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Finished sign, step by step....ish!

Chris Head

By Chris Head
in Working with Wood

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Chris Head Newbie

Chris Head

Posted
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It's about 55cm x 100cm, three boards 7 cm thick joined. Letters chalked on.

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v609/chrishead/DSC01055.jpg[/IMG]

Start by cutting around the outside of the chalk lines to the desired depth, really concentrate on not going too deep. The bar is at right angles to the surface. I use an airline to blow the dust away, there's no point cutting if you can't see where you're cutting.

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v609/chrishead/DSC01057.jpg[/IMG]

Next, with the bar horizontal and at 30 - 40 degrees cut up to the outline cuts, meeting the bottom of the outline cuts, don't OVERCUT! Again, blow/brush waste away often.

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v609/chrishead/DSC01058.jpg[/IMG]

Having gone around all the outline letters next is to remove all the background waste, I do this with a standard bar and chain. The technique is called 'fanning out'. With the underside of the bar fan the bar back & forth until the required amount of waste has been removed.

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v609/chrishead/DSC01059.jpg[/IMG]

Once all waste has gone from the background you're left with a rough looking sign.

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v609/chrishead/DSC01060.jpg[/IMG]

Next is to sand & texture. The surface is belt sanded and the sides of the lettering are sanded with a Dremel. The letters are defined using Dremel, hand and electric chisels, anything that'll shift the wood. The background is textured with an electric chisel fitted with a gouge. Last bit is oiling.

And the finished sign. It doesnt show up too well in the photo but it's for inside and I didn't want it too harsh.....and yes I know I need a haircut but Stephanie is away!

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v609/chrishead/DSC01066.jpg[/IMG]

 

Any of you can do this, the only real no no is to attempt to detail carve with a standerd bar and chain, IT IS BLUDDY DANGEROUS. If you're not confident with a saw don't go there, let me do it, for free.

I use specialist bars & chains which greatly reduce the risk and give me total control and accuracy (spot the not so deliberate mistake!?

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v609/chrishead/DSC01056.jpg[/IMG]

You could mount the sign in any configuration of frame to create something truly unique. I'd be more than happy to show anyone the process, or I've got all the equipment if anyone want's to do something special for their business or home.....no charge so I'm not profitting from this.

Happy weekend.

Chris

 

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powerdesal Newbie

powerdesal

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Ok Chris,

Lets get a bit silly here, :- The bar owner is a retired Foreign Legion

type who was seconded to serve as liasion with the US forces in the

Gulf. He never agreed with what they wanted ( who would) and was

labelled as 'that great intransigent Frenchman - G.I.F'. It amused him

so much that he adopted the name 'le GIF' and decided to have a sign in

his bar.

Any good????

ps The US forces would not have used 'great' but another 'americanism' beginning with G

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Jonzjob Newbie

Jonzjob

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[quote user="powerdesal"]Chris,
please dont tell me you did the tongue and groove joints with a chainsaw !!!!!!!!!!!

The highly specialised 'not so deliberate mistake' is obviously to prove you are fallible - non?

We still dont know the meaning tho.

Great looking piece of work - congratulations.

[/quote]

Hi Chris, I agree with PD. Lovely bit of wood too. I'm not so sue that it's toung and grooved though? I think that you've done a double groove with your trusty router and put a seperate tounge in. Not as difficult as a tounge and groove in a big bit-a-wood? And not so much waste, just have to make sure that the edges are straight...

You can do the same type of sign with a router. Going carefully round the outlines first and being very careful about not leaving an 'island' in the middle or the router looses it's (sorry Dick) its registration height for cutting. I have done smaller signs, but me router is only a smallish on with a 1/4 inch shaft!! I agree that you need to be a ble to see where you are cutting. It's bruddie anoying to get near the end of a project and then cut the important bit off..

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Bud Newbie

Bud

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I would guess at a loose tongue for joining the strips.

For sections of timber that size, remove the guard on a dimension saw, lower the blade to the correct depth,

and set the fence accordingly, for the loose tongue, use whatever ply is around (1/4").

For alignment measure of the face of the job.

By the way nice job Chris. Interesting work.

Edited, to add, looked at the first photo again, looks like a T&G joint!

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Chris Head Newbie

Chris Head

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As if I'd work for a retired 'Leggy' Steve, I do have some principals! And no, I'm not fallible, apart from putting the odd chain on back to front!

The joint is a 'slip' joint, a false tongue made from Oak, spot on John, I messed around for ages before I found a method that was just about 99,5% accurate every time,  fast to do and didn't require any investment in expensive machinery, it's so simple to do, as is all of my work, that you wouldn't believe it. I'll cover it fully another time. 

Dick I changed the apostrophe but could change it again? What's wrong with it? I've been looking at the thing for so long I can't see it anymore! I moved the 'e' in Le also, thanks Gay and shortened the tail on the 'L', cheers Cassis (are you still talking to me after the piggy piccy?)  No I'm not divulging until the job is done, it's a great project and the clients are worth seriously messing my schedules up for but, they're real fighters and I felt the need to stand four square beside them,  my other clients didn't mind having had an explanation, I just LUV my clients!

The time it took Louise? Dunno, time doesn't mean very much to me, time is as dirty as money, if you let it control you it'll show through in the work, for me the only thing that matters is having a clear conscience and looking my client in the eye knowing that I've given 110%....but most certainly it was completed within the day. I think it's OK, perhaps 7/10, I've learned masses from it.

Thanks for all the comments, Bud you sound like you're in the trade....are you a Yank?

Cheers, it's Saturday night (I think) and we can still get hold of booze Steve, the next one's for you!

Chris

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Missy Newbie

Missy

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>>>Cheers, it's Saturday night (I think) and we can still get hold of booze Steve, the next one's for you!<<<<

Eh Guys!!

I wish you were ALL here and Twinks and everyone...

There is a party on the site (camping site that is at my place)

OH has loads of his leatherclad biking friends staying for the weekend. One of the girl has a 30th b'day tonight.

Anyway... if you could HEAR THE MUSIC!! LED ZEP bombing accross the valley!!!

OH GUYS!!! put your tools down and gate crash! the beer is on them!!! ....
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Dick Smith Newbie

Dick Smith

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Right - the apostrophe. It's really a bit tricky without knowing what the sign means.

If it is an apostrophe of possession then something must belong to Gif, which makes no sense, so it would be wrong.

If it shows a missing letter or group of letters it is OK - as in Le Gif's being short for Le Giffards, but then I have problems with words which are plural (Les Giffards).

To complicate it even further the French language lobs in a random apostrophe in borrowed words like pin's, which in English is a plain plural (pins). There is a sort of rule for that, but I can't remember it... but whatever, Gif isn't an English word as far as I know, except as an acronym for the Graphic Interchange Format.

So really, you old carver, you need to explain it to us!

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Jonzjob Newbie

Jonzjob

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[quote user="Dick Smith"]Right - the apostrophe. It's really a bit tricky without knowing what the sign means.
If it is an apostrophe of possession then something must belong to Gif, which makes no sense, so it would be wrong.
If it shows a missing letter or group of letters it is OK - as in Le Gif's being short for Le Giffards, but then I have problems with words which are plural (Les Giffards).
To complicate it even further the French language lobs in a random apostrophe in borrowed words like pin's, which in English is a plain plural (pins). There is a sort of rule for that, but I can't remember it... but whatever, Gif isn't an English word as far as I know, except as an acronym for the Graphic Interchange Format.

So really, you old carver, you need to explain it to us!
[/quote]

Dick, as I used to say to my children (now 27 & 30) patience is a virtue, POSSES IT!!!! You ain't going to get an answer until chrisnet.head  is ready, so?

Don't forget the old war time saying about loose tounges Chris. They can cost lives, or is that another subject? This Jenlain beer helps me forget, but I can't remember what...

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Chris Head Newbie

Chris Head

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My instruction was taken directly from my clients, both of whom are French and can just about say Bye and Bye between them. I questioned their meaning and spelling and they explained to me at length, but to be honest I know nothing of grammar, English or French but I figure they know what they're talking about. Both are educated people. I'll introduce y'all later.

It will become clear Dick, and no I'm not having you on and YES your lame attempt at forcing my hand in advance of when I said I would divulge is rather obvious, I suspect your schoolkids might be just a little more naive(sp?)? HAH I ain't scared!

Took Dad to a resistance museum today, the sight of my father in a wheelchair shedding tears over the Jewish holocaust hit hard today, really hard. It happened, and in the timescale of mankind it happened just yesterday, Sarah was upset today also. The photo's were just awful. Sarah won't go to Oradour because she read a book about it leant to her by our neighbour and it affected her profoundly, I can barely even broach the subject to her now.  I want to see it and I think our my boys should see it, I think it might be too much for Dad though.  No I'm not drunk, I've been too busy cooking all evening and have to crack on first thing.

Chris

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Dick Smith Newbie

Dick Smith

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If you think your boys can handle it, take them to Oradour and explain it to them. It's character forming, quite honestly. I don't know about your father - I never push anyone into things like this (used to argue a lot with teachers on school trips - if kids or anyone else is uneasy, then they shouldn't be pushed. It's too harrowing sometimes.)

C'mon - let on! I learned this constant whining thing from my kids...

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