Here is a couple of signs

[kolias]

I read somewhere that you first paint the material and then cover it with vinyl sheet and let the CNC cut through the vinyl. After you spray paint the cut and then you peel off the vinyl. Perhaps I misunderstood but it sounds a good way of achieving a good finished product with 2 or more colours.

Yes the vinyl sheet I got is with peel off backing. It looks like that the peel off is much thicker than the vinyl but never tried this process and don’t know what is right / wrong.

I plan to use a hand held router to try a sample and see if it works or not

[Joe Crumley]

OK boys, here is one artists take on vinyl marking films.

The only vinyl I use are the ones made for the sign industry. The High Performance will last for up to seven years and maintains good colors. These plotters are dead on accurate. My oldest, a "Gerber HS 15 plus" is twenty years old. I keep it to cut sandblast mask and vinyl as per the photo.

Joe Crumley
Norman Sign Company, Norman, Oklahoma, SandBlasted Signs, Sign Painter, Redwood Signs

[bpoulin]

I read somewhere that you first paint the material and then cover it with vinyl sheet and let the CNC cut through the vinyl. After you spray paint the cut and then you peel off the vinyl. Perhaps I misunderstood but it sounds a good way of achieving a good finished product with 2 or more colours.

Yes the vinyl sheet I got is with peel off backing. It looks like that the peel off is much thicker than the vinyl but never tried this process and don’t know what is right / wrong.

I plan to use a hand held router to try a sample and see if it works or not

This may work, I misunderstood what you were saying, I thought you were just trying to cut vinyl only. I would probably go with a paint mask in your situation. Vinyl is normally made to have a permenant adhesive, it may not want to come off your surface clean, and it may take the paint up with it. There are temporary vinyls, and paint mask that will probably work better for what you're doing.

[Joe Crumley]

The way to make money is the shortest and ceanest process.

My photo was showing sandblast mask applied over the whole panel, then using a small brad point round over bit to score the mask. After that I hog out the background to -.40. Now she's ready for sandblasting. I paint the background with the sb mask in positition. When the mask is removed there will be lots of adhesive left behing. I use a big disk sander with 100p to clean it all off. Now were ready for the finish coat. The black & white letters are High Performance vinyl for the lettering.

Joe

[kolias]

Well Joe you are into heavy duty staff and very nice I must say. I’m only using my CNC Router for hobby and don’t plan to make signs for a living. I will assume that the HP vinyl letters are cut in your plotter and then you stick them to the sign. Sounds an easy process if you have the right equipment.

Ok bpoulin, I think now I get it. I agree that the vinyl may pull the paint and so I will try with the vinyl I have plus I will get some paint mask and give it a try too.

Thank you both for the info

[kolias]

My experiment didn't go well. I try on painted and unpainted MDF and with the vinyl I have plus painters masking tape.

Although the vinyl didn't peel off the cut was not clean enough to allow spray paint. Same for the masking tape as per attached pics.

So my search continues to find out how I can make two or more cuts with my CNC router and spray paint them with different colors

[Joe Crumley]

Nicolas,

I don't think you can get there from where you're starting.

I believe you should do the routing first. Then paint, then cut and apply vinyl.

I leave about 1/8" around my routed letter for the vinyl to attach to. It's so dog-gone easy. Lets not make it difficult.

Joe Crumley
Norman Sign Company, Norman, Oklahoma, SandBlasted Signs, Sign Painter, Redwood Signs

[kolias]

ok Joe, I guess I will just have to do what you are saying

Thanks for the info

[bpoulin]

I think I see where he's trying to go with this. But you may need to use a drag knife first, then weed out what's going to be routed, then route, then paint, then unmask. By the time you go through all those steps, you could paint the MDF, route it out, and fill in the routing by hand.

[kolias]

Never thought that it will be so difficult bpoulin. Your approach is what I have in mind; after all I don’t make signs for a living it’s just for the fun and don’t even have to paint them

I was only curious to find out the process

[bpoulin]

Most people who have never made a sign, don't realize the number of steps involved. And the learning curve can be expensive. I have a sign I'm doing for a friend. Large, multi part sign. I'm on #2 because of one messed up step at the end permanently screwed up the sign. I had to start over from scratch. A lot of times new concepts and techniques yield many failures before you perfect the technique. But if you're doing it for fun, find something you like, and try to duplicate it. Keep trying until you succeed, you'll figure out how to get the results you want. Don't look at it as failures, but learning ways not to do it.

[Claytonc]

all I can say is WOW!!! I only hope to be 1/2 as good as you some day
AWESOME WORK!