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Like all online architectural signage distributors, we
display some manufacturer-supplied images, enabling views of
the broadest scope. Quite a few seen on P&L are our own
(providing clients send them).
Those below have informative stories. Click images for enlargements; open in
new windows.
IHS SEAL: Our
customer sent us upper-left image to recreate as a 35" Cast
Bronze Bas-relief seal. It would have been
less expensive & time-consuming if we had physical access to it to
use as a mold—but was unavailable. Therefore a pattern was made of
wood & modeled clay.
There were several challenges: 1) Our customer was specific about the
depth dimensions. The depth needed to be an inordinate 2” thick.
(Most cast plaques are 3/8".) Also, the “IHS” letters &
Cross were specified an additional 1” thick off the surface.
Finally, the 3-nail icon was specified to have a beveled/prismatic
aspect. 2) This plaque was to be installed in an existing niche
on the church, a former synagogue. Our customer had to promise a
commission that the holes for the six mounting studs be drilled only
into mortar joints, not the stone itself.
Customer made a
Plexiglas template with precise points marked where the holes in the plaque
face would be drilled. Pattern was shipped to the
foundry. Once cast, finished, drilled accordingly, shipped & installed, holes were covered with
decorative rosettes. To the left is the finished product,
pre-installation. This was one of our trickier—and more
effective—projects. Virtually anything can be cast in bronze, with a
little—or a lot—of effort.
Purple Heart: Our
customer had us create a 16" x 12.5" wide
(3/4" deep at highest point) 4-color cast bronze Purple Heart Bas relief.
Click HERE for a
cross-section. Upon receipt, he opined:
"These
are awesome!. Much nicer than I had expected. I can't wait to show them to my
committee members tomorrow morning. Thank you for all your help and guidance. I
highly recommend your comapny. Many thank Bill"
A colleague of Bill's knew
of the project and requested four more cast Purple Hearts, along with two 18"
cast bronze prismatic stars. We had a metal mold made for future orders. (Now
offered for $999.) Click the Star è
to see the creative way they used them in their veterans memorial.
...speaking of which:
Oregon Fallen War Heroes Memorial: This
group took our four-color 16" bas relief Purple Heart,
24" full-color service branch seals above and a rough OR National Guard logo—
which we then collaboratively designed
as a seal for the occasion—as well as their own imagination to great
lengths. With OR State Representative & veteran Dennis Richardson's guidance,
and Construction Manager Craig Hartl's diligence, they created & implemented
their project.
The results are one of the more effective
& compelling war heroes memorials known. With these images you can see how collective dedication for this salute to war heroes paid off
for all. For an image of their Entry,
CLICK HERE.
War Memorial Installation (thumbnail at left):
CLICK HERE
City
of Sunray Memorial Plaza: This group intended to honor those who had provided
valiant service in armed conflict. Their goals expanded to those who had lost
their lives as firefighters. Click the following links to see the results of our collective efforts:
Sunray #1 ,
Sunray #2 ,
Sunray #3 ,
Sunray #4 &
Sunray #5.
City of Palm Beach Gardens:
There were four copies of this 38” x 48” cast
bronze bas relief plaque with chemical patina created, later
installed on towers. From a series of emails with our customer: This turned into
"an art project", where judgment calls are made. The foundry originally wanted
to belt sand the raised surfaces, as is the norm... The way we wound up doing
[the finish]: "Option One: [Images] reflects the ScotchBright [taken] to all of
the other raised areas approach: Stars, sunburst, borders, text, upper left
quadrant etc. I like the effect. It retains some of the patina on the raised
areas, while still making the other areas more legible. (Formerly, everything
blended in.) You see the
nail holes which were created in the wooden pattern, giving an aged, "Old
World look."
Original Drawing
Submitted
Niche Placement of
Plaque on Tower
Overall Chemical Patina didn't best reveal the plaque details best as
possible.
The "ScotchBright
Effect" subjective approach gave
the best result.
Two coats of Matte finish preserved the effect.
Hodge Bank: Many online signage purveyors know little about end-user applications. We’ve been in business as
Designs&Signs for 12 years. This sign we designed and produced features 8” dark bronze satin anodic prismatic
Architectural font cast aluminum letters. The benefit of anodizing
letters is, the color becomes the metal color itself. HBT needed a sign seen
from both directions. Right-of-way restrictions precluded a double-sided. We suggested a curvilinear approach.
The sign face & top and beveled column caps are Peachtree Foamcraft.
W Disc: Along the lines of the "R"
below, this
client desired distinction for their residential ID. Through collaboration, the
results were a Custom-Cast Polished Bronze Letter. The
outer golden ring is 1/4" thick flat cut bronze. Background Disc: 24" Black
anodized aluminum. A 12" Black anodized back mounting disc was
designed.We had the manufacturer attach the "W" to the disc
as an entire assembly. Two copies were made, one for each of two
gates.
Ruston/Tech Walkpath Plaques: Much knowledge comes from
our hands-on applications.
This is one in a series of
six36" satin finish cast bronze plaques with
recessed-&-raised imagery designed in ‘98.
CLICK
HERE &
HERE
for other examples. Cast by Art in Bronze, later acquired by "Heritage Line".
The “Ruston: In the
Heart of the Piney Hills” plaque at left was given an Honorable Mention in
Sign
Business Magazine’s “Portfolio 1999” international competition. Doing an
original design such as this would be an additional charge to the plaque casting
itself.
Like the "Piney Hills" project, the
AEP cast aluminum plaque (click to enlarge)
below features recessed text. The seal
was imbedded into Travertine marble.
AEP Seal Project: Recessed text is not something most consider for
cast plaques, but that treatment separates your project from the norm when
appropriate. (Recessed text requires a larger-than-usual text, but this casting
was 24", easily allowable.) Our client provided the sharp, austere design.
She decided to go with the majority of it being raised with recessed
text after seeing "Piney Hills". Bronze is most requested, but there
are circumstances when aluminum is more appropriate, such as "tech" situations
(e.g. fire station & city
signage).
The “R” Project One of the most intriguing aspects of our business is being privy to our customers'
applications. This 24” tall polished cast bronze letter,
Palatino font was...in our client's words:
“There is not a lot to say about
this. It is a waterfall on a private pool in East Texas. The rock is a mixture
of Arizona Pink, Arizona Buff, and Old Denver brick. It is owned by a
native-born Texan (my wife) and a non-native-born Texan (me). Sorry about that!
.....Robert” (We’d indicated that we are
“native-born Texan”.)
Click on the “R” to
see a different, two-image montage of its alluring under-the-waterfall
installation.
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