Shopsmith Forums

Extra Mile isn't the only one making signs. LOL

These started out as pallet wood. Used the SS jointer to clean them up, the SS belt and disc sander to finish it up. Plus the router.

Pictured, the clear is still wet. I sanded them tonight and put another coat of clear so they do look a bit nicer now. The black part is "etched" before being colored.

And now a more conventional engraving.

Hand routered these. My first attempts. Not much Shop Smith used here though.

The first one I used the Rockler "state park" letters. Not excited about those, so I moved on to other methods of laying out the design.

Modified pallets into garage shelves. Or actually oil shelves for 2 stroke oil, but you guys down south probably don't use much 2 stroke oil! LOL







In use

AwEsOmE!

Very nice! Can you give us some more detail on the "etching" and the "other methods for laying out"? They look like great processes, whatever they are.

BTW, living on a wooded lot down "South" here in Ohio , I use my fair share of 2-cycle oil for the chainsaw and the string trimmer, and most especially for the leaf blower!

ddub wrote:Extra Mile isn't the only one making signs. LOL

These started out as pallet wood. Used the SS jointer to clean them up, the SS belt and disc sander to finish it up. Plus the router.

Pictured, the clear is still wet. I sanded them tonight and put another coat of clear so they do look a bit nicer now. The black part is "etched" before being colored.

Please comment on the Airstream sign. Are you set up to do custom signs. Reason I ask is that I am reconditioning an old Airstream.

Nice looking signs. We use 2 cycle oil WAAAAAAY down here on the mexican border in older outboard motors as well as chain saws, etc, etc.

I love the pallet racks, neat idea!

BuckeyeDennis wrote:Very nice! Can you give us some more detail on the "etching" and the "other methods for laying out"? They look like great processes, whatever they are.

BTW, living on a wooded lot down "South" here in Ohio , I use my fair share of 2-cycle oil for the chainsaw and the string trimmer, and most especially for the leaf blower!

BuckeyeDennis,
Thank you.

I wouldn't say that I have the process "perfected". I am still learning, and experimenting.

A simplistic overview is this.

I cut a vinyl stencil (basically a decal) out of a special vinyl for use for sandblasting. I then etch them by blasting them lightly. (I have not been successful when trying to blast heavily) The stencil keeps the wood from being blasted where the stencil is protecting the wood or plastic, and of course the area not protected gets etched.

As with any procedure there are many pitfalls that can blindside you and I have failed more than once, but I am getting the procedure close to where I feel I can start doing it successfully.

It really is pretty close to the process of creating the etch in the plastic on these signs.



I started this whole journey because of my idea to do the lighted signs. But I figured after I started that one, well why not try it on wood also. I can produce those quite a bit cheaper than the lighted signs.

NDDennis!

dusty wrote:

ddub wrote:Extra Mile isn't the only one making signs. LOL

Please comment on the Airstream sign. Are you set up to do custom signs. Reason I ask is that I am reconditioning an old Airstream.

Dusty,
I have a good friend that restores Airstreams and Silver Streaks for a living. When I told him of the possibility that I was going to get set up to cut stencils, he has given me some interest in doing some things for him that he cannot get done elsewhere that my not yet purchased (at that time) tooling would possibly allow us to do. He continually wants me to spend more money on tools.... LOL

One of the items that he has expressed interest in, is to reproduce the Aluminum Airstream plaque and or stencil kit to refurbish your present plaque.

The other is to custom etch some cabinets and door fronts for people that are not doing them as original.

Now that I told you, I might have to shoot you.... LOL Don't tell anyone!

This artwork is not the artwork that would be used for his plaque as the logo is different. I think this logo is older. He has yet to send me a sample to start with.

So, with that round a bout answer, yes I am setting up to do some custom signs and or etching...... I don't know where that will take me, but it's been fun playing as I enjoy learning to do new things. None have been professionally produced at this time though.

rjent wrote:Nice looking signs. We use 2 cycle oil WAAAAAAY down here on the mexican border in older outboard motors as well as chain saws, etc, etc.

I love the pallet racks, neat idea!

rjent,
I cannot take credit for the idea of the pallet rack shelf itself. I have seen that on Pinterest. The GF is into cutifying (that is a real word, just ask her) things and sent me a picture of one. I cut up a few for her as I can get fairly clean pallets from work but she didn't seem all that interested, so I "manified" a few. LOL

I vend at a couple of vintage snowmobile swaps coming up and we will see what kind of interest there is at those. If there is none, I'll hang them in my shop!

There seemed to be some interest on how I am doing this, so I took a few pictures while I was working on about 20 of these.

Step one, make the stencil. I am doing it with a vinyl cutter, but you could do it by hand if you have a LOT more patience and talent than I do. This stencil material will take light blasting or painting. They have heavier product that you can really blast with. Like when etching granite.



Stencil applied to the wood.



Duct tape applied around the edges. I also apply the duct tape close to the engraving so that the stencil comes off easier. Once you blast it, the stencil comes off MUCH harder in areas that receive a hard blast.





The logo is etched. I use about 50 lbs of pressure with a combination of aluminum oxide and blast glass. I will be switching to all blast glass when I put new media in my blast cabinet.

Some of them lined up ready for ink.



and the ink applied.



I learned the hard way. Let the ink DRY good before unmasking. LOL. So, I walked away. I think you guys can imagine the process from here! Unmask, sand any touchups, clear, sand, clear again.