A customer came in yesterday and ordered a sandblast sign 10'x20''. My usual supplier quit handling redwood except w/fingerjoints. My next best supplier can't get any and the last ones I ordered from my third supplier were really inferior stuff(one was split about 4' down the middle and another was bowed like a ship's keel and crooked as a dog's hind leg). Ordered some blanks one time and they assured me that they used good glue but they didn't alternate the grain when laminating the boards (very important). Needless to say, they warped badly so I'd rather laminate my own. If anyone knows of a good place to get clear all heart v/grain redwood or heart B vertical grain(love those knots) I would Greatly appreciate it. Thanks
------------------ Wayne Webb Webb Sign Studio,Inc. Blastin' "woodesigns" in Chipley, FL "autograph your work with excellence" webbsignstudio@digitalexp.com
Posted by Don Coplen (Member # 127) on :
Wayne...the best and most consistantly high quality source i've ever known for clear, vertical grain all heart redwood has been roethele lumber in fort wayne, indiana...ever last stick of redwood there is perfect...bein in florida, don't know how much of a help that is to ya...but answer to your question
------------------ Don Coplen aka GatorMac Coplen Designs St.Petersburg, FL dcoplen@mindspring.com
Posted by Raymond Chapman (Member # 361) on :
My source for redwood now is Himes & Starr in Dallas. They glue up only clear, all heart vertical grain in either redwood or cedar. So far I have had no problems with warping or separation of the glue joints. 1-800-498-4301 or www.redwoodsupply.com.
Panels come in 24", 36", and 48" in whatever length you need.
The panels are sanded and ready to blast. Come shipped in a plywood box - they pay the shipping. Of course, you are paying but it is included in the price, which is not cheap, but an easy way to have a blank without all the mess.
For most of my dimensional work I now use HDU except when I have to match an existing panel, there is a possibility of little hands nearby, or the customer demands it.
------------------ Chapman Sign Studio Temple, Texas rchapman@vvm.com
Posted by Brad Funk (Member # 1351) on :
In the past i have also ordered from Himes/Starr redwood in Texas. I wasn't too happy with the blanks i got from them. The blanks were edge glued nice, but there was no care in selecting what boards go together. Having one board in the middle with very wide grain, sandwiched between two boards with extremely close grain, or vice a versa. The signs i made with this wood had alot of copy, the strange grain pattern made these signs difficult to read. (I was surprised my customer didn't complain). Recently i have ordered some old growth redwood from Pinnochios in California. They use only naturally fallen redwoods, and recover from rivers and streams. The cost + shipping will make you quite the SignFoam salesman, like most of us have become. If it has to be redwood, i prefer to glue up my own blanks. Good Luck in finding some nice wood.
