I made my first beer sign just over a year ago. However, it sucked. So did the next 20 or 30. With each batch one problem was solved, in turn a new method of sucking was discovered – every single time. From perfecting the mounting process, to solving the masking situation. 100’s of hours have gone into reinventing the wheel. By God’s good grace and our own ridiculous appetite for hours of fruitless yet incredibly tedious work we’ve done it. We have invented a wheel so round, it makes yours look cubic.
I have a real problem with wanting to do stuff I don’t know how to do. Once I get it figured out I go onto learning some other tedious thing. Anyway, I’ve been building things for years but graphic design, 3d modelling, cnc programming, and wood working are all newer developed skills of mine. I say wood working in the same breath that says I would never hire me for an all woods job. Hire a finish carpenter or a cabinet maker. However if you want a wood and steel combination, this is where I start punching above my weight class. This isn’t about wood, this is about beer, signs, and beer signs!
These first beer signs were my first real foray into programming something that wasn’t a simple part. Previous experience were with something like the “feet” for railings, or base plates for columns. Simple parts to allow for bolting down steel to concrete.
This is legit the first thing I ever fully programmed that wasn’t something shaped like a square with four thru holes near its corners.
Keep in mind that every other Busch Latte sign that I have saw is the same file cut by 80,000 different companies. My file is unique to me, because I made the damn thing. I didn’t pay someone for a butt quality file. I made my own and its clean clean clean.
A full graphic was something totally new. So after who knows how much trail and error I made my first cut file. After some more trail and error I got my cutting speeds dialed in very nicely for 14 gauge material.
This is the same sign now after painting.
This is where most sane people would start producing and trying to recoup money on time and material. Not me, no way. I figured out how to program. Now lets figure something else out.
Don’t call me basic
This project singularly showed me I could program anything within the limitations of the technology I’m using. CNC plasma is a game of simplification and conveying ideas in silhouettes nothing more, nothing less. Anyway, while I liked the sign I really didn’t feel that I did anything that anyone else couldn’t do. Which for me, isn’t typically good enough. So, I went and complicated the process by immediately adding a backing piece. Now I can color in the low spots! Easy! So…so… incredibly easy.
Instead of showing you all the terrible photos of the process….. we’ll just take a look at two. One nearing the calamity that is welding painted parts and one after the calamity of welding painted parts. The sign looked okay aside from where it doesn’t. My favorite part was the way the colors looked, and the weight. This is truly an impressive not often felt thing these days.
Once you pick one up you know its old school, and you know it’ll last the next FOREVER. I know its possible to break one of my beer signs, but you’d have to be trying and you’d have to use tools. This is one of those things that if it falls you check to see how badly your floor is broken. I’ll stand by that.
I approached this as a prototype. I knew I was going to lose my butt in masking time if I did it conventionally. I knew this approach probably wouldn’t work without modification, but I didn’t know how badly it wouldn’t work. That was the real test here.
If you didn’t know it by now, I’ll fill you in on a secret. The white overlay panel still isn’t attached to the color filled backing piece yet in this photo. I would wager very few places if any anticipate welding AFTER paint. No one does this, because for lack of better words its freaking stupid to do.
The colors are vibrant, the shellac (in this case) has a great sheen. I did this one with model paint and a cheapo airbrush. I’ve since upped my airbrush game in both skill and equipment. I’ve since switched most of my painting to an hplv gun.
Oh, and I absolutely don’t use model paint anymore. We were prototyping man.
No Rush
I hadn’t rushed to sell these up to this point. I was still working on my process. The next batch I went a little off the rails with the colors. But the masking situation persisted. It got better! But it was still a problem. It all came down to attachment points.
I needed to do something different instead of starring at the LATTE’s. It was getting to me. At any rate I changed my mounting solution in order to fix my masking situation. So I got a new situation to alleviate out of this deal. Burnt nuts. No welder out there likes burning their nuts, and I’m not exception. Get your mind out of the gutter. I’m talking about these little guys.
You’re perverted for even thinking that. Needless to say, I needed bigger nuts. At the end of the day my beer signs, and I suppose all my backed signs yet to come are attached with passivated stainless steel hardware and GTAW welding. Meaning my signs are strong as all get out. Plus, if you ever needed to repaint them or change colors or whatever they come apart easily. But only when you want them to, which is a huge plus if you ask me.
When time allows I think the next natural move is to add some lighting like this and start messing around with lots of other designs. I’ve got more ideas than time, that is for sure!
In general this is a quality hand made item made by me.