Hand Routed Sign

[neato]

This is my first try at hand routing a sign. I learned a lot with this experiment. The HDU used was a scrap of very low density, I don't think I'd ever use that again for anything other than practice. Sorry for the rough pics.

 

[Jillbeans]

Looks good to me. I like the distressed effect you achieved on the lettering!
Love....Jill

 

[nikdoobs]

Looks great. What kind of paint did you use?

 

[neato]

The background is a Rustoleum texture paint, the name escapes me. The letters and border are Rustoleum Metallic Accents Champagne color, with a wash to "dirty it up"

 

[rjssigns]

Very nice.

 

[Billct2]

Looks great. I never was good with hand routing.

 

[Gino]

Very nice and hogging that all out with a hand-held router sure takes some strong forearms. Bet you felt like you were having a seizure til you were done with all that.

 

[neato]

Haha...no, it wasn't that bad. I'm using a Bosch Colt, which is a pretty light router. It's perfect for signs.

 

[CanuckSigns]

Can you shed some light on the process for us? I would love to try something like this. Are there any videos you watched that show how to do this?

 

[neato]

Hey Scott

There really aren't any great videos, but some on youtube were helpful. It seems like most people making signs by hand with a router are just making the same cheesy cedar signs with black lettering you buy at all the flea markets.

Honestly, it's not that hard. I just put down vinyl for the pattern, then shot it quick with some spray paint, removed the vinyl, and started routing.

I did modify my router a bit with a larger clear acrylic base to bridge the larger areas. Other than that, just sanding to clean up the edges is the main trick.

Give it a go Scott. It's pretty fulfilling to make something by hand.

I also just ordered some chisels to start practicing hand carving. We'll see how it goes.

 

[Rick]

A few observations...

I have "Tales from Mos Eisley Cantina" and seen that movie way too many times, it's called Chalmun's Spaceport Cantina located at:
3112 Outer Kerner Way
Mos Eisley, Tatooine

It would have been spelled in "Huttese"

[video=youtube;JWVMzXq4ewg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWVMzXq4ewg[/video]

Okay, I'm a total nerd....

 

[neato]

Haha...no joke, I had no idea!

Guess I gotta start all over now

 

[Rick]

Driving to a meeting, me and Gigi needed to stop for gas. There was a gas station
on the way, but the place is a dump with a lot of weirdos there so I tell her....
"Nuevo Blvd. Chevron - you'll never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy"

She said "HUH?!?"

I said "FROM STAR WARS!"

She said "Never saw it"

NEVER SAW IT!!!!!

----------

By the way, I dig the sign... might need to have some fun like that soon...

 

[neato]

WHAT!?!?

I just recently met someone else who never saw it.

I don't know how any human being can live for decades without seeing Star Wars. Even if it's just the first one. It's like never seeing Casablanca, or the moon.

 

[CanuckSigns]

Hey Scott

There really aren't any great videos, but some on youtube were helpful. It seems like most people making signs by hand with a router are just making the same cheesy cedar signs with black lettering you buy at all the flea markets.

Honestly, it's not that hard. I just put down vinyl for the pattern, then shot it quick with some spray paint, removed the vinyl, and started routing.

I did modify my router a bit with a larger clear acrylic base to bridge the larger areas. Other than that, just sanding to clean up the edges is the main trick.

Give it a go Scott. It's pretty fulfilling to make something by hand.

I also just ordered some chisels to start practicing hand carving. We'll see how it goes.

What bits did you use?

 

[neato]

I just used an 1/8" straight bit around the lettering and a 3/8" (I think) to route out the background. In the corners of the letters, I had to go back with a box knife to give them more definition, but this is a pretty small sign. On larger signs, I think it would be unnecessary.

 

[sardocs]

That looks very nice. I do quite a bit of hand routing, mostly cedar. I just finished ten 9 foot by 22" cedar signs for our local school board. I cough cedar clouds now.

 

[Craig Sjoquist]

Looks good & using HDU makes it easy has a nice distressed look about it

Sardocs really like ya work & ya shop to cool indeed

 

[neato]

Great work!

I might have to try working with cedar next, I love the look of that school sign.

 

[sardocs]

The school signs were first routed around all the letters to a depth of about a half inch. Then the texturing of the background is done with a ball rasp in a die grinder. I used to blast all our cedar signs, but these school signs are gonna get climbed all over by nasty little children and the "venetian blind" texture the blast produces is hard to fix when damage happens. By grinding a faux grain pattern I get a much more durable finish that can be maintained by the school board painters. I just sold off my diesel compressor and I don't plan to blast anymore.
Craig, you would laugh if you saw my shop set-up. It's just the basement of my home and my carport. I put up the tent to do the ten big signs but I do plan to take it back down. It blocks the mountain view.