I like having a big press... I think I'll be coming up with things to do with it for a long long time..

So this is one thing I have been doing... This is a dedication sign for a school and will be set in a sidewalk that was a "gift" of the graduating class..

I had a template waterjet out of 1/4 plate and then stomped it into a chunk of 1"







I needle scaled the background to clean up the scale and then put the template back on it and bead blasted the letters to get them to "pop" some..

Now I just need to figure out how to keep it from rusting ( I tried smooshing it into stainless and a half million pounds isnt enough oomph.. )

Wow that looks unreal

That turned our to be a really nice sign

that is cool.....

Nice job, looks just like a casting.

Rusting? you could have tried bronze for the backplate, or what about having it plated or hot bronze /copper/zinc sprayed if its going to be walked on, whatever you do will be subject to wear(polishing?)

Looks good Larry, those water jets are handy, I need to make some bbq tools for my water jet guy, I have a list of items and he seems to have stalled out on me.

Would not the constant walking on the raised letters keep them warn enough so that the rust would only appear in the recessed areas?

BTW, very nice.

Unique!
Phil

Larry thats only 1000 tons. Time for ya to upgrade.
Ken.

Wow, that's cool Larry. You always come up with neat stuff.

Larry,

Nice! - You do know how to make an impression . . .

Limitless possibilities with that press! I don't think the rust would bother me, but you may be able to trim the surface area of the die to get it to do stainless. Also sheet with some pitch behind it may work, may have to round the edges so it wouldn't tear.

Does kinda look like it was cast, reminds me of doing scratch molds, would be a down and dirty way of making your dies, cut, weld, grind and forge into the surface of the die instead of waterjet.

You could make some real fine impact dies for a screw press ;)

thats very very cool monster - i wouldnt mind the rust either :)

Very nice Larry,was the 1" plate at a red heat? How about galvanising and then acid etch it,pick out the letters with highlight.Were the bottom edges of the 1/4" die left sharp or radiused?

If you're worried about the rust you could enamel the recess. Drop some powdered glass in there and bring it up to heat, giving it a glaze. Surface wear should keep the top from rusting over I think. Of course, the enamel solution will work better in some climates than others due to the expansion/contraction of the metal.

I ended up doing a zinc coat in the shop... first time but I think it worked out quite well... A proses used to protect ship parts..

I ended up doing a zinc coat in the shop... first time but I think it worked out quite well... A proses used to protect ship parts..

Very nice. Is that set into the sidewalk, or something nearby? I nice the "grain" of the concrete is at a 45 degree angle to the plaque.

Its set right in the sidewalk.... It needs a finish coat of grout and it will be ready for the school kids to tromp on for the next 100 years.....

Beautiful work, Larry. They should be very happy with that. :)

Stealing this idea ;-)

Very nice Larry. You'll have schools lined up wanting plaques.

 

Frosty The Lucky.