How to Make Wood Signs E-Book

Kendra Chura

• Herausgeber: Fox Chapel Publishing
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Seitenzahl: 138

Beschreibung

A must-have woodworking book for both aspiring and advanced crafters and DIYers, Making Custom Signs in Wood will show you everything you need to know to create beautifully handmade scroll saw art and wooden signs! Featuring comprehensive opening sections on tools, materials, scroll saw basics, safety, troubleshooting, and more, equip yourself with the essential skills needed before you dive into the sign making technique sections. From the basics, like cutting lettering, adding a graphic, and painting to the more challenging skills of using epoxy resin, engraving, woodburning, and other next level techniques, you'll have a blast building your woodworking skills and seeing all the possibilities of what you can make! Also included are step-by-step projects to try, as well as practice patterns. Perfect for housewarming and wedding gifts, nurseries, and other personalized keepsakes both for you and your family and friends, this exciting and fun guide to sign making will inspire your DIY projects and original designs for years to come!

Leseprobe

Dedication

I would like to dedicate this book to my Grandpa Bill. He was always my biggest fan. I only wish he could be here to see this. He and my grandma have always been so supportive of my unique career choice. I know he is showing this proudly to all his friends.

Acknowledgments

I want to thank my mom for not only allowing me to take over her entire garage in order to make this happen, but for supporting me on this journey. I want to thank my friends—both personal and those I’ve met through woodworking—who were there for me throughout this. I could not have done this without their moral support and feedback on the projects and writing. I am blessed to have such an amazing support system.

© 2023 by Kendra Chura and Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc., 903 Square Street, Mount Joy, PA 17552.

How to Make Wood Signs is an original work, first published in 2023 by Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright holders.

Managing Editor: Gretchen Bacon

Acquisitions Editor: Kaylee J. Schofield

Editor: Joseph Borden

Desiginer: Wendy Reynolds

Indexer: Jay Kreider

Proofreader: Kelly Umenhofer

Print ISBN: 978-1-4971-0341-2978-1-6374-1199-5

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023934684

To learn more about the other great books from Fox Chapel Publishing, or to find a retailer near you, calltoll-free 800-457-9112 or visit us at www.FoxChapelPublishing.com.

We are always looking for talented authors. To submit an idea, please send a brief inquiry to [email protected].

Because working with wood, resin, scroll saws, and other materials inherently includes the risk of injury and damage, this book cannot guarantee that creating the projects in this book is safe for everyone. For this reason, this book is sold without warranties or guarantees of any kind, expressed or implied, and the publisher and the author disclaim any liability for any injuries, losses, or damages caused in any way by the content of this book or the reader’s use of the tools needed to complete the projects presented here. The publisher and the author urge all readers to thoroughly review each project and to understand the use of all tools before beginning any project. Readers may make copies of the patterns in the back of this book for personal use. The patterns themselves, however, are not to be duplicated for resale or distribution under any circumstances. Nor are any images in this book to be copied with the intent of making them into patterns for any reason. Any such copying is a violation of copyright law.

For a printable PDF of the patterns used in this book, please contact Fox Chapel Publishing at [email protected], with 9781497103412 How to Make Wood Signs in the subject line.

Contents

Introduction

Gallery

Tools and Materials

Tools

Materials

Wood

Safety

Scroll Saw Basics

Choosing a Blade

Introduction to Lasers

Sign Making: The Basics

Making Backers and Frames

Circular Signs

Edge Banding

Square Signs

Plaster Painting a Backer

Rabbeting

Cutting Frames

Attaching the Frame

Adding Dowels to Frames

Cutting Script Lettering

Cutting and Stacking

Shaping Using a Rotary Tool

Spray-Painting

Hand Painting

Glue Up and Hangers

Leveling Up and Finishing

Epoxy Resin

Hardwoods and Oils

Epoxy Resin Inlay: Three Techniques

Projects

Custom Round Sign

Welcome Sign

Custom Child’s Room Sign

Tools Sign

Patterns

About the Author

Introduction

My sign-making journey began in the spring of 2014. I was at my aunt and uncle’s, and they were preparing to burn some pallet wood. As my uncle went to toss the boards into the fire, I knew I couldn’t let it happen. I’ve always been artistic, so the rustic look to the boards had my brain spinning with ideas. I took them home, and the following day, using a hammer and roofing nails, I pieced them together with some scrap wood and made my first sign.

It wasn’t until a year later that I had discovered the scroll saw. It opened new opportunities to take my painted elements to a 3D level. Fast forward to now, years and many tools later, I am thrilled to be able to share some of what I have learned throughout this journey. I have chosen creative designs that are great for both beginner and experienced sign makers, all of which can be created with even the most basic tools. Throughout the book, I’ve even included tips for an alternate laser approach wherever scroll saw cutting is shown. My designs are created to be compatible with both a scroll saw and laser, so even if you have no scroll saw knowledge, you can take your laser art to the next level. Scroll saw patterns can be found at the back of this book, while the laser patterns are available to purchase on my website, www.kendrasgotwood.com.

I’ve included helpful tips, tricks, and proven methods for making signs. I’ve learned these things from years of experimenting with different tools, products, and ideas. These projects can be kept simple, or you can step them up by incorporating various wood species, unique materials, and more.

Gallery

To purchase original designs like these, visit my website, kendrasgotwood.com.

This was directly inspired by my own ducks. Each duck on this sign is one of our rescue ducks. I drew each one based on pictures I took of mine. This was cut entirely on my scroll saw, shaped with my rotary tool, and hand painted.

This is part of my farm collection. While I am not a chicken owner myself, I know they are popular. I couldn’t make a farm collection without some chicken art. This was cut with a scroll saw, shaped with the rotary tool, and hand painted.

This was a gift for my best friend for her wedding. The colors were inspired by her wedding colors yet designed to still match nicely in her home. The round backer is walnut plywood. This piece was cut entirely on the scroll saw.

This is part of my spring collection. The baby animals make for cute Easter decor; however, the piece is inspired more from farm life than anything. The backer is laser engraved and the animals are laser cut and shaped with a rotary tool. I used the stacking method we will discuss later in this book to create dimension.

This was a gift for friends who were having a baby. I wanted to create something small that wasn’t too specifically geared to a baby girl. I thought the simplistic floral would look great in a nursery, remain timeless, and could be enjoyed for years to come. The floral design was cut with a scroll saw. The backer is a herringbone pattern created with scrap wood.

This was part of my floral collection. It combines black walnut with hand painted florals. I wanted to combine hardwoods and painting. Like the pink flower sign, the florals are scroll cut and the backer is a herringbone pattern created with scrap wood.

This, too, combines scroll saw art as well as a hand carved backer filled with epoxy. The jar on this one is filled with epoxy, as well, to create the transparent look of glass. The backer is maple and it is framed with mahogany.

The reindeer is one of my most popular designs. I wanted to create a more realistic reindeer for Christmas. I have cut him many times both on my scroll saw and laser. This one was made with the laser, as was his poinsettia. I shaped it with my rotary tool. The backer is a combination of the metal effects rust paint that I love and dark green acrylic paint. It is double framed with barn wood.

This is another part of my floral collection. The backer is black walnut. The black leaves were hand carved with my rotary tool and filled with epoxy using the method demonstrated in this book. The flowers were cut with a scroll saw. It is framed in maple.

This was a gift for the same friend as the Allen sign. I’d made a version of this piece before and she liked it. This one was a little tricky, as I had to create the circle frame with my router and circle jig. The “frame” is actually stacked on top, and the sides are edge banded to create the illusion it’s actually going around the piece. It’s cut to allow for the leaf design to look as if it is overlapping. The leaves and words are all hand cut on the scroll saw. This herringbone backer was outsourced; it was CNC carved.

This past year, I decided to take some of my funky pumpkins up a notch and make a collection of jack-o’-lantern patterns. Both signs include pumpkins that are laser cut, shaped, and hand painted. The backers are barn wood. This could easily be achieved with the scroll saw, as well.

This was another spring sign inspired by farm life. Again, I am not a chicken owner, but I always love to see the colorful eggs they lay when others share them. It is hand cut, hand painted, and framed in reclaimed wood.

Pumpkins are probably my favorite thing to make for fall, as you can make them in so many different shapes and colors. This piece is hand painted and framed in barn wood. The backer also includes the metal effects paint. This one was laser cut, but pumpkins make for a great beginner scroll saw pattern because you really can’t mess them up.

This piece is entirely laser cut. The pattern was cut out, painted, and reassembled. I used spray paint and the metal effects rust paint. The word was cut from ⅛" (3.2mm) Baltic birch and glued on top of the backer.

This piece was inspired by a photograph taken by the co-owner of Bear Woods. I created it for her for Christmas. I had always been in awe of the beautiful photo, so I drew the design based off her exact picture. It’s entirely laser cut out of Baltic birch and walnut plywood. The frame for this one is also stacked on top and it’s edge banded to look like a real frame.

This piece was made with maple with the epoxy ocean effect. It was designed to be a charcuterie board. The words are laser engraved.

Tools and Materials

Getting started with any new hobby can be overwhelming, especially when that hobby requires several tools. In this section, I will show you the most common power tools you will want to have on-hand for these projects. I will also discuss a few additional tools that, while not absolutely necessary, are great to have around, if possible.

Tools

Scroll saw or laser machine. A scroll saw uses a very thin blade that moves up and down at a high speed. The blade’s small size is perfect for fine, detailed cutting. If your scroll saw has the necessary components, be sure to hook your dust collection system or shop vac up to it. A laser machine uses a thin, focused laser beam to cut and etch materials. Of these two options, the scroll saw is the more affordable for the beginning woodworker (don’t forget to purchase a variety of blade sizes; check each project for specifics).

Table saw, track saw, or circular saw. The table saw uses a circular saw blade and is great for quick, straight cuts. A track saw is like a circular saw, but it is designed so it can follow a track, which allows it to make straight and accurate cuts. A circular saw will typically be less expensive than either of these other options but will require the use of a straight edge (such as a board), and it is more difficult to make straight, accurate cuts.

Orbital sander. Orbital sanders are handheld power tools that work by rotating themselves elliptically. When sandpaper is attached, this rotation allows you to smooth out surfaces quickly.

Miter saw. A miter saw is a great tool for making angled cuts, which is especially useful when you’re making frames.

Router with circle jig. A router is used to hollow out (rout) areas in materials such as wood. A circle jig must be purchased separate from the router, though you can also make one. This jig works by creating a fixed point around which an attached router can revolve, creating a perfect circle.

Dust extractor vacuum (above) and dust collector (right). These are handy tools that will keep your shop clean and help protect your lungs. I discuss these more here.

Rotary tool. A rotary tool is a handheld power tool that is mainly used for grinding, sanding, and polishing a variety of materials. Many attachments are available, and most rotary tools will come with the basic ones you need to get started. We will use this for shaping and detail work.

Drill and drill bits. To start the holes for your scroll saw blades, you’ll need to drill into the wood. Drill bit size will vary depending on the project and your own choices. A drill press is also excellent for our purposes.

Tape measure and ruler. These will be used, of course, for measuring.

Pencil and marker. These will be used for marking your wood.

Square. This will be used to ensure your angles are square.

Sandpaper. You will need various grits—80, 120, 150, and 220 grit should suffice.

Keep in mind that if you do not have the above tools, there may be tools you do have on hand that can be substituted for these. You might prefer to cut your circle backers using a bandsaw or even a jigsaw, for instance. It takes time to build a full arsenal of tools, and sometimes you just have to use what’s on hand in your shop. That is just fine! Some additional tools you might find helpful, though not completely necessary for these tutorials, include a wood planer, a jigsaw, a pin and/or brad nailer, a small belt sander, and a heat gun or blowtorch (necessary if you plan to work with epoxy resin).

Materials

One of the great things about working with wood is all the different materials you can use with it. I love to experiment with different products and techniques, so throughout the book, I will show you some of my favorites and how to get great results. You will need the following items to complete the projects in this book.

Acrylic paints. I find that inexpensive acrylic paints work just fine for my hand painting; however, you might prefer a latex paint.

Paintbrushes. I use several kinds of brushes for applying paint. Use what works best for you.

Primer. I advise using an automobile filler primer of some sort, as it helps establish a better base layer.

Plaster. I prefer plaster of paris, but there are many options available. Be sure to follow your brand’s specific mixing instructions.

Shop rags. For applying oils, buffing, cleaning up messes, etc. You can never have too many shop rags!

Spray adhesive, contact paper, and/or painter’s tape. You will need these items if you are using a scroll saw. They are used to adhere your template to the cutting material. If using contact paper, you won’t need the adhesive or tape.

Spray paint. I find using artist-grade, water-based paints produces better results than big box store paint. Choose what is right for you.

Tabletop epoxy resin. Tabletop epoxy resin is ideal for shallow pours like the ones I will showcase in this book. Be sure to follow your product’s instructions for best results.

Cups and stir sticks. It’s best to use plastic, disposable cups, as they are cheap.

Mica powder and liquid dye/pigment.

Wood glue. Use a strong wood glue to piece together your frames.

Clamps. These are used to create enough pressure to ensure proper adhesion, among other things.

Clear coats and wood oils. When it comes to oil, I like to use something natural that will not only provide a safe finish but also protect my wood.

Wood