Custom laser cut muti-layer acrylic sign for Secondskin and West Coast Customs new roller coaster

[meade916]

The big boss at Second Skin asked me if i would be interested in making a sign for them.  They are teamed up with West Coast Customs on a new roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain. I am not sure what they did, maybe they will come in and explain...but all i know is they needed a nice little 14"x10" sign to set up with the display.  I THINK people who walk by it in line will all see it   .  Well of course I said of course! He didn’t really know what exactly he wanted and gave me the go ahead to be creative.  I didn't just want to put his logo in it, i thought it might be cool to "ghost" in the Second Skin logo (and pattern) like the Damplifier Pro has on it.  This thing ended up being MULTIPLE layers.

 

First i cut out 1/8" black acrylic and the Second Skin logo out.  (i didn't start taking pics until AFTER i started seeing it come together. I didn't know how it was going to look at first).

 

 

 

 

Then i did the same on a 1/8" Mirrored acrylic and also a blue piece of acrylic that i had laying around (that looks very close to the company colors).  I took those letters and popped them in to the empty spots in the black "base plate".  I did blue (where you see blue) and the mirror (where it looks chrome).

 

 

I painstakingly peeled the paper of these super small letters and almost like surgery put them back in place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the mirrored acrylic i took that from...it WILL end up being another sign!  

 

 

 

 

I like them both but decided to run with the black/blue for the project.

 

 

 

 

[meade916]

Next, i took a piece of 1/8" "smoked" acrylic and etched in the Second Skin logo (and pattern).  I went like 3x deeper than i normally would because since this is done in reverse, from the opposite side, i want to make SURE you can see it through the smoked acrylic....especially since it will be sitting over a black base plate (the first layer).  I don't want it to be super bright, just "ghosted" in, similar to the actual product (see below).

 

 

 

it was super dusty from boring in that deep etch...but i got it cleaned out.

 

 

 

Next i took a Scotchbright pad and put a straight, one way only, scuff into it to make it look like it has a slight grain to it.  You can barely see it but it is there. (Small touches).

 

 

 

Now it looks the way i planned it...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This should work great!

 

 

 

If you aren't familiar with Damp-Pro, this is what i got the idea from for the pattern.  Greatest sound deadener on earth by the way...just thought i would mention that

 

 

[meade916]

now with the new ghosted in top, the letters are countersunk. It does look good like that but i think a flush look looks better.  So i cut 1/8" clear acrylic letters (and logo) and dropped them in over the top of the previous "chrome" and blue letters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

like i said, it was just like surgery! And maybe nobody would be able to tell the difference once the last piece of clear acrylic go's over the top...but I would know if they weren't done (the small stuff). So i did it.

 

 

 

 

[meade916]

time for a chrome frame (mirrored acrylic...but looks totally like chrome that is why i keep calling it that).Also whipped up a clear acrylic center piece to cover all of that and keep the letters from falling out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I didn't want the back of it to be ugly so i made a rear piece in 1/8" black acrylic and laser etched a few logo's into it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[meade916]

TRUST me when i say this.  In person, it looks much better. And it is heavy!

 

and, it is finished!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Almost forgot to sign the back. They asked me to sign the front but i didn't want to ruin it.  The back is good enough so whoever eventually gets it will at least know i did it.  I have a feeling it ain't going anywhere for a while.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[meade916]

If it actually gets used, i may have to take a trip down to see it...and ride that West Coast Customs roller coaster too! Ill post pics if i do get to see it! If you see it before me, send me pics or post here!

[KillerB]

That's badass.  Were the letters laser cut?   I guess I need a laser.

[meade916]

 

[Twizted Cheese]

This is tight. I second needing a laser cutter. You get creative with it and cool shit happens. 

[bsneon98]

Man im happy being able to 3d print shit at home lol, I can only strive to create like this one day. good shit Steve, looks amazing!