This was the first project I cut on the Lowrider. I needed something to cut while learning how to run it. It will hang in the new shop pointing to the office. It was inspired by Wesley Treat’s Googie sign. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OK8Eyxx9xz4&t=289s
[attachment file=108226]
[attachment file=108227]
The arrows are 3/8" pvc, the body is 4 layers of 5/8" pvc glued together. The body cover is 3/8" pvc on each side. So, about 4" thick overall, roughly 24" x 24"x4".
[attachment file=108228]
the Lowrider will happily cut through 3/8" pvc in one pass using a 1/8" two flute bit.
I cut pieces of opaque acrylic to cover the letter openings and the arrow holes. Led strip salvaged from a retail store remodel was added around the body inside. Also, I used aluminum tape on the inside to help reflect the light.
Thank you for the kind words, I’m really proud of my shop and the people who have chosen to work with me. How I got here is a long story, just know that a lot of work was involved. Work I didn’t always get paid for. I’ve always had this thing where I get an idea and can’t rest till I’ve tried it, usually having no idea how it will apply to making money. But it seems to always work out. Time spent experimenting is time well spent in my book. What you see in that picture is maybe 1/5 of the shop. Presently I have 12,000 sq. ft. but we’re constructing a new location where I will have 22,000 ft. plus a 4,000 ft mezzanine. I turned 65 in December and it seemed like a good time to expand!
The whole idea behind building the MPCNC and then the LowRider was to learn CNC and build a case for buying a full size machine. That plan is working better than I ever imagined. Yesterday I spent a couple of hours trying this:
[attachment file=108717]
[attachment file=108718]
It worked beautifully and today I’m confident I can tell customers we can make true louvered shutters, something that wasn’t practical before.
Right after I got the MPCNC up and running a designer friend of my daughter called with an emergency request. She needed her logo cut from baltic birch plywood. In TWO days! The person who had cut it for her before wanted two weeks. Of course I agreed, even though I didn’t really know what I was doing. Great experience! It’s about 28" long.
[attachment file=108719]
I’ve been wanting to try epoxy inlay for a while and had an idea for Flight Paddles for a local brewery. Here’s the proof of concept:
[attachment file=108720]
Haven’t sold it yet, but I bet it will happen.
Thanks again Ryan, your work is helping me more than you can imagine. This has been more fun than I’ve had in years.
Those doors are great. For the frame, did you use floating tenons or did you cut tenons on the rails? I have been wanting to build a 90degree fastening system for my LR to cut the ends of boards for joinery like that.
It looks like the holes in the flights were made with a forstener bit. Why not use the CNC?
Thanks for sharing. Keep 'em coming. This is great inspiration.
The shutter has floating tendons. The slots in the rails were cut on a Multi-Router. Since I have considerable overhang on the rails I may have room to clamp pieces vertically to cut slots, but since I have the Multi-router, that is pretty easy.
I cut the holes in the Flight after pouring the epoxy so I would get a clean cut, I may do a second program on the router after casting and sanding to cut the holes. Provided they want to buy some, the ones they are currently were bought online really cheap. But they look like it. I did some tap handles for them a few weeks ago, the only thing for them cut on the CNC was the circular tops.[attachment file=108742]
This was for a special brew for a local Soccer fan club. Supposed to resemble a gold railroad spike. One of those things where, “We want this, but only want to pay this”. Made from poplar and painted with Duplicolor automotive paint. Oh, I did also cut the foam for the shipping box on the MPCNC.
Your shop is amazing. I was happy with my 1300sq ft until I saw that I don’t do this stuff for a living, though, so I’ll have to settle with what I have.
Before I started this business in 2004, I worked quite a lot in a detached garage at home. 20’ x 40’. Got a lot done in there. You just have to sweep a lot.
That’s where I was 2 months ago. I had a 22x30 attached garage that I had to share with the wife’s car and a motorcycle. We just moved and part of the deal for moving was we got a house with a shop on it
iRobot has a roomba that can self clean the container. All we need to do is adapt it so that every time it empties, a larger dust collector turns on and sucks everything out of the bigger container.
I wonder how many times my roomba would have to self-clean to finish the shop 1 time. I know when we run it in the house it has to be emptied 3-5 times to do our 2300 sq ft house.
Any reviews on how well that thing handles screws and random wires?
Our roomba got into the wife’s art room last week. Sucked down 2/3’s of a spool of thread before finally choking on it. Took me 15 minutes to clear it out. Then two days ago, one of the cats jumped on it and turned it on. It got into the art room again and this time tried to suck up my daughter’s headphones. It sucked up the phono connector and almost made it all the way to the headphones before deciding something was wrong.
I wouldn’t need on in my shop. It doesn’t get enough use to justify it. In a professional shop, I would worry it would trip somebody. Plus, what do you tell the new guy to do to keep him out of the way?
I don’t do this stuff for a living, though, so I’ll have to settle with what I have.