# Florida Bound



## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

Cut from a piece of 30 x 24 x 1 project panel from Lowes. Owner was born and raised in Michigan and still keeps a place in the Upper.
I wanted to keep a little of the wildlife theme in it somewhere.

Traded it for a fishing trip when we go down to visit relatives.

HJ


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Nice work John but the wildlife should have been alligators, wild pigs, walking catfish, and maybe that hybrid python.>


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> Nice work John but the wildlife should have been alligators, wild pigs, walking catfish, and maybe that hybrid python.>


They got the real thing down there. I wanted to keep the "back home" flavor in it

HJ


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## Shop guy (Nov 22, 2012)

Awesome


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## cjskelton (Feb 27, 2015)

Very nice, HJ! How deep is the dish on the 3D carving? Did it get very thin? I have a similar project panel and was concerned the model wouldn't have much depth without cutting close to the bottom of the panel. You certainly proved that wrong. I like it!


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

Jay,

That's the 1" panel. The cut goes down 3/4" at the deepest. Still plenty of support and it is very solid.

I just took a 48" panel - cut it at 30". I then took the other piece and did 2 of these. Ready to be V-carved and finished. Cut them both out of the same piece in one cutting.










HJ


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## cjskelton (Feb 27, 2015)

The panel I bought at the big green store says 1" but is actually 3/4". I'll look for the thicker one at Lowes.


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

cjskelton said:


> The panel I bought at the big green store says 1" but is actually 3/4". I'll look for the thicker one at Lowes.


Lowes is the only one, that I know of, that has the 1" panels. And my store here only has the 24 x 48 size. About $32.

HJ


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## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Brilliant.


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## Ryan360 (Jun 22, 2015)

looks awesome!


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Omg that looks awesome! You've become a cnc master John


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

TheCableGuy said:


> Omg that looks awesome! You've become a cnc master John



A long ways from that, Rick. But thanx for the compliment.

HJ


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## billyjim (Feb 11, 2012)

Beautiful sign.


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## JFPNCM (Dec 13, 2009)

Great work as always HJ. As soon as I get over this miserable cold I'll put the finishing touches on the ones you made for me and get them on the forum.


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## Scottart (Jan 8, 2015)

honesttjohn said:


> Lowes is the only one, that I know of, that has the 1" panels. And my store here only has the 24 x 48 size. About $32.
> 
> HJ


$37.5 in Alaska...


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Scottart said:


> $37.5 in Alaska...


So probably $50 in Canada


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## marecat3 (Nov 30, 2010)

very nice. Do you have Aspire 8? Have been trying to decide if we really need to upgrade or not.


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

marecat3 said:


> very nice. Do you have Aspire 8? Have been trying to decide if we really need to upgrade or not.


Mary,

I bit the bullet and did get Aspire 8. Instead of wishing I had the next step up and having to keep upgrading, I just did it. If you take this a bit seriously, you will need the latest Aspire edition. Or I should say - you will want it.

HJ


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## cjskelton (Feb 27, 2015)

HJ, I went to Lowe's yesterday and picked up one of the 1" thick pine project panels. I think I'm going to make a large Tiki Bar sign for my neighbor's poolside bar. I also found a PVC trim board that's 3/4 x 9-1/4 x 8' (actual size). It is woodgrain texture on one side and smooth on the other. I'll let you know how it carves. It was about $35. I should be able to get 4 or 5 small signs/plaques out of it.


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

cjskelton said:


> HJ, I went to Lowe's yesterday and picked up one of the 1" thick pine project panels. I think I'm going to make a large Tiki Bar sign for my neighbor's poolside bar. I also found a PVC trim board that's 3/4 x 9-1/4 x 8' (actual size). It is woodgrain texture on one side and smooth on the other. I'll let you know how it carves. It was about $35. I should be able to get 4 or 5 small signs/plaques out of it.



If that's the Azek boards - - they carve real nice, BUT it's a bear to clean up after painting. I haven't found a way to clean it up if you pocket cut it. But it cuts real nice. Only thing I've figured out so far is to spray the board texture side and then cut it, leaving the cut out part white.

HJ


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## cjskelton (Feb 27, 2015)

I cut a Home Sweet Home sign out of the PVC board today. I cut on the smooth side. It carved very nicely and only needed a little sanding and fuzz removal. It's about 5" by 23". Next is to figure out how to paint it....


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

That's the problem. Let me know how you solve it.

The only way I can see is to spray the board before you cut it and then leave the cut part white.

HJ


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## 4DThinker (Feb 16, 2014)

Sign looks nice, CJS. Another option is to paint it all, wait for the paint to dry, then skim it off the top with a planer or drum sander. 

Others will mask the top before carving, paint the letters, then peel the mask off. 

I've only done one sign as I teach furniture rather than sign making, but that one I left 1/32" or so thick, started my v-carve 1/32" deep rather than at the top of the board, painted the whole thing then planed off that 1/32"+paint. That got rid of any seeping/bleeding of the paint. 

4D


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## cjskelton (Feb 27, 2015)

4DThinker said:


> Sign looks nice, CJS. Another option is to paint it all, wait for the paint to dry, then skim it off the top with a planer or drum sander.
> 
> Others will mask the top before carving, paint the letters, then peel the mask off.
> 
> ...


Good ideas, 4D. I have some shelf paper that I'll try as a mask. It worked good on wood so I expect it will on the PVC.


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## edison auto (Nov 13, 2015)

Hj when you get to Florida let me know especially if you come to port Charlotte as we are 35 minutes south in ft myers. Would
love to meet you. That also goes for anyone coming to Florida too escape the cold.

Edison


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

Appreciate it. If we make the trip this winter (only take a week) we have friends that we see in both Port Charlotte and Eljobean.

You should be an accomplished artesian by then!!!!

HJ


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## Scottart (Jan 8, 2015)

cjskelton said:


> I cut a Home Sweet Home sign out of the PVC board today. I cut on the smooth side. It carved very nicely and only needed a little sanding and fuzz removal. It's about 5" by 23". Next is to figure out how to paint it....


Paint the entire thing..... than run it through your planner taking off layers as thin as possible.. the color will only stain the lower areas..


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## cjskelton (Feb 27, 2015)

Here is another simple sign I made where I painted it first then carved the letters. Next project I'm going to try using a mask so I can paint the letters after cutting the PVC board.


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

Jay,

I think the way to go with the PVC board is to paint it first and then leave the cutouts white, especially if you cut the textured side.

Let me know how the mask works, and what you used.

HJ


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## marecat3 (Nov 30, 2010)

We upgraded to 4.5 when they came out with it but just have to find a good reason for the boss to ok this upgrade. I have not had much time to go over everything in 8 to see if it has changed enough for him to give the go ahead.


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