the letters...1 hour to carve and about 3 hours to sand, paint and gild. No coating over the gold.

Adrian

[Signguyno1]

Fine looking sign, good layout and design. You will enjoy working with foam for signs of any size, can be laminated to MDO, Signply, Diebond or any rigid substrate for strength.
Again very nice work!:thumb:

[high impact]

I'd really like to see some other angles of this sign. Did you do any paint work before applying and removing the mask?

Sign looks nice but the picture smells kinda funny...

[Gino]

Very nice....... :thumb:


That's a keeper !!

[OneUpTenn]

Wow!!! I am new and sanndblasting seems so...out of my league right now but maybe in a few months I can look you up and you can give me some advice.

Hey next time make a video of it, put it on youtube and then paste a link to it here.

[signmeup]

I'd really like to see some other angles of this sign. Did you do any paint work before applying and removing the mask?

Sign looks nice but the picture smells kinda funny...

Another pic. It's blasted to a depth of 5/32". The pictures are as they came from the camera....Canon rebel XT. Nothing was done to them. Well other than converting from RAW format to jpeg and compressing them so I could post. The lens I use has a very narrow depth of field...maybe that's what you're not used to seeing? What doesn't look right to you? I'm a bit disturbed by this. Why would I fake a sign picture?

Adrian

[Rich]

Nice job. Is the script lettering yours or signfonts?

[Jackpine]

Absolutely correct!A BIG WORD OF CAUTION...do NOT use Silica sand! It will cause silicosis if used much at all w/o very good equipment (with fresh air supply). Personally, I use Garnet for media and then use a cartridge-style respirator and face shield.

Regarding the sign, very NICE work!!!!

[high impact]

VERY NICE!!!

Now THAT picture looks very natural. The first pic was just bad, bad, bad. You've also got some raw talent for I can never use the word "easy" for sandblasted signs.

Was all the paint work work done after you stripped the mask? That's the part that kills my time investment.

[ovrcafnatd]

That's your first try at a sandblasted sign!!!! Holy crap!!! Can't wait to see what you do next. Very, very nice.:U Rock:


NO JOKE!

wow just beautiful for your First!!
depth seems even and everything
good job
:thumb:

[Flame]

Excellent color choice. That's one of my favorite color combo's.

All in all a great job. Better than I'll do on my first I'm sure.

:thumb:

[Sign_Boy]

That's sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!!

Great Job

[signmeup]

VERY NICE!!!

Now THAT picture looks very natural. The first pic was just bad, bad, bad. You've also got some raw talent for I can never use the word "easy" for sandblasted signs.

Was all the paint work work done after you stripped the mask? That's the part that kills my time investment.

Well...I think it's a pretty nice picture. I have the sign on a stool next to a rock wall. I'm standing on the rock wall looking down and the lens I used (F stop at 2.8) threw the leaves and gravel out of focus. It's also a very overcast day here and the UV level is extreme.

I put the mask on after I had the black paint finished. Then I blasted, then I did the rest of the painting and pulled the mask off. Then I touched up the edges that need it and spray canned the clear coat. Most of the work in this sign was filling sanding the HDU smooth. The blasting, like I said...ten minutes tops. HDU is pretty soft and it's not blasted very deep. To keep the depth even I kept the nozzel about 18" from the sign and used low pressure...about 65 psi and didn't stop anywhere...like the pattern you would use for a paint gun when painting a car.

Adrian

[Replicator]

It looks Fantastic . . . Great angle shot too . . . !

[signmeup]

Thanks for the compliments. I just got back from the city with a brand new sheet of Design Board. I think I'm gonna make some house numbers to sell to the well to do around here.

Adrian

[drakesis]

Signmeup very nice job~! Where are you getting your sign foam?

[Westcoast Sign Guy]

:thumb:

[JERHEMI]

That looks great! Nice Job!

[Rick]

Nicey Nicey indeed....great work!

[N2Harpz]

That is a nice sign .... Those hand carved letters look great. The egdes look clean and sharp. I can't say enough about the quality.

I have been thinking of making a blaster. Yours looks so good I think I would like to go ahead and try. Can you send me the info ?

My current sandblaster always takes it too deep. He also cuts it at an angle so the edges sometimes chip off. It sure would be nice to be able to do it myself.

[signmeup]

I got the foam from East West plastics. It's calle design Board.

Adrian

[signmeup]

I have been thinking of making a blaster. Yours looks so good I think I would like to go ahead and try. Can you send me the info ?



I bought the blaster from Princess Auto for $88. It was on sale. I think in the US it would be like Habour Freight. Don't forget about a respirator. Sand blasting will kill you if you don't protect your lungs.

Adrian

[signmeup]

Thank you all the others for the kind words.

Adrian

[N2Harpz]

I bought the blaster from Princess Auto for $88. It was on sale. I think in the US it would be like Habour Freight. Don't forget about a respirator. Sand blasting will kill you if you don't protect your lungs.

Adrian

Oh yeah! Thanks ... I found one at Harbor Freights. Only $89 and 15 miles from the shop.

[signmeup]

Don't forget the respirator! And blasting hood!

Adrian

[N2Harpz]

Good idea ...thanks again....

[3mpainter]

It looks great, but it looks fake, like it was photoshop'd . . . !
looks fake to me also? why is the sign so clear and the bkground blured...................

[Rick]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depth-of-field

[signmeup]

Thanks Rick! The photo is as it came from the camera. It's depth of field that blurs the background. I am a serious photography enthusiast. I use a Canon XT digital SLR. The lens choice makes this sort of effect possible. In fact the lens used for that shot makes it quite difficult to take a photo without the blurred background effect. I've never had a lens with such a narrow depth of field. Great for portraits.

Adrian

[PrintMe!]

I think I'm gonna make some house numbers to sell to the well to do around here.

Adrian


If you're down on the South Shore (Chester, Mahone Bay, Lunenburg), yeah, there should be plenty of well-to-dos around there! Lots of rich Americans come up here to play. Lots of rich Canadians too! You could try setting up a display at one of the big Halifax flea markets. Try the Homeshow too!

If I get anybody looking for dimensional, I'll send 'em your way!

[signmeup]

Thanks printme. There's lots of money around there for sure. And it's the right "taste" for that sort of work too. Are you out that way?

Adrian

[skyhigh]

Classy....nice job

[skyhigh]

The sign body took about 4 hours and the letters...1 hour to carve and about 3 hours to sand, paint and gild. No coating over the gold.

Adrian

Now thats the impressive part. :thumb: (Hand carved right?)

[PrintMe!]

Thanks printme. There's lots of money around there for sure. And it's the right "taste" for that sort of work too. Are you out that way?

Adrian


Nah, I'm on the other side of Halifax. I go down there (South Shore) once in a while to take in the amazing seaside scenery. Often, in the summer, the family and I usually pick up some fresh lobster near Peggy's Cove, drive out to the Blandford Peninsula, and have a seaside picnic. Feasting on fresh lobster boiled in seawater, while the cold harsh Atlantic crashes in beside you...breathing in clean salt air mist...it doesn't get much better than that...oh wait, yes it does...when it's washed down with multiple Propeller beers! ;-)

What's the name of your shop? I'll keep it handy. I don't get many people asking for dimensional, but if I do I'll give them your number.

You're like a human Shopbot! ;-)

[Craig Sjoquist]

very nice good contrast, layout, design ...A1 this should get ya some sandblasted jobs for sure

font crazy

[signmeup]

Now thats the impressive part. :thumb: (Hand carved right?)

There isn't much carving in a set of letters like that. I was trying the "V" shaped letter style over rounding over the edges. It's way faster to "V" shape them. It casts the light and shadow better too.
Try it yourself. The tools are cheap. I used a break away blade knife and a 1" flat cabinet makers chisel. I cut the letters out with a table type scroll saw.

Adrian

[signmeup]

Printme,

Man don't tell everyone that! They'll all want come up here. I like lack of crowds like we have now.
Shop name is Sign Me Up. I may have to start a "division" if I want to make fancy carved signs though, eh?

Adrian

[Replicator]

P
Shop name is Sign Me Up. I may have to start a "division" if I want to make fancy carved signs though, eh?

Adrian

How about Sign Me Up - Fancy Carved Signs !

[skyhigh]

There isn't much carving in a set of letters like that. I was trying the "V" shaped letter style over rounding over the edges. It's way faster to "V" shape them. It casts the light and shadow better too.
Try it yourself. The tools are cheap. I used a break away blade knife and a 1" flat cabinet makers chisel. I cut the letters out with a table type scroll saw.

Adrian
I have done this many times.

I was at the Pioneer Supply sign show last week and had the pleasure of talking with Jeff Lang from "Ole Lang Signs". You may have seen some of his work in "Sign Illustrated" or Sign Craft". He was giving a demonstration on doing just this type of work. I believe he said it took him 15 minuter on average per letter (longer for script).

[JAMEY]

I am blown away by this. Do you have pics of the work done in stages?

[SignosaurusRex]

Very Nice! Which weight of Signfoam did you use?

[mountainmang]

i think both pics look great...the sign is more than awesome :thumb::thumb:

[signmeup]

I am blown away by this. Do you have pics of the work done in stages?
Sorry, I didn't take any photos of the sign being made. It is a very straight forward bit of sandblasting and carving though. There are probably videos on youtube of someone sandblasting a sign.

[signmeup]

Very Nice! Which weight of Signfoam did you use?
I was told it was 18 pound Design Board. The board had no markings on it as to a maker or density. I would have my name on the edges or something if I was making the stuff. I would like to try the 30 pound stuff that has been mentioned on s101 in different posts. The "filling the bubbles" part of the process is about the longest step.

[SignosaurusRex]

With 30# the blasting will be much more work, but it will be nicer to work with as far as filling and strength. Overkill in most cases. We've used it for machining and intricate sculpted work.

[Ken]

Take SRex advice.. Promise little..deliver lots..
Ken

[imaSIGNr]

I was told it was 18 pound Design Board. The board had no markings on it as to a maker or density. I would have my name on the edges or something if I was making the stuff. I would like to try the 30 pound stuff that has been mentioned on s101 in different posts. The "filling the bubbles" part of the process is about the longest step.
There probably was markings on it, but if you didn't buy a full 4' x 8' sheet it probably got cut off before you got it.

[signmeup]

No, it was a full 4 x 8. I've bought quite few and they never have anything on them. The edges are biege paint of some sort. It's thick and hard and really fills the surface. I should ask them what they use on the edges.

[Sandman]

Nice start. Love the gold letters. Some tips from someone that has over 300 sandblasted signs under his belt.

DO NOT use silica sand unless you are blasting far away from any buildings AND have a fresh air sandblasting hood. You shouldn't even pour the sand into the blaster without wearing this protection. That sandblasting pot should never be used indoors again without a thorough cleaning. Silica sand is extremely dangerous stuff. If you have an indoor booth, use aluminum oxide or silicon carbide. They are not dangerous like silica and even though the initial cost is much more, you can use it over and over again, even with HDU dust mixed in. You can blast about a hundred times before replacing it.

You probably got away with a quick blast because you didn't blast very deep and it is a fairly small sign. When you get into larger signs, you'll need more air to get the job done in a reasonable amount of time. Large signs need to be blasted deep or you loose the effect of the blast. Large signs also have larger areas to blast where there are no graphics or letters. Even with my 200 lb pot and a quarter inch nozzle, its tough to get a real even flat background on large signs.

Acrylic latex solid stain works great on backgrounds. Use those cheap natural bristle brushes from the hardware store. When the bristles wear down to half their new length is when they work the best. True Value and Mautz stains work well. The brands that are as thick as pudding to not work as well. It makes it easier to add a little Wagner latex thinner (the white stuff from Wagner spray paint to thin latex.) It breaks the surface tension and allows the stain to get down into the pores easier. Latex stain will last 10 + years on HDU depending on color and exposure.

Again, very nice sign. With that as a sample, you'll sell some. I started in an area that never saw a sandblasted sign. Now they are 40% of my business. Just don't under price them.

Don't bother with the 30 lb density stuff. First of all, I just priced some yesterday and 30# 1.5" thick 4x8 is $670.00 a sheet. 2nd, I tried blasting a sample. I blasted till I burned up the rubber, to get about a 1/8th inch depth. 30 lb is just too tough. 40 lb just roughed up the surface and got maybe a 1/16" deep before the rubber began to fail. 20lb is about as high as you can go with out blasting till the cows come home. 3rd, Sign Prime primer by Sign Arts (SignFoam) is our new favorite primer. Seems fairly thin but it fills the open cells quickly, it's waterbase and easy to use.

[gtjet]

Very nice, definitely not easy for most.

[Jillbeans]

Excellent!
Just gorgeous, I can hardly believe that's your first attempt.
I'm envious.
And Skyhigh, if you were hangin' with Jeffrey P. you were in great company.
He's one of my favorite folks.
Love....Jill

[signmeup]

Thank you all. I had fun doing it.