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

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Painting and glazing brings projects alive

Paint can make or break any design. And the glazes are the difference between a sign that looks plastic and new to one that has character, depth and age. The picture below shows how the Rovers Return sign looked when we finished the base colors. The building looked crisp and new, but also looked too flat. The brick lines were weak and didn't catch the light as they should.


For the glaze I added some clear base and a bit of water to make it flow, then slopped on a coat of the grungy, dark brown and then wiped it off judiciously with a soft towel. The building instantly came to life. Every crack. crevice and bit of texture suddenly became evident. The building looked like it had been there for a long, long time. I still have to add the lettering on the two small signs.


The plexiglass windows still have to be glued in and I'll be installing some LED lights to make it look like the building is occupied. Stay tuned...

-dan