This is a sign I finished last night.

The sign is 4 x 8 feet. The sign is all hand cut. I use a Miller Spectrum 375. I don't have a plasma table.

This is powder coated. The top is hammered black, the back ground of the wording is copper and the letters are brushed nickle. The whole work was clear coated over the color.

The letters were a bear to cut. The words are on both sides of the sign. All the letters are held out from the background an inch. I used 1/2 square as the hold outs. Each was drilled and tapped for 1/4 x 20 set screws. All the set screws are stainless so there should be no worry of rust and staining.

 

I am also going to build the frame for hanging the sign, but out of logs.  The owner and I are going to pick out some large logs to use as the frame.  That is ahead in the coming weeks.

 

Thanks for looking,

John

WOW! That is some nice work!   just.... WOW!

:)


Looks excellent. Hard to believe its not plasma cut. Well, I believe it but excellent work anyway.

Looks excellent. Hard to believe its not plasma cut. Well, I believe it but excellent work anyway.

 

I believe it was plasma cut, but cut free hand in lieu of a CNC plasma table.

 

Very nice work, bet that took some time.

 

Your hand is way more steady than mine with a plasma torch :)

Not your first go? At using the torch?

Simply spectacular! Brilliant job!

It is a hand held plasma - just not computer controlled.  No it is not my first rodeo at running a plasma torch!

 

I build a great deal of signs and art using the plasma torch.

 

Also so this pertains to forging, I forged the rings at the top of the sign from 1/2 inch round with a hammer and mandrel.  Gotta have a small touch of blacksmithing in all my work.

I certainly hope you are being appropriately remunerated, very fine work especially by hand!

Beautiful work.  Questions:  Who did the design and how was it transferred to the metal?  It must weigh a ton so I would like to see the wood frame to hold it.  Great work.  

The design is drawn free hand onto the metal.  I use pictures as a guide and have found similar work to use as a guide, but draw and then cut my work out freehand so they are not copies.

 

It is heavy, but only about what a 4x8 foot sheet of 10 gauge weighs.  So about 200 pounds.

 

JL

Wow..that's something else..

 

Very nice work particularly the steady hand using the plasma...that torch is in good order!.

 

Just out of curiosity, what plate thickness were you cutting there? 

Thanks - I use 10 gauge for my signs which is a full 1/8 inch

I really like the FONTS that were picked out for the project. Your plasma work and then installation made it a nice piece of art. Congrats to your well appointed sign.

 

 

 

Carry on

It came out incredibly well. Excellent craftmanship. The fact that you have done it by hand, it amazes me.

Nice and flawless cut. 

John: I thought I'd said how beautiful that sign came out but I didn't. I get distracted so easily anymore. That's purely beautiful work, the customer must be thrilled and it's going to be the kind of advertisement of your skills they deserve.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

 

The cut looks pretty amazing. This is a perfect work. Is there a trick  to share? Good job!

It took a VERY long time for the customer to pick up the sign...even though the subdivision is about a mile from my shop/house!

 

The posts are huge old power poles. They are cedar and the top pole is 12 foot long and about 24 inches in diameter. The two uprights are about 18 inch in diameter.

 

I cut the mortise and tenon joints for the frame with a chain saw. We had to put in a few shims last night, but it went in pretty well overall.

 

This weekend is the Big Sky State Games and runners will be up and down our road. The customer wanted the sign up before all the runners go by. It is also the weekend for a motorcycle rally in Red Lodge. Our road is one of the main routes out of Billings for bikers. The sign should get a lot of attention.

 

I also picked up the Bergin's sign from the powder coater yesterday. This sign is 5 foot wide and 4 foot tall.