Home Brew TG 16 Edge lit sign

[Xray]

I have a CNC machine and do mostly custom 3D wood designs, and various production/sign jobs.
I also do clear acrylic [better known as plexiglass], and it dawned on me last night to cook something up for the TG16 ,,, And what better than the distinctive logo itself ?

These things look great as is, but they really come to life when some form of concentrated light is applied to an edge. In the examples below, I simply beamed lasers on the edge to illustrate the concept, but in practice, these would sit in a custom base, with LED's of your choice beaming up through the bottom edge, bringing the whole design to life. Other lighting concepts exist, the limit is only the imagination.

This is a prototype, I didn't even bother to clean up the edges [I usually flame polish all but the bottom for a silky smooth edge]. Came out pretty nice, considering it went from concept to reality within the space of a couple of hours. This one is 8 x 6", obviously I could make them pretty much any size I wanted to ,,, But considering the high cost of clear acrylic, this is a pretty good size.
These are .45 thick [almost half an inch] ... The TG design is inverted, then etched into the back. When its turned around, it looks right, and almost looks to be floating within the glass.

Thought I'd share, I have another variation of this design I'll try in a couple of days [with the letters outlined, instead of filled in].
When I do that, I'll post in the sale/trade section, in case anyone wants to do some sales or trades with these [I'm interested in any hucard not on my list in my intro thread].

[FiftyQuid]

Man, for a prototype it's still pretty clean looking.  The logo is perfect.  Out of the colours you chose I'd say the green is the best.  I'd like to see a yellow one though.  Very nice work.  Maybe you should think of doing up a bunch of them?  Say 10 or 20 units?  I would buy one off you for my gameroom.

[jlued686]

How much would you charge? I love the bottom one!

[Xray]

Thanks for the interest ,,, Hope no one gets sticker shock or think I'm gouging, I'd like to share these with other turbo nuts for the lowest price possible.
Understand, this plexi isn't cheap, as anyone who has priced it out knows. A 36x48" square at home depots is about $40, and that is for 1/8 thick. 1/2 thick would be way more, you have to look around for that cause they don't even stock it.
Most CNC'ers factor in design time, as well as cutting time and material costs, with a markup on all. Design time for this is not a factor ,, I have it designed, now I can make 1, or 1,000, with no additional time spent designing. [Took less than an hour to design anyhow]. Machine time, this one with filled in letters takes about 45 minutes total to set up and cut ,,, The one with the outline letters I'll be doing in a couple days [leaving for a 2 day beach excursion tomorrow] will be more like 30 minutes.
So, rock bottom for me would be $25 for the coming outline design, $35 for the filled in letters + $5 shipping [USA] ,, And as stated, I'd be willing to work out deals for lose hucards as well. I can do other sizes on request, but I feel this is about the optimal size for a tasteful, economical, eye catching display.

The lighting solution would be on you, would really be easy enough to rig up a wood/metal base with a slot with LED's in the bottom, I could do it as an option, but would likely be more than the plexi itself. They do look good just sitting there as it, but just pop to life with a light on the edge.
[There are places that sell bases and lighting specifically for plexi at a pretty reasonable cost, I'll post when I find the links].

[Drakon]

That's one amazing looking logo.

[VestCunt]

Wow. Great work! I might be interested in one when the time comes.

[Xray]

Do you guys think it would look better without the stock square line surrounding the logo ... ?
I kinda do, but then it technically wouldn't be accurate, as the logo was almost always inside a square. In any case, I'll leave that as an option if and when anyone wants to acquire one.
[Could also do a curved radius on the corners, which would almost make it look like a big old hucard]

[ParanoiaDragon]

Wow. Great work! I might be interested in one when the time comes.

Ditto.  I too am considering getting one, though maybe neon orange.

[Xray]

Guys - Colors will be totally up to you, these are clear as glass, colors come from whatever lighting method you use. I just used green & blue as an example because those are the lasers I had handy, have a powerful red around here somewhere.
You could rig up cheap dollar store lasers to beam at the edge, and it would look great ,,, But in practice, you really need some sort of base with LED's and an on/off switch.

[HercTNT]

you got my interest as well. fantastic job, i would love to get one.

[tpivette]

Definitely interested in one! That would look absolutely awesome in my gameroom! I'd go with orange too... it's the Turbo's color after all

[420GOAT]

sweet!!

[420GOAT]

now cnc some turbo gloves and you will rule the earth.

[Xray]

Thanks again for the interest, really glad fellow turbo heads like the concept.
Probably safe to say none like this existed until now ,,, So its rarer than Magical Chase lol !

I'm off for 2 days of metal detecting and babe hunting at a beach/camp, I'll post back with my variations and finished product when I get back - Not the type to pat myself on the back, but this thing is pretty damn cool, don't know why it took me this long to think about it.

[esteban]

Gorgeous!



Simply gorgeous.

[CrackTiger]

I'd pay a lot more than $60 for something like this.

[Deletion]

Beautiful. I'll take 2

[T2KFreeker]

Plain and simple, I want one of these. Those look damn awesome. Orange would be awesome as it is the original Turbo color, but I'd take one in white too! Great work man. Very cool.

[tggodfrey]

There is a guy on bay that does plexi signs like this and he charged 35-40.00 with the light assy.  They prolly arent as big, The Orion one i have is prolly 16" X 10" i think.

[FiftyQuid]

I'm sure if you did up a PC Engine one you'd have some sales on your hands as well.

[fraggore]

i would love a blue pc engine one

[PunkCryborg]

The TG16 logo would look awesome with orange light. Nice work!

[neoxeno]

Marvelous 

[8bitForLife]

ya an orange one would be nice and have you thought about a pc-engine one at all?

[NecroPhile]

Looks sweet!  

[wilykat]

If the one currently on eBay are the same as the ones I got some years ago, they are 1/4" plexi with cheap fluorescent bulb fixture.  Mine arrived in 100 pieces (both the plexi and the bulb)

[csgx1]

Very nice work!

[Xray]

Nope, never thought of PC engine, I'll see what I can whip up, and am also open to any other ideas, so long as the graphic is fairly simple.
Most sign shops that do edge lit would charge $70 to $100 or so for something like this, but they'd be nailing you mostly for the designing charges, which as I said, are not a factor here for something this simple, and something which I may sell a few of. They also do a pretty drastic markup on materials, and charge a set rate for machine time, usually on the order of $75-$100 an hour. At prices like that, nice as they may be, I don't think many would want them.
I'm cutting another one as we speak, with the curved radius corners, I'll post a pic when able ,,, This one should be a production model, with clean edges.

1/4 plexi has its uses, its cheaper, readily available and probably easier to make a custom stand for. The etch looks just as good, but the design appears to "float" more in the 1/2, due to its thickness ... And also yeah, when the thin stuff is shipped it needs to be boxed, else it will easily fracture. The 1/2 is very solid, you couldn't crack it without making quite an effort to do so. It is basically like bullet proof glass, so if you should happen to drop it, it would not crack ,,, Though they are obviously very prone to scratching and collecting finger prints.

I should have a sale/trade thread up within a couple of days, I genuinely appreciate the compliments coming from fellow turbo heads.

[FiftyQuid]

Sweet!

*Fifty clicks NOTIFY button*

[OldMan]

Just because I'm curious...
Could you use 2 sheets of 1/4" plexi, and glue/fasten (?) them together?

I think it would be neat to have the tg16 on the front sheet, lit in red, and the outline on the back sheet lit in a different color....

[wilykat]

That would be cool!  Red/yellow combo for USA TG-16

[Xray]

Old Man, I don't think gluing would be a good option, as it would look nasty with clear acrylic.
Not picturing your concept too well ,,, But you could certainly rig something up as a backing, as it is, if so inclined. I was wondering what an aluminum foil backing would look like ,,, And I sometimes paint the design too.
I did some Stones tongues, looked great clear but I painted one red, and that looked nice too. I think with this, black letters would look nice, maybe I'll try that on my prototype.
Not sure how you'd secure a backing on clear acrylic without it showing, maybe very small amounts of clear drying glue along the edges, or maybe just in the corners.

Here are 2 more I did tonight, both are almost flawless.
[I've been a union carpenter for almost 15 years, and I also sell many crafted things professionally, so I tend to be pretty meticulous with stuff like this. I have a scrap pile, and I'm not shy using it whenever I create something that is not up to my standards].

First one shows the logo outlined instead of filled in. 2nd one doesn't show up all that well, but the corners are a bit rounded. 3rd pic illustrates size with a pack of smokes [they are 100's].
Not sure which style I like best, I think they both are pretty neat looking.
These are all 8x6", I'll probably offer them 10X8" for $10 extra, for those who need something just a bit bigger.





[Found my red laser]

[FiftyQuid]

I'm surprised I like the outline version as much as I do.  I would have thought the solid version would kick it's ass, but it's pretty close for me.  That said, I still prefer (just barely) the solid fill. 

These are pretty awesome.

I think what OldMan was saying, or maybe not, was to have two layers.  Two pieces of acrylic with part of the TG logo on one and part on the other, then light one yellow, and one orange, just like the logo on the console.



[EDIT] BTW, I have no idea how big a pack of 100s is.  Could you put a quarter beside it?

[Xray]

I'd pay a lot more than $60 for something like this.

How about a trade for MC ??
Not that much, Ok !
Once you rig up or purchase a base, get a LED strip, on/off switch, power supply ect, probably will end up having another $20-$30 into it.
[Could make it battery operated as well, which would run LED's damn near forever].
There may be other cheaper lighting solutions, haven't really though much about it. You could simply rig up a cheap laser or 2 to point right on the edge, but lasers I don't think are designed to be on for long periods of time. I got to find a link I had of an outfit selling custom aluminum bases, strips, power supply for under $30, that would be the way to go for most folks for a pro look at a reasonable cost, unless you are good at fabricating yourself.

[Xray]

I'm surprised I like the outline version as much as I do.  I would have thought the solid version would kick it's ass, but it's pretty close for me.  That said, I still prefer (just barely) the solid fill. 

These are pretty awesome.

I think what OldMan was saying, or maybe not, was to have two layers.  Two pieces of acrylic with part of the TG logo on one and part on the other, then light one yellow, and one orange, just like the logo on the console.



[EDIT] BTW, I have no idea how big a pack of 100s is.  Could you put a quarter beside it?

Wow, that would be quite an effect.
Possible in theory, I guess what you'd have to work out is the LEDs of one color beaming on one block, then the other color, necessarily very close, beaming on the other. For sure possible, it would take tinkering & rigging.
A possible, and much simpler, alternative would be to paint the letters to your liking, then beam clear light at it - Should light right up in its respective colors just fine, don't see why it wouldn't.

Smoke pack is 4x2 inches.

[Xray]

I'm surprised I like the outline version as much as I do.  I would have thought the solid version would kick it's ass, but it's pretty close for me.  That said, I still prefer (just barely) the solid fill. 

These are pretty awesome.

I think what OldMan was saying, or maybe not, was to have two layers.  Two pieces of acrylic with part of the TG logo on one and part on the other, then light one yellow, and one orange, just like the logo on the console.



[EDIT] BTW, I have no idea how big a pack of 100s is.  Could you put a quarter beside it?

Wow, that would be quite an effect.
Possible in theory, I guess what you'd have to work out is the LEDs of one color beaming on one block, then the other color, necessarily very close, beaming on the other. For sure possible, it would take tinkering & rigging.
A possible, and much simpler, alternative would be to paint the letters to your liking, then beam clear light at it - Should light right up in its respective colors just fine, don't see why it wouldn't.

Smoke pack is 4x2 inches.
[Dupe post can be deleted]

[OldMan]

Old Man, I don't think gluing would be a good option, as it would look nasty with clear acrylic.

I thought as much, but was hoping you had a good way to smoothly glue them together

I think what OldMan was saying, or maybe not, was to have two layers.  Two pieces of acrylic with part of the TG logo on one and part on the other, then light one yellow, and one orange, just like the logo on the console.

Right, that's the idea. Then part of the logo would float at a different level, giving a 3-d effect. I think painting on the plexi would ruin that effect, but I might be wrong.  Maybe painting the logo background black would work...

I was also thinking it might be possible to light the sign with a string of leds; if you covered the edge of the plexi with a tinted platic wrap or plastic, you could use white leds, and get whatever color you wanted. Hide them in some black U-channel (which also holds the layers together) and you would have a pretty professional looking 'poster'.

And totally off topic....Where does one get a CNC machine and learn to use it? There's a couple of things I'd like to make....

[soop]

I was thinking you could drill holes in the corner and use a level screw to keep them together.  Not ideal, but it should work.  Then for the 2 different LEDs, I see no reason why you couldn't create a slot in a block of wood, like the kind you'd stand a menu on, and drill holes for 2 rows of different coloured LEDs. You might have to add an opaque layer at the very bottom to stop the colours cross-talking, but it should work?

X-ray, can you hold 2 of your current signs up together and shine a different coloured laser through each?

[roflmao]

This is an awesome thread.  If I had any more space in my office, I'd totally pick one up.  I'll be keeping my eye on these. Thanks!

[NecroPhile]

Old Man, I don't think gluing would be a good option, as it would look nasty with clear acrylic.

It's probably not really a DIY solution, but a pvb interlayer (used in window glazing) would work.  You'd have to have the smooth sides facing each other, though.

[esteban]

You had me at "Pall"...



...just kidding. I only smoke COSMOS.

[Xray]

I like the way you guys think ,,, By nature, most forums where guys gravitate, you will find a fair share of thinkers and do it yourselfers.
Very much in CNC, and most any artform, in only limited by the imagination.
The concept of lighting is simple, but the actual implementation can go a number of different routes.
Most guys end up using led strips, with a row on the bottom. In theory, you could surround the whole thing with a strip, since you can literally buy strips 5 ft long, at you are able to cut whatever length you need - Oldman is thinking correctly, some kind of U channel would be just the ticket for a professional, framed look that would also cover the LEDs.
Don't think it would be practical or desirable to drill holes for the LED's ,,, Though that could well be another approach for a different technique and effect.
The neg thing I see about that is the drill path will be very well defined, as well at the etch itself. It wouldn't drill clear, it would leave a drill etch. That may be fine, depending on what you have in mind ,,, You could then stick some conventional LEDs in the holes, wire them in series, and light em up ... But keep in mind that I don't leave much space between the edges and the design, especially on the top and bottom. This is because 1, don't really need to, and 2, to get as much use as possible of the material that I have.

I will try holding 2 together and beaming different color lasers later on, when I got an extra set of hands or 2 to help. Also, I think I will try my idea of painting on the prototype, which actually, all  I have to do it finish the edges to make it a production model. I'm just not sure how I'd beam clear concentrated light at the edge.
I also made a PC Engine logo ,,, Didn't cut it yet, I mean I have the file made ready to go, I'll cut that later and post back, should look pretty sweet.

Oldman, CNC, like most anything else, takes alot of commitment, trial and error ect. Like most anything else, you'll get out exactly what you put into it. Alot of guys go in expecting to be cranking out masterpieces on their first day, and are sorely disappointed. There is a steep learning curve, not so much with the machine itself, which is actually only a glorified power tool, but with the software and code to run it.
The cheapest ones start off at around $4,000, they are of the hobbyist nature, and not well suited for even something like this. You need a machine with some balls to cut out a chunk of 1/2 plexi. You can get a nice machine for around $9,000 [about $1,000 alone just for shipping] ... Then you'd need to spend an additional $3,000 or so on software, and learn how to use it.
Rockler wood shops have the upper end hobby machine, CNC Shark pro. if you have a Rockler close by, you could have a look. But as I said, if you want something you can grow into, something more towards the industrial side, the cheapest you can go is about $9,000 - And if you really want to jump in head first, and want something you can cut a 4x8 sheet on, you can spend $30-50,000, easily. My machine is only 3x2 ft, but it suits my purposes ,, But theres no question, I'll be upgrading to a larger machine to expand my horizons at some point.

These are the types of things I usually do, as you can imagine, these 2D plexi etchings are fairly simple compared to these complex 3D exotic wood carvings. Crucifix took about 4 hours to cut, the specialty tapered router bit used cost about $50. Nothing cheap in the world of CNC, but once you are on the right track, you can turn something thats in your mind into something you can hold in your hands, and possibly sell.

[hizaygizirlz]

Wow Xray.

Really good work on all 3.  Very talented.  Impressive!

[Sadler]

Very cool! I really want one! Love to see a TurboDuo and later Duo logo if you find yourself bored and want to make more.

[xcrement5x]

Man, I'm just blown away by how awesome these look... 

If you do start to progress into producing/selling these please consider one already sold!

[Xray]

Oh, they will be on the sale/trade section soon, I thought they were ready to go, but I've been thinking that I should add 1/2 or so clear space to the bottom, the logo is so close to the bottom now that any sign base will probably cover part of the logo ,,,, Should have thought of that sooner ! I'm just kinda obsessed with cutting out as little as I have to, but looking at the pics, I can see they do need a little more slack at the bottom ,,, Plus, I'm in the habit of making things that are squared and equally proportioned on all sides, thats really why it didn't pop into my mind to do that with these. Thats no prob though, they will be 8.5 x 6 instead of 8 x 6, or I can reduce the size of the logo just a bit, with the extra space at the bottom to accommodate a holder.

But anyone who doesn't feel this may be a problem for them is welcome to pm me for dibs on any one of the 3 pictured. Since I consider them less than perfect, I'll let em go for $20 + $5 shipping USA, $10 international.

[Xray]

Here is the Pc Engine I did today, looks nice.
Pretty small at 6 x 4, I think I need to go just a bit bigger, but the details look pretty sharp, and should look even better bigger.
Here also is a TG I did with the extra space at the bottom, nearly perfect ,,, But the line surrounding the logo is uneven, what happens is the plexi welds itself back into a solid right after it is cut, and it did this more at the bottom than at the top. Really no good way to avoid this, short of spraying it down with water as I cut ,,, So I think I am going to have to leave this box out in production cuts, either that or make it just a bit thicker.




PCE, bigger and better [8x6]

[esteban]

Simply gorgeous.

Gorgeous.

[FiftyQuid]

Simply gorgeous.

Agreed.  That's the best one yet.

How detailed on acrylic can you get Xray?  I was just curious if you could actually carve out an image of the actual PC Engine or TG+16 console.

[syphic]

That would rock!