How Can I Make a Color Light Box Sign

[Pratyeka]

this place has fake stained glass paint: http://www.plaidonline.com/gallery-glass/brand/home.htm

[Alan Malmstrom]

I learned this trick years ago as a teen. The finish I used for signs was Evirotex brand epoxy that dried in 1 hour. It was a 5-1 mixture that you can't find anymore! You still can find 1-1 mix. Anyway with recessed letters they need to be carve deeper and I would use paint pigment mix it with the epoxy and then pour or use a paint syringe and fill the bottom of the letters. Of course the sign needed to be flat and level.

In solid form the epoxy dries fast and hardens. Now this way will only work changing the letter colors, unless you used a thick piece of material then used a carve region and mix the color you want and pour a thin layer. Epoxy is not cheap but will go a long way.

Ike

That would be the way to go, but what material would you use to carve that the epoxy resin could stick good too, and have maybe about the same shrinkage and expansion rate in the hot temperatures.

Of coarse you could only go as big as the carvewright width of about 14 inch.

Also, my daughter makes stained glass projects that they have for kids now and she loves to do it but it kind of leaves a little bit of the brush marks and is not flat all the way across. I could have sworn I saw the stained glass paint at hobby lobby.

I also say at hobby lobby a translucent acrylic paint or maybe they called it a stain. but they advertised it as being usefull in many different aplicaation techniques like airbrush and spunge etc. I forgot what it was called but it was by the oil paints and it was made in England.

Alan

[James RS]

I don't have the DXF software but I could always use the "Outline Pattern" and then "Cut Path" to get vector lines and cut them out with the 1/8 cutting bit. I'm not sure if tabs would work on a peice of material that is only 1/8 thick though.

I wonder if this Acrylic Sheet would be a good material for cutting.

Alan

They use Acrylic on the site here I've seen

[James RS]

this place has fake stained glass paint: http://www.plaidonline.com/gallery-glass/brand/home.htm

I used that stuff, works well but it does fade after awhile . looks like colored elmers glue that drys clear.

[Ike]

[QUOTE=Alan Malmstrom;165653]That would be the way to go, but what material would you use to carve that the epoxy resin could stick good too, and have maybe about the same shrinkage and expansion rate in the hot temperatures.

Alan, I used it with my redwood signs. I would carve the lettering and paint the letter and pour a different color for a two tone look. The epoxy remains the same size and shape and I have never experienced shrinkage or expansion.... well not enough to notice! The epoxy resin is like glue, but is thick. Epoxy is used for clocks or decoupage I would think the material is porous and epoxy will adhere to the surface.

Ike

[Alan Malmstrom]

OK, I have decided to use the Translucent Cast Acryilic and cut out each individual letter and element for the sign, and screw them into the existing surface of the translucent light box. I will cut them out on the carvewright and paint them black for a boarder around the outside of each letter. Then in the black boarder I will drill screw holes.

Now my question is: how can I add tabs to a closed path that has a "Select Bit" assigned to it. I would like to cut through the 1/8 inch Acrylic and have tabs to hold it in place. Of coarse I would secure the acrylic to another board for cutting but I don't want the acrylic to damage the machine when it cuts through. Is it possible to put some kind of tabs in an assigned "Select Bit" cut? I don't have the conforming vectors program and there is no way I am drawing all the lines by hand. Besides you cannot do an offset (cut around the outside) cut without having a closed path.

If it is not possible to cut through and have tabs, then I would secure the acrylic with double sided tape, but I don't know what kind to use. I could use carpet tape which is maybe 8 mils thick but I don't know if this would get in the way of carving or clog something up. Does anybody have any experience doing this type of thing?

Alan

[Ike]

Glad you figured out what you want to do! With the epoxy and paint pigment it would be applied after carving out the letters and the carve region. I wanted to clarify that I didn't mean pouring first then carving. Good luck with your adventure and show us the end result!

Ike

[Alan Malmstrom]

Glad you figured out what you want to do! With the epoxy and paint pigment it would be applied after carving out the letters and the carve region. I wanted to clarify that I didn't mean pouring first then carving. Good luck with your adventure and show us the end result!

Ike

I would do that Ike but the sign is 41 inch wide and 35 inches tall. I have some epoxy resin in the basement and just might use it one day.

I just need some help on trying to do a cut out of the 1/8 inch material. Maybe some spray adhesive would work good. I know I heard of somebody sticking things and cutting them out before but I cant find it.

Alan

[Kenm810]

I know 3M make several types of Spray Adhesives that might work,
you could look into some of those --
I've used some I bought at Lowes around the Shop.
http://www.clubxb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21009

[Ike]

I would do that Ike but the sign is 41 inch wide and 35 inches tall. I have some epoxy resin in the basement and just might use it one day.

I just need some help on trying to do a cut out of the 1/8 inch material. Maybe some spray adhesive would work good. I know I heard of somebody sticking things and cutting them out before but I cant find it.

Alan

Alan I hope you are not thinking epoxy glue? I am talking about the epoxy finish used for clocks bar tops etc. http://eti-usa.com/envirotex-lite/ You threw me off on the size! FYI sign measurements is the same as board measurement the length is 41" and width 35", like a board being 12" wide and 8' long. Width is vertical and length horizontal. Just saying, you can call it the way you want!

Ike

PS they also sell the color dye http://eti-usa.com/transparent-dyes/ http://eti-usa.com/opaque-pigments/