So we made a giant donut. Jelly much?

January 22, 2019

We’re not going to sugarcoat it—our eyes glazed over when they landed on this sweet project.

After some clever engineering, lots of sanding, and a few coats of delicious glaze, we made a confection even Homer Simpson would approve. Read on to see how this sprinkled donut came full circle.

Part 1: Cutting

After modeling the perfect donut on the computer, we programmed our CNC router to carefully cut portions of the donut out of HDU foam—the same material surfboards are made of.

Part 2: Gluing

Since foam only comes in certain thicknesses, we had to attach all the pieces with filling glue. It was fast curing, so most of the team worked on it at the same time.

Part 3: Shaping

Then, we sanded the circle to the perfect smooth, round donut. We added a bite mark, which started an internal debate on how many teeth are in a single bite (we decided on four).

Part 4: Painting

Next: carefully painting on 3-4 coats of glossy, bright paint. The entire process made us hungry, and resulted in several trips to the very donut shop this sign was for.

Part 5: Final assembly

Part 6: Installation

Want a delicious sign?

We want to make you a sign people won’t forget. Whether you’re starting a new business, empowering a team, or making a first impression—count us in.

Mike Cheung

Mike is a DIY enthusiast, published author, and avid cyclist with a habit of taking things apart and putting them back together as he sees fit. He grew up in Georgia shootin’ BB guns and cow tipping, but now lives a much safer life as a tinkerer in the San Francisco Bay Area.