Big Thanks to Gerry

[Badger1bear]

Big thanks going out to Gerry at http://www.steelcameo.com/index.html

I needed a sign PDQ for my devil heater build next weekend and Gerry pulled the stops out for me. Phoned him on the Monday and it arrived Today

Very pleased with the result

 

[eSCHEn]

Super job Gerry and that is gonna look ace with flames behind it Simon

 

[brightspark]

i got my greyhounds and hare along with the north south east and west numbers cut and delivered for my weather vane in a couple of days by him good service and job

 

[Shedendman]

Nice,but thats fine if you've got CNC,i'd rather IMHO like to see free hand(no offence Gerry) thats where the real skill is,sadly i dont have it,but am working on it

 

[gerrymoore]

Hi Stalwart...I appreciate you comments ......and I am not at all offended .....but here's my opinion.

While I too like things 'made' by hand, and I really wish I was more artistic, I have yet to meet anyone with the 'skills' to cut those letters, at that size, with a plasma cutter out of steel by hand.

When you say 'fine if you've 'got' CNC'...I didn't 'have' CNC, didn't even know much about it and certainly couldn't afford to just go out and buy one.

I designed and built my CNC machine (took me a few years of hard work getting it right) then I designed and built the electronics, then learn how to use the drawing programs to design the artwork, then learn how to use Sheetcam to convert the drawings into files that Mach3 could understand..this was of course after I had learned how to use Mach3 and set my machine up to work with it.....I think this may all require some 'skill'.

As to the sign for Badger...although he supplied the font, it was completely useless to use as art work. I had to re-design the font to be 'CNC friendly' and convert certain letters so the 'middles' didn't fall out when cut....quite a challenge to be honest as there wasn't a lot of room to play with...I was pleased with the result though and I'm glad he liked it too!

Freehand or CNC...neither are 'easy' and require different sorts of 'skill'...you have to work with what skills God gave you - or you learned along the way

 

[Shedendman]

Just out of interest,is it possible to do a curved surface(say bowl shape) with CNC than your standard dead flat?

 

[gerrymoore]

Yes bowl shapes are possible...but not with plasma! My CNC is classed as a 2.5D (two and a half rather than 3D). If I fitted a wood router rather than a plasma then I could cut a bowl shape....any shape from the 'base' upwards. For example if I wanted to cut out a head shape I would have to do it in two parts..first the back of the head and then the front..joined together you have the full head.

These new 3D printers are CNC based and can do full 3D as they 'start' in mid air rather than from a solid base....i's difficult to explain though!!

I can cut 'flat' parts on my machine and then weld them up to make a 3D sculpture...but that's cheating........here's a big bird I made earlier!!

 

[AdrianH]

To do a bowl shape you would also need more then 3 fully working axis, the torch head would also have to tilt along two axis to make sure it could follow a profile perpendicular to the surface, what may be easier is to cut on the flat and then press top shape if at all possible. Would probably only be good for shallow objects.

Adrian

 

[zx9]

......................
I can cut 'flat' parts on my machine and then weld them up to make a 3D sculpture...but that's cheating........here's a big bird I made earlier!!

View attachment 67531

That is a great sculpture Gerry, and it is sculpture or art in my opinion it does not matter what process or materials are used. In the same way that a photograph can be a snap shot or a work of art all depends on the photographer’s input, emotions and techniques used, some fine artists would never consider a photograph to be art because of the mechanical nature of the media, appears that some metal workers think the same way.
Out of interest where in the world (approximately) is it installed? I am intrigued by the large planted out cacti.

 

[gerrymoore]

Hiya Keith...this was our 'front garden' when we lived in Spain...just outside Moraira on the Costa Blanca coast......just out of sight is a ginormous cactus way, way, taller and wider than me!!

 

[Badger1bear]

For my two penneth

Given time I could of given it a go cutting out the letters because there is no job I would turn down and I do have a Lincoln Electric plasma cutter BUT my time is more valuable and farming the job out for the time scale I had was common sense. Gerry was very reasonable on price and turn around time was excellent. I will certainly be using his services in the near future

Mr Badger

 

[HughF]

Good to hear, details saved as I'm always on the hunt for service providers and plasma isn't on my list yet. What's your maximum clean cut? I'm normally playing with thick stuff these days, 10-20mm

 

[gerrymoore]

Sorry Hugh...I mainly deal with 1.5mm, 2mm and 3mm although I can go up to 6mm. I only have a Hypertherm 30.

I've just cut some 10mm with it and it managed..but only just..I ended up feeling sorry for it as it struggled with the cut..it's like a little pet to me...

 

[Robotstar5]

To do a bowl shape you would also need more then 3 fully working axis, the torch head would also have to tilt along two axis to make sure it could follow a profile perpendicular to the surface, what may be easier is to cut on the flat and then press top shape if at all possible. Would probably only be good for shallow objects.

Adrian

You would need a 5 axis machine, could bolt the torch to an industrial robot, plenty of cheap used ones out there, but the majority need 3 phase supply

 

[Gavin_d]

Drying to get your head sround that CNC software is hard work!

Great work btw looks fab!

 

[Badger1bear]

Yet another Thankyou to Gerry for sorting me out my Logo for my (out of school) welding projects

 

[Badger1bear]

Well done Gerry, these will look the part on all future creations http://www.steelcameo.com/index.html