Experiments in laser cutting
Creating for a local business
I’ve been really enjoying and learning a lot about making art sculptures with my laser cutter. The possibilities are endless, capped only by imagination.
I thought maybe I could make some “easy” money creating signage and art for local businesses. I’ve done a few things now, but none of it has been easy. It always takes me at least double the time I thought it would. I run into unanticipated issues at every turn of the project. Bonding materials together has been quite a habit hole.
I reached out to a local restaurant, Oak Park Social, because I really liked the vibe of the place. The walls are adorned with handmade art pieces that are very “cyberpunk”. There’s circuit boards, led screens, clocks, and wires. There’s even a welded “Johnny 5” robot from the ‘80s movie Short Circuit. They had QR codes posted with laminated paper and I thought I could help elevate this signage to match the rest of the place.
Here’s the concept we settled on. I designed a base that the sign would sit in. I had to take into account the thickness of the material for the tab to fit properly.
Here’s the signs drying in my spray booth. We wanted them to be wipeable, since they would be handled and food may get on them. So I wanted a nice glossy clear coat on them. Well the wood was super thirsty, and it took about 5 coats before it even started to look like there was any clear coat on them. I kept spraying and letting dry. Also after a few more coats, it started getting this undesirable “orange peel” texture from the spray buildup. So I had to take a fine sandpaper and sand lightly between coats to keep it smooth. I must have done 12 or more coats over multiple days, and used like 2 cans of polyurethane. I spent many hours on this project, but I learned a lot.
The owner Alex liked them and said he wanted more for his patio. But I figured these wooden signs wouldn’t withstand the weather. Also I was tired of prepping and finishing wood. So I had found this 2 ply acrylic and this is what the new ones looked like:
These also took much longer than expected. I had to mask the fronts with masking paper to not damage the surface, and then “weed” out all the masking in every little square of the QR code. The cut edges of this material became sticky after cutting, and I had to clean them off. The gluing was messy and took a long time. I realized QR code signs aren’t as easy as they seem.
The owner is opening a Mexican restaurant right next door to Oak Park Social, called Salud Eleven. He asked if I could make some kind of art for 2 windows, and was thinking it could be based on the agave plant. I figured a stained glass type of piece would be cool with colored acrylic letting in light.
Here’s a mockup of the the design we settled on:
The dimensions of the pieces are larger than what my laser machine can handle, so I had to get creative and cut it in 12-15 separate sections per window, then glue it together in layers.
Here’s my little workshop. You can smell burnt wood and plastic.
It took me about 3 days of work to make two of these.
I stopped over to test fit them and realized I had wrote the dimensions in the wrong order and they only fit in sideways!
At least I did this test fit before installing the acrylic.. Back to the hardware store for more material.
I made a second set that fit perfectly!
I purchased and frosted the colored acrylic, used wood filler for the small gaps in the frame, sanded and primed the fronts, and attached a wood frame to make it more sturdy and give some space between the window.
I dropped off the 2nd window. Everything fit perfectly. Alex and I are very happy with how it turned out. The “glass” is the perfect opacity and it creates an impact when you walk in.
I’m not sure when Salud Eleven will open in Oak Park, but it should be somewhat soon. It’s looking great and has an arcade in the back!
Check out his other restaurant next door called Oak Park Social.
If you’d like to invest in a cool piece of art, please contact me at:
Yes!!!!!! This is awesome! X M