Signs of the Times - December 2013 - (Page 56)
Little Fish, Big Dreams
Dan Sawatzky, proprietor of Imagination Corp. (Chilliwack,
BC, Canada), has inspired countless signmakers with
his talent and generosity in sharing his tools and techniques. Sawatzky similarly motivated the production
stuff at KDF Reprographics (Rockleigh, NJ) to produce
a novel, 3-D sculpture for a competition he was staging.
According to Stephen Hoey, KDF's president, its rules
stipulated inclusion of a sign for the fictitious facility,
the Institute for the Study of Mechanical Marine Life,
and a mechanical fish. The designer's imagination
dictated the rest.
56 SIGNS OF THE TIMES / DECEMBER 2013 / www.signweb.com
"We decided to feature a fish driving a larger,
mechanical fish, and then we decided to create an
entire fishtank," Brian Hamilton, KDF's businessdevelopment manager, said.
Hoey and Hamilton created a hand-rendered sketch
that they scanned and colorized in Photoshop® software.
Subsequently transferred to SA Intl.'s EnRoute5®, the
design was developed into a 3-D template for a CNCrouted sculptural sign that stands 8.5 ft. tall and weighs
approximately 500 lbs. To manage the job's weighty
construction, KDF fabricated the upper portion of the
tank with 15-lb. PrecisionBoard® HDU. For additional
heft, its base comprises 30-lb. HDU. Fabricators
constructed the pieces on the shop's MultiCam 3000
CNC router, and created texture on the panels with
Abracadabra Signs' MagicSculpt hardening-epoxy
compound and Coastal Enterprises' FSC-88 WB surface
primer and filler.
To assemble the components, KDF MIG-welded a
metal framework with a low profile that would make
it easier to drill holes for electrical conduit and water
pipes. To create a more playful project, they accented
the fishtank's surroundings with a periscope, and
added an operational control panel and a pull-handle
to open the mechnical fish's hatch. The contraption
also features a brushed-metal-finish and "gold plate"
that was digitally printed on ½-in.-thick acrylic on an
Océ Arizona 350 XT flatbed, UV-cure-ink printer.
Hoey regards the project as a labor of love: "We
spent at least 100 hours on this project, all of which
was during evenings and weekends. We were lucky
to have a fish expert on our staff, who made sure the
aquatic details looked authentic. Win or lose, this
project gives us a brag piece for our showroom."
http://www.signweb.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Signs of the Times - December 2013
Signs of the Times - December 2013
Contents
ST Update
Technology Update
Vinyl Apps
Strictly Electric
LED Update
Software Update
Technology Review - Universal Laser’s ILS9.75 and ILS12.75 platform lasers
Technology Review - CET Color’s 500K X-Press flatbed, UV-cure printer
New Products
The Hands Have It
Digital Print Update
The First Neon Sign in America
The USSC Design Awards
Advertising index
Editorially speaking
Signs of the Times - December 2013
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