Metal Fabrication

Routing a Sign in an Hour

How one shop routed a great sign fast

Published

18 years ago

March 8, 2006

Lee Holcomb Signs of the Times March 2006 Issue

My signshop, Northport Woodsmiths, Northport, NY, fabricates a large portion of signs with the help of our CNC router from AXYZ Intl. Inc., Burlington, Ontario. As a result, I end up with a lot of leftover material. So, with the help of my artistic staff, the leftover patterns have been turned into fascinating sculptures.

What I’ve found is that many customers will buy these routed-out-scraps-turned-artwork. To house these art pieces and separate them from the shop’s sign work, I opened the Soma Gallery in the space above the shop.

For a recently held outdoor art exhibition at the gallery, we needed an outstanding sign to attract people into the courtyard. Ironically, signage was a last-minute job; the show was opening at 10 a.m., and it was already 9 a.m. So I had one hour to design and fabricate a great sign using the materials in my shop. Here’s how I did it.

9 a.m.

I know I can’t use the typical plastic A-frame or two sheets of plywood because this type of sign won’t work in our upscale community. A quick scan around the studio yields a 12-by-48-inch piece of 1-inch Komacel

click to Comment(Comment)

Introducing the Sign Industry Podcast

The Sign Industry Podcast is a platform for every sign person out there — from the old-timers who bent neon and hand-lettered boats to those venturing into new technologies — we want to get their stories out for everyone to hear. Come join us and listen to stories, learn tricks or techniques, and get insights of what’s to come. We are the world’s second oldest profession. The folks who started the world’s oldest profession needed a sign.