The Computer Rocks!

As much as the computer makes things easy, it still requires some forethought, and software know-how to make it all come together!

The first step was to bring the 3d log model into Aspire for texturing.

I used my own woodgrain file I had created a while ago in Photoshop. I didn't want a realistic grain for this at all.

Bending and manipulating the shape of the grain to fit the log was pretty easy with Aspire's bitmap distortion tools. Mostly it was just a matter of flaring the ends to match the log shape!

Then with all the components arranged, I had to decide where I was going to split this out. The overall size of this job is 12 feet X 5 feet by 13 inches thick, so some thought had to go into getting it out of 4X8 sheets of material.

The sign got split into 4 quadrants, then each quadrant got sliced into the 2 inch slabs that our material came in.

In the end, there was 5, 2 inch sheets, and 1, 1 inch sheet of parts, that all looked pretty similar to the above image!

This was pretty much 2 solid days at the shop! Listening to the dust collector for 8 hours a day is enough to make me want to explode my brain ears. But finally all the parts have been cut!

Jody and I kinda worked side by side laminating all the panels up.

Jody also got started on the sculpted butterfly that's going on the one side of the sign. This was a simple structure made from 1/4" welded rod, and some galvanized metal lath. She used Apoxie sculpt- epoxy putty for doing the final shape of the insect.

Whatever I could laminate up off the machine, I would do right away, but with nesting all the pieces for the best yield, it pretty much meant I didn't have anything to assemble until the last sheet!

Slowly though, we made progress on the assembly. All the water drops got 3/8" steel rods inserted in them, to make them securely attach to the sign body.
8)
JWO