I wanted to take a moment to explain how our amazing metal art signs are made.

First a sale is made on one of our two websites, HDMetalworks.com or ETSY. After the initial sale, the sign is programmed in a CAD program to meet the needs of the customer. A confirmation email is sent with a picture of the sign.

Following the order, the sign is imported into an Numerical Control (NC) program and a cutting path is created. It then is imported into our CNC Main Control System and the sign is cut from a piece of sheet metal.

The sign is then fed through a large belt sanding machine where any dross on the back is removed and both sides sanded smooth. If the sign is rusted or a color other then black is applied, it it fed into another large belt sander and a finer sanding finish is completed.

After this process, the sign is washed and dried. it is then checked for any errors or unacceptable flaws. If it passes our quality control inspection, it is put in line to head to powder coating. If it is powder coated, an electro-statically charged powder is applied to the sign then it is baked in a large oven at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes. Upon completion it is packaged and shipped.

if the sign is to be rusted, after the washing process, the back of the sign is painted in a flat black. This is done so the metal is not raw and does not discolor any surface you may hang the sign on. After a day of drying, a chemical agent is applied to the front of the sign causing it to rust. We then let the sign rust for a couple days to etch the rust into the metal. The sign is then wiped down with a dry rag, packaged and shipped. We do not manipulate the rusting process to help the sign it its goal to look old and aged.

i hope this blog offers a little insight into the process of how we make our metal art.