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Plaques&Letters displays some manufacturer-supplied images, enabling views of the broadest scope................ Quite a few seen on P&L are our own designs however..................... Those below also have informative stories which may apply to your own project................. All images are enlargeable and open in new windows.......................

   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.

16" 4-color cast bronze Bas relief Purple Heart    Click the Star to See War Memorial Installation

...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.

   

                


For Port Of Portland's seals installation, HERE 1, HERE 2, HERE 3, HERE 4 & HERE 5.

For VARO Jackson MS's: HERE 1 & HERE 2.

For Highlands Ranch Metro District's

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 Submitted Drawing of City Seal Architectural Drawing of Wall Sconce Plaque Placement

Original Drawing Submitted

Niche Placement of Plaque on Tower
Image of Bas relief Plaque with Chemical Patina during finishing. Completed Bas relief Plaque with Chemical Patina

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.

We entirely designed & implemented this sign featuring 8” dark bronze satin anodic prismatic Architectural font cast aluminum letters.

Custom-Cast Polished Bronze Letter with 1/4" thick flat cut bronze outer golden ring. Background Disc: 24" Black anodized aluminum.

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.


36" Satin Finish Cast Bronze Seal with Recessed Text: Click for Enlargement

Ruston/Tech Walkpath Plaques: Much knowledge comes from our hands-on applications. This is one in a series of six 36" 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”.)
Setting for 24" Polished Finish Flat Cut Bronze Letter. Click for Enlargement.

24" Polished Finish Flat Cut Bronze Letter: Click for Enlargement

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click on the “R” to see a different, two-image montage of its alluring under-the-waterfall installation.

 

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