WELCOME!


It is hard to believe that it was only seven 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 - but I just knew it could do fantastic stuff.

Through extensive research I quickly found out that with the relative simplicity of EnRoute, CNC routers were capable of just about anything imaginable. This journal will chronicle that journey to date and continue each week with two or three entries as we continue to explore just what is possible with this wonderful software... -dan

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Texture in a big hurry!

We are always looking for new ways to introduce cool textures into our work with our MultiCam Router. When my good friend Jeff Hartman, who wrote the EnRoute program with his brother, showed me the rapid texture program they were working on I immediately thought about incorporating it into wainscoting. That was almost two years ago. Now the Rapid Texture is at last released and I have designed the technique into the MultiCam Technical Center project. The beauty of Rapid Texture is the speed at which we can now texture large surfaces. Where it used to take hours and hours, it can now be done in a fraction of that time. The possibilities are endless and it will take me a little time before I can wrap my head around it and then perhaps take it in directions Jef and his brother never imagined. Time will tell.
For this project we will incorporate Rapid Texture into the main floor and into the 'fossil' office upstairs. For the nautical theme room I wanted to create a feeling of waves. I ran a test piece using MDF but was dismayed to see chunks breaking out. The material just wasn't suitable for what I was doing. So a sheet of 3/4" 30 lb Precision Board was substituted and it came out perfectly! I love the patterns possible using the conic bit and a random texture... I'm still thinking of the painting and patina possibilities. I'm liking the idea of playing warm rust tones agains the cool silvers planned elsewhere through the room.
Stay tuned...
-dan