Large Soarin' Sign

This is a mixed-media project. The clouds are cut from foam craft board (styrofoam). 

Shopping list:

• Craft Foam Board - .4in x 11.9in x 47.8in (craft supply stores)
• Craft Foam Board - .9in x 11.9in x 47.8in (craft supply stores)
• Mod-Podge (16oz bottle) - I used matte, but any flavor should work
• Any water-based primer (no spray paint!)
• Any flat, bright white interior latex paint (no spray paint!)
• Clear, no-foam Gorilla Glue
• Hot glue gun (the Gorilla Glue will also work, but longer dry time)
• Elegoo PLA+ Red: https://amzn.to/4m16g7v
• Elegoo PLA+ Yellow: https://amzn.to/3UVivrp
• Polymaker PLA Satin Blue: https://amzn.to/4mLXXxT
• Proxxon Thermocut Hot Wire Foam Cutter: https://amzn.to/3HFQ51F
• Battery Powered LED Strip Lights: https://amzn.to/47rRFPc

Cutting the Foam Board

The back cloud is cut from the 0.9in thick sheet. The middle and front clouds are cut from the 0.4" sheet.

I included PDF templates for each cloud layer (background, middle, and front). I printed each template page on an acetate sheet (I used an old school report cover). Then placed the sheet face down on the foam board and gently rubbed to transfer the ink onto the board. Enough ink will transfer to help cut the board. After transferring a sheet, wipe the acetate sheet clean with a damp paper towel and print the next section. Be sure to print the PDF pages at 100% size; your software will likely default to a smaller size and you'll need to override to 100%.

I cut the board with a hot wire cutter. It's easier than a knife, but not perfect. Cut a little outside the lines, then use 220 grit sandpaper to smooth the edges.

Coating the Clouds

Coat the clouds with 3 coats of brushed on Mod Podge. The Mod Podge will fill in all the little holes and provide a smoother finish, while still having a little texture. 

Brush on a coat of primer, followed by a couple coats of flat white interior latex. Flat latex will hide imperfections. 

Printing the Letters, Swoosh, and Glider

Print the letters face down on the print bed. Use blue filament for the first few layers, then switch to red. I used 5% Adaptive Cubic fill then left the top horizontal shell set to zero. There is no point in printing a top solid layer (it's actually the bottom of the letter).

Print the swoosh and glider the same way with solid colors. The long portion of the swoosh is too long for my printer, so I split it into two parts (left and right). I lightly sanded the joint and used super glue gel - works great and the seam is almost invisible. I included the full swoosh STL in case you want to split it yourself in the slicer. 

I included a PDF swoosh template in case you want to cut the swoosh out of foam instead of printing. 

Adding Lights

Attach the string lights by peeling the backing and sticking to the board. Most of the lights go on the back of the middle cloud. At the bottom of the cloud, I cut two slots for the lights to pass through to the front of the board to provide backlighting for the front cloud. See the photos. Test fit the clouds and letters to figure out where the slots need to be cut. 

Gluing the Cloud Layers

I cut a dozen or so 1" x ¾" spacers out of the ½" foam board. The middle cloud will be spaced a ½" in front of the back cloud. Position the middle cloud over the back cloud and figure out where you want to glue the ½" thick spacers. Keep the spacers away from the light string. 

Glue the spacers to the back cloud with a hot glue gun. I like the hot glue because it sets fast. You can also use the clear Gorilla glue if you have patience. 

Dampen the tops of the spacers with a wet cloth, apply clear Gorilla glue to each spacer and position the middle cloud on the spacers. Check your alignment. Sit a few soda cans on top of the middle cloud for a few hours while the glue sets. 

Figure out exactly where the front cloud will go and use the “N” as a guide to cut the cloud. Use a razorblade to cut notches into the cloud for the “N”. Use hot glue or silicone caulk to glue the cloud to the “N” leaving about ¼" of the N sticking out forward of the cloud. 

Gluing the Letters and Swoosh

If the 3d printed swoosh is a little warped, dip in hot water for a few seconds and place on a flat countertop with weights on top until it's room temperature. Glue the “O” and two swoosh parts together with super glue gel. Let dry several hours. 

Print out the “SOARIN' Spacing” PDF; make sure it prints at 100%. You can use this print out as a guide to get the letter spacing correct. 

Start with the letter “N” and the glued front cloud since the cloud needs to be positioned precisely over your front facing lights. 

Glue the letters onto the middle cloud with hot glue. I marked my letter positions with blue painters tape so I knew where to put the glue. Apply an ample amount of glue onto the board, then press and hold each letter until the glue sets. 

Adding the Glider

You can use the small ½" spacers to glue the glider into position. 

Instead of the spacers, I epoxied 3 pieces of 16 gauge galvanized wire sticking out the back of the glider. I then pressed the wires into the board so the glider is about ¾" away from the board.

Good luck and have fun!