Make a Wood Sign for Your Property; No Wood Cutting Required!

You can make your own sign; no wood cutting involved!

You can make an attractive wood sign for your home, without having to cut any of the wood pieces! You can purchase the wood plaque, the wood letters and numbers, the paint, the glue, and the hardware; all you need to do is prep, assemble, finish and install on your existing inverted L-shaped sign-post.

Planning:
This article assumes that you already have a typical L-shaped sign-post (or other bracket from which to suspend your sign) already in place, from which to suspend your new sign. This sign will be readable from either direction.

Measure your existing sign suspension setup, to determine the best sized wood plaque to use as your sign body. Craft supply stores and some home centers or hardware stores carry ready-made wood plaques in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some are oval, some rectangular, some shield-shaped, some heart-shaped, and more. Think about the amount of lettering you will need to put on the plaque for your particular property (Oak Tree Haven, Hillside Farm, Meadowlark Manor, etc.); size the plaque accordingly. Note: Most of these ready made plaques are intended for flat mounting, and have one edge that is routed to a particular shape. The other edge is not routed. The sign can be made with the plaque as-is, or you can opt to re-work it yourself to be more symmetrical; i.e., routing the other edge, or sanding it all into a rounded shape. Some home centers or craft stores might even carry wood plaques with both edges routed; though I have never seen them at local stores.

Pick up your supplies:
You will need to visit your favorite craft store or home center where they should carry an assortment of plaques and letters and numbers; as well as the glue, paint or varnish, mounting hardware, and anything else you will need to complete your sign. And, no wood cutting required!

-Select your wood plaque: Using your planned dimensions, select an appropriately sized and agreeably shaped plaque.
-Select your wood letters and numbers: Again, based on size limitations and using your dimensions; pick two each of every letter and number to be applied to the plaque-sign. The wood numbers and letters are typically about 1/4" thick, which can give an attractive 3D look. These are also made in a variety of other materials, like plastic, aluminum and brass.
-Select your glue: You will need a good quality, exterior-capable bonding cement; there are many to choose from; read the labels to be sure it is suited for gluing the wood letters and numbers to the wood plaque for outdoor use. And, be sure it dries clear; it makes things easier!
-Select your paint or other finish: If you choose to spray paint, pick up 3-4 cans of the plaque color and 2-3 cans for your letters and numbers. If you will be painting the plaque a color (as opposed to clear), you should also get some clear enamel spray paint to seal the completed assembly. I like to leave the plaque natural, and spray it with clear enamel. Then, I like to spray the letters a contrasting color.
If you choose to stain the wood, don't forget to get the stain, thinner, brushes; and a compatible and weather-tolerant clear varnish or other top coat.
-Select your mounting hardware: Again, assuming your sign-post is the typical inverted L-shaped unit, and you will suspend your new sign from the horizontal section, get screw eyes, chain, and other items necessary and as applicable to your particular mounting scenario. For best results, use brass, aluminum or stainless steel hardware where possible.

Rework and sand wood items:
For best results, it is a good idea to sand any sharp edges on any of the wood items. The plaques, letters and numbers are usually left with slight burs; lightly sanding will smooth them out.

If you choose to re-work your plaque to make the edge more symmetrical, do that now. If you want to try duplicating the opposite side that is already routed, and you have the equipment and know-how, go for it.

Or, if you have a power sander, you can sand the whole edge down to be more rounded. Your choice!

Finish the wood items:
If you planned to stain any items, do that and set them aside to thoroughly dry. If you planned to paint any items, do that and set them aside to thoroughly dry.

For best results, apply spray paint in several light coats rather than fewer heavy coats.

Assemble the sign:
After everything is thoroughly dry, you can begin putting the letters and numbers onto the plaque to create your new sign. First, you should layout the letters on the plaque as a dry-run (no glue), to get them placed as you want them. Lightly mark (with pencil) each letter location with just a couple of tick-marks so you will be able to put them back in the same locations when gluing them.

Apply an ample layer of glue to the back of each letter and number, and put them back onto the plaque in the positions you marked for them. Press firmly so the glue squeezes out around the letters and numbers. Leaving the clear glue that squeezes out helps to protect the glued joint from weather and other elements; and, it only detracts when viewed very close up.

If you prefer, you can scrape away that excess glue from around each letter and number, but I opted to leave it, on the sign I made for our home recently.

When all letters and numbers are glued where they belong, place a heavy object (books, bricks) onto the glued letters and numbers and allow to dry thoroughly.
Once the glue is dry, repeat for the other side of the sign.

Final finishing:
For a final finish, I like to clear-coat the completed project, to give it a bit more weather and element resistance. For best results, you should use a clear finish that is compatible with whatever paints were used on the plaque, letters and numbers.

Clear enamel spray paint is fairly safe for most top-coating, but some paints might wrinkle; read the labels to be sure.

Install the new sign:
Once you've given the new wood sign all of its finishing touches, and mounted the screw-eyes into the sign and the sign-post as necessary, and cut the chain to the length needed, and opened up the chain-links or the screw-eyes and connected them together and squeezed them shut again; you have completed this project! Congratulations on a job well done! Enjoy your new sign for your home. And to think it was done without cutting any wood!

Tips & Warnings

• Plan, plan, plan!
• Measure twice, cut once (the mounting chain, that is!--no wood cutting required on this project!)
• Read and follow all manufacturers' instructions and guidelines for safe handling, installation, use, maintenance, storage and other protocols for all equipment, tools, and products.

Resources

• Quing-It - Your one stop source for product ingredient information!
• How to Spray Paint -- It's All in the Motions