This thing was a true labor of love. My SIL asked for a sign to give to her husband for Christmas. They own a ski condo in VT. The backing wood is the stuff I mentioned the other day… it came from an 1850’s barn (turned into a garage) at the house my husband and his brother bought together. My husband was living in that house when we met and we lived there together for a year before we got married, so it has meaning for me as well. Of course, I was terrified I was going to ruin the wood at some point in the process. But other than the alignment of the boards being slightly off, it went off without a hitch.
The sign is going to hang outside, so I put a lot of effort into making it as sturdy as possible. The stain is TWP, which I had to use inside and I’m pretty sure killed a lot of brain cells. I wanted something that would protect the barnwood without masking it. Everything else is cut on the GF and painted with Americana Decor Outdoor Living paint. The boards are attached with my new Kreg Jig (love!) and some Titebond III wood glue. The letters are attached with E6000. That stuff is a pain to work with, but it’s waterproof and can handle extreme temps (-40 to 180 degrees F). Just some product ideas in case anyone else needs to put together an outdoor, all-weather sign.
Simply wonderful! You’ve really put a lot of thought and effort into this and it shows. I’ll be interested in learning how the different glues hold up to the weather in a year or so.
Thank you, all! I can’t believe people do this for a living. You couldn’t pay me enough with the amount of time I spent (and don’t get me started on the cost of materials). I charged her a teeny, tiny amount because I knew it would be a learning process (and she’s family), but I have no idea how I’d scale that process up. It was fun, though, and I’m glad I did it.
@mnemosyne, I had some help cutting the boards, thankfully, since I’m just learning to use the bigger power tools. The rest of the board had a big split, so there was no room for error on any of it.
@cynd11, me too, although the glues are probably the least of the worries. Both of them are waterproof and temperature resistant. I’m more worried about moisture getting into the previously existing nail holes and splits in the wood and causing large splits when it freezes.
I have the same feeling; I did some holiday lanterns that I could possible sell, but at about 25 minutes of cutting and 30 minute of hand work for each of them, I’m not sure I want to be in that business.
I got the K4 with the holiday bonus item (mini jig, screws, clamp) from Home Depot.
I had to look up “biscuiting.” I used pocket holes. The wood wasn’t exactly flat on the edges, although the board was surprisingly straight, so it’s a bit warped, but I think it’s fine overall.
The screws are a bit pricier, but it’s so easy to use. There are different levels, but if you want the K4, head over to Home Depot and look in the gifts section. The free screws, clamp and mini jig are worth about $50.
Also, there”s a shop vac attachment that seems like it would be worthwhile. I don’t use the shop vac (or the “shop,” which is really our cat’s home base), but I think it would make cleanup much easier.
I think like anything else, the more you do it, the more proficient and efficient you become. And you also charge accordingly. If you can’t charge accordingly, you don’t do it.
I used pocket holes. The wood wasn’t exactly flat on the edges, although the board was surprisingly straight, so it’s a bit warped, but I think it’s fine overall.