WELCOME!

It is hard to believe that it was almost ten years ago I witnessed a CNC router in action for the very first time. I was fascinated and simply had to have one! Although I had been in the creative end of the three dimensional sign business for most of my life I didn't really know what I would do with one of these machines - but I just knew it could do fantastic stuff.

Along with the CNC router I discovered the wonderful material called Precision Board and the glues, primers and other companion products they offer. Since then we have gone through many tons of the material using it in most signs and projects we tackle. This journal will chronicle our many adventures both past, present and future. I'll talk from the perspective of someone who pushes these products to the creative limit on a daily basis. I'll be adding to the stories two or three times each week. -dan

Sunday, October 11, 2015

Working out ideas - part two

The reveal of the idea for my entry in the 2016 Sign Invitational will be drawn out a little more than usual. Firstly I don't want to tip my hand too much, too early. Secondly it's just fun to tease. :)

When I'm working on an idea the ideas generally come thick and fast. I scribble them down into my sketchbook as quick as possible, not worried about scale, drawing quality nor how they might fit together. I just want to get the ideas down as fast as I can. Some of these quick scribbles are used, some not. All will be modified as they go through the design process and again as I physically build them.

The theme for this project was inspired by the movie 'PLANET 51' although I chose an earlier time frame by about two decades - the 1930's instead of the 1950's. It's been a few years since I saw the movie but I remembered enough to know just the look I was going for. The vehicles are actually flying saucers, and round in shape. My designs would also feature green people but from a different planet.

After the quick sketch of the last post which was little more than a quick scribble I set down to work designing the individual pieces. The first was a 1930's pickup (flying saucer style). When I build it there will be a fully detailed undercarriage, complete with a glowing levitation device of course.


The quick sketch from my book was scanned into PhotoShop and I used it as the basis for a new detailed drawing of the truck, complete with the alien at the wheel.