I recently purchsed an embossed Aluminium sign; the letters and the surrounding boarder are raised. The bottom part of the letters has got quiet a radius on it so I do not think it is pressed with a top and bottom former.

Any ideas as to what is involved would be greatly appriciated.

I recently purchsed an embossed Aluminium sign; the letters and the surrounding boarder are raised. The bottom part of the letters has got quiet a radius on it so I do not think it is pressed with a top and bottom former.

Any ideas as to what is involved would be greatly appriciated.

I think soft material like aluminum is sometimes embossed with just one die having the letters and the other being polyurethane. It is possible to get polyurethane with all types of flexibility and it can be deformed a lot of times without deteriorating.

That might account for the radius on the base of the letters. Do you think that they use some sort of press and what material might the letter formers be ?

Some sort of press. Probably on a commercial machine the letters are hardened steel. I have used just cold rolled steel for make recesses in aluminum plate up to 1/8" and cold rolled lasts a very long time. You just can't have any really fine detail or keep the corners completely sharp.

have you looked here... www.creationdisplay.com

I think soft material like aluminum is sometimes embossed with just one die having the letters and the other being polyurethane. It is possible to get polyurethane with all types of flexibility and it can be deformed a lot of times without deteriorating.

Can the die be the negative? As in, if the letters were plasma cut out of a sheet of steel? I take it this would require significantly more pressure from the press?

So many questions...

I made an embossing tool out of a piece of 1" thick 6061t6 alum. I used a piece of fairly stiff urethane that was about .125" thick, pushed with a block of steel 1" thick. The aluminum was sheet, maybe .025" thick.
The art was no deeper than .08"

So many variables,

what material and how thick?
Alum presses easier than steel

How deep an impression is needed?

How fine is the detail?

My suggestion: do like I did. Try something and learn from it.

FOR EMBOSSING, I USE MY ENGLISH WHEEL WITH A FLAT DIE. I MAKE THE PATTERN OR LETTERS AND USE MY FLAT DIE ON MY ENGLISH WHEEL. IT ALSO DEPENDS ON WHAT MATERIAL YOU WANT TO EMBOSS AS WELL. THIS WORKS GREAT ON ALUMINUM OR ANY SOFT MATERIAL. TRY IT YOU WILL BE VERY SURPRISED OF THE RESULTS. HOPE THIS HELPS FOR A DIFFERENT IDEA TO TRY.