Pix of New Lasered Tiki Sign Items!

Well, I've had the new Eplilog Laser cutter for about a month now and I'm still playing with ideas and testing different materials. We'll be selling most of these soon on our website. Let me know what you think of these ideas. Some of the things came out better than others.

The world's smallest tiki bar sign? This is made of poplar and it's about 6" wide. I used the art file from our regular large tiki bar sign and just reduced it and printed the pieces to the laser cutter. One good thing about the cutter is that once you have an art file, you can print to any size you want! We will be selling these personalized, and with a stand at a low price soon.

This is an idea for a set of personalized coasters and drink tokens. I can engrave any kind of artwork on these. Notice the tiki and torches engraved on the coaster in the holder. It's clipart from the CorelDraw package. I really like the way the laser engraves. But I don't know how these would sell or what kind of a price we could get for them?? Maybe they're too much trouble.

This is a rework of one of our best selling tiki bar signs, but this version has more detail using the laser cut pieces. I really like the way this one came out.

This is a sample of something new we're trying. We are designing wall pieces based on retro motel signs laser cut from mdf and hand painted. I'm working on a tiki bar sign similar to this.

This one incorporates a filigree design kind of based on tapa cloth. The design strip on the top took an hour to cut with the laser. I like the way the stylized tiki mask came out.

This one is kind of different. We're playing with some atomic - ultra lounge styles.

In addition to all that, I'm playing with an idea for model house facades as wall art. You know, send a picture of your house and we'll create a wall piece based on it. I did a model of our house as a sample but I'm not quite happy with it yet. I don't know if the idea will work.

So that's what we've been up to with the new machine so far. I've got a list of other ideas to try out too. The days are flying by - seems like there's never enough time in the day to do everything you want to! Anyway, watch for some of these new things coming up on our site. Probably next week sometime.

Mahalo for looking, and Cheers!

Paul
http://www.pariarts.com

Those are great! Very nice Paul.

i work in special events and use a local guy with one of those machines to make table numbers for me. he usually makes between $10-18 per piece out of plex.

just some info you might be able to use.

Thanks for the information pdrake, that's good to know.
Paul

Very nice!! Specially the Peter & Lorraine motor inn sign! Keep them coming!!

Wow! I'd say it was cool to live in the 21st Century if I wasn't already nostalgic about the 20th. Way to put that technology to good use.

Very nice mate. LOVE the retro/atomic signs - I reckon that would be a neat expansion of your line. The house front plaques sounds cool - how about some A-frame tiki bars too? I'd love a mini Trader Vics or similar hanging on my wall :) One other ides - Do wall plaques based on people's old cars :)

Embarrassingly, I'm physically aroused by the possibilities this opens. I'd love to see something where you take the House Facade and put the owner's family out front, giving them little cartoon bodies with heads printed from photos they supply then attached to the cartoon's shoulders with tiny springs. Or near realistic curved Bamboo segments. Or, with a little fine sanding, curved & foreshortened representations of your favorite mug you can frame & mount on the wall. Or Foreshortened 3-D representations of Tikis in profile or 3/4 view to add to signs.

Have you tried cutting colored Transparent or Translucent materials that could be inserted into matching cutouts within signs to allow you to light them up from behind? Tiki Bar Lamps!

On 2007-02-13 11:20, pdrake wrote:
i work in special events and use a local guy with one of those machines to make table numbers for me. he usually makes between $10-18 per piece out of plex.

just some info you might be able to use.

Definitely send representative examples of your work to your local Wedding Planners, caterers, etc.

WOW!! Have always loved you work, but now it's even more dimensional!! The tapa cloth pattern is phenomenal, Paul. Congrats on the new toy, uhh, tool ... I see more great things coming from your workshop. Time for HGTV to update your segment!

• Myke

Freddiefreelance, you have quite the imagination! The photo above is something we did some years ago... a cartoon version of LAX, complete with little people and cars, all hand cut out and painted. It's almost three feet wide. I'm going to do a laser version of this soon. The handmade version was just too crazy to try to reproduce over and over. The picture is too teeny to see, but it's loaded with hand painted details.

Another idea I have is mobiles. Mobiles in plastic with flowers and tikis. I did a small one already, but it's not quite right yet. The plastic is expensive to play around with, but one of these days I'll get it done.

I have one of those backlit Lounge signs Target was selling a few years back. I'd love to do the lit motel signs, but I don't want to get into playing with lights and electrical things here... ha! and this coming from a guy with a 45watt laser in the shop.....

Anyway, I already do fake bamboo on some our signs. I use redwood and route the sides with a quarter round. When they're painted, you can't tell it from real bamboo. And dimensional mugs??! I make Tiki Farms 'Mugoomba' sign and it features a group of hand turned bamboo tiki mugs that spell out 'Welcome to'. That was a fun one.

But here's a really cool idea. The picture below is our TV room. I made the 'flower power' wall hangings out of fiberboard about three years ago. We're going to offer these on our site for sure - laser cut of mdf and hand painted. Looks like something out of Austin Power's pad huh? Yeah baby!

PS... yes, I love our TV room. You won't believe where we got those plush flower power pillows.... at the 99 cent store! You have to keep your eyes open, you never know what will show up there. On the other side of the room are some flourescent bean bag chairs, 2 giant Ikea paper lanterns and a black 80" TV. Yes 80". And I hate TV for the most part.

[ Edited by: pariartspaul 2007-02-13 15:07 ]

nice stuff....i wouldn't mind farming some work out to you. I have been working on tiki motel wall lites lately which will combine the use of back-lit signage as well as flex-neon tubing. This was the reason i posted a blurb here not long ago searching for pics of the aku-aku-sign in las vegas.....i plan on making a few different signs for the DVA Gallery's annual tiki art show this year.....some will be wall mounted, others free standing, but scaled anywhere from 3 ft -5ft tall....since you don't want to do the electric and i do, i sure could use your help in laser cutting some templates/and components for me. it would save me time on alot of the detail stuff that i could be spending on the actual construction of the lamps.....i have wanted to get these going for some time now.....i got the idea from one of coppola's films, one from the heart. Pay close attention to the opening credits where they re-created vintage miniatures of old vegas casino signs and put the names of the actors on the marquees........I'd like to achieve the same look but with old tiki bar signs. *also, the soundtrack is great....it's all done by tom waits and crystal gayle...i know, sounds like a weird combo, but it works...incidentally, tom waits met his wife on the set of this film.....also, they built a replica of the entire fremont street strip in a sound studio.....look closely at the top of the signs in that scene and you will see they get cut short just shy of the ceiling.....I also read about it somewhere as well,

oh yeah...i want some coasters made for my tiki bar when you are ready.....

Very cool stuff, I may go broke buying stuff from you guys

The drink tokens are awesome, I would love to buy a bag full! How much were you thinking of selling them for?
Thanks!

Hey Tipsy... ah yes I remember the film, and the Fremont Street set was the hi-light for sure. I've spent many happy hours on Fremont Street. When we lived in L.A. we used to go three or four times a year. We used to love Fitzgerald's there before they changed ownership, yeah we were high rollers for a time there. Anyway - for your project, send me an email and let me know what you are thinking of. The laser cuts acrylic beautifully. Sounds like you are looking at some big items though. My laser bed will only fit a piece 12" x 24" max. If that's okay, let me know.

For tokens and coasters, the samples in the picture were just dipped in a cherry stain after they were cut so they have a matte finish. I don't know if they'd need a different finish on them, maybe something shiny for more protection? But I'd hate to hand brush a sealer on each piece after they are cut. There must be something I could just dip them in? Or maybe I could try finishing the wood with a gloss sealer BEFORE it's laser cut? That might be interesting to try. If anyone has any ideas let me know.

The tokens are cut from 1/8" basswood and they are a nice size about 2 1/4" in diameter. I could see them a little smaller also at maybe a 2" size.

The coasters are made of 1/4" poplar and they are 4" in diameter - they have a nice thick look to them. The engraving is nice and deep, somewhere between a 32nd and a 16th inch.

For the artwork, gosh the sky's the limit. It could be super detailed artwork or just text, whatever. It would be cool to do some for a tiki bar and use their logo -or you know, I can even engrave a photo onto them.

I could see maybe $1 each for the tokens and $10 each for the coasters?
But I'll have to do some more experimenting with finishes and get it figured out. I don't want to get into too much mass production, but maybe I could just sell them to Tiki Central folks. I'll put another post up when I get something ready.

I need one of those "tiny size" signs for my desk at work!

(My department's office space is being renovated, and after the improvements, the tiny meeting space that became known [due to my influence] as the Tiki Lounge will be gone. All I can have now is a tiki desk.)

[ Edited by: Erika 2007-02-18 07:01 ]

I have one of your signs Paul, it's outstanding work!The drink coasters are way cool

I have been drooling over your signs for a while now but when I saw the Atomic ones...Pow! Bing! Zoom! I am gone!
Looking forward to going broke with you guys!

From the Lagoon of Liquidspaceman...

Very cool signs pariartspaul! I have bookmarked your thread for later. I will be contacting you for some possible work later. Hey, if you want to make a DVD of your stuff, let me know, I am a videographer and would love to do something with your stuff. Keep up the great work! :)
Liquidspaceman, over and out

Thanks for all the input you all! Well, I'm busy now. I got a few custom sign orders, a small lazer cutting job for Tipsy, plus, someone sent in a picture of their house for me to make a dimensional art piece!
The house is ultra-cool, very simple and modern - architect designed. Looks one of a kind for sure. Anyway, I'll let you all know how it comes out.

Oh, one more thing. I ordered some rubber stamp making supplies for the new laser machine and I've been testing out how it works. It works great, and they come out real nice. I have 6 blank self-inking stamps left (black ink), each with an image size of 7/8" by 2 3/8". I will custom engrave your name, address, artwork or whatever you want on them for $20 including shipping. I can engrave any font I have (basically any font you see on our website)or any black and white artwork you send, or any font you want to send me. If you want one, send me an email. Only for Tiki Central folks.. and I only have 6 left.

Thanks,
Paul
[email protected]

GREAT STUFF as always Paul!! Long time no talk...we need to catch up soon. I was at WDI today..doing more paintings for the Polynesian in WDW and it is VERY different now. Stay in touch!! Keep up the awesome work!!

~~ Tom (THOR)

Hey Thor!
Well, good for you. I've been following your career zooming higher and higher! You have your own gallery in Hawaii now?! Wowie, you deserve it, your stuff is great. When you say WDI is different now, I take it you mean 'better'. Must be, it would be impossible for it to be worse than it was then! Yes, and as you can see, I'm having fun with my new toy, and we still love it up here in Sacramento. Richard may be down in L.A. soon to do some work for another theme park company, and also he's been asked to design some floats for the Rose Parade. Can you imagine anything more gay?! (Just kidding, I think it's fabulous...)
My best to you and continued success!