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I am in the process of making a house number for friend of mine, mainly as practice with HDU and gold leaf. The four numbers are not quite five inches high, and I cut out of a 3/4" SF2 sample. I probably violated a rule for thin serifs. These will be placed in an oval composition. I used rasps and sandpaper to shape them, and now they have two coats of Sign Prime. I have been trying to sand out all the little imperfections, which is taking forever! So far all the sanding has been by hand. It sure is hard to get into the corners. Does anyone use a detail sander for this? Is there a faster/better way to do this? Just curious.
My mind wanders. And that's not a good thing, 'cause it's too small to be out there alone. Posts: 3129 | From: Tooele, UT | Registered: Mar 2005
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posted
it looks good from my house. you'll be putting a coat or 2 of one shot or some kind of paint on them plus the size before you gild so that will help...otherwise there's always those plastic gemini letters that are "perfectly smooth" and you can gild those. honestly i think they look fine.
-------------------- Karyn Bush Simply Not Ordinary, LLC Bartlett, NH 603-383-9955 www.snosigns.com info@snosigns.com Posts: 3516 | From: Bartlett, NH USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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posted
Only 2 coats? 2 more will get you closer, but you might try using those scotchbrite scuff pads instead. They wont be as harsh as using sand paper & lesser degrees yield a better finish.
-------------------- Bill Cosharek Bill Cosharek Signs N.Huntingdon,Pa
bcosharek@juno.com Posts: 705 | From: N.Huntingdon, Pa, USA | Registered: Dec 1999
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I have two coats of primer to this point, but I planned on one more. It's taken two coats to get rid of most of the tiny holes and scratches. The amount of time invested in sanding is what prompted my question.
Since the numbers will be viewed from the street, it may be overkill to have a perfectly smooth surface. But, I don't want someone to walk up to it, and say, "Hmmm, from the street it looks pretty good, but up close, it's got issues".
My mind wanders. And that's not a good thing, 'cause it's too small to be out there alone. Posts: 3129 | From: Tooele, UT | Registered: Mar 2005
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posted
Take a hammer, beat 'em up and call it rustic! Save on sand paper too.
Good luck and you did a good job on forming them!
-------------------- Chuck Gallagher Pro Graphics Signs by Design Cabool, MO 417.962.3291 "I grew up in Letterville" Posts: 776 | From: Cabool, Mo. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Russ, what grit of sandpaper are you down to? Are you using the wet/dry stuff? I'm having the same issues with HDU and experimenting as I go. Might give the Scotchbrite pads a whirl, see how that goes.
posted
Thanks to each of you for the comments. It sounds like I'm overkilling. I did apply another coat of Sign Prime, and the numbers are much smoother after sanding this time. I started out sanding with a 3M 100-grit sanding pad, but it seemed to leave deeper grooves than I wanted, so I switched to 220 grit in a canvas-backed sandpaper. I think the 220 is fine, but after my 3rd coat of primer, I experimented with 320-grit wet/dry and the letters are actually starting to take on bit of a shine.
I decided to show a picture of the tools I have used (minus the scroll saw):
I got the most use out of the riffler file with the two flat pointy ends. I also used the sanding spindle tubes (100-grit) for the insides of curves - by hand of course. The spindles worked great, and didn't seem any worse for the wear after doing the numbers. I never did try scotchbrite, but I may on something else.
I applied the primer with the small synthetic brush and I used the little Olfa knife to trim down a couple of places where the primer pooled in the tight corners.
If there are better ways of doing this, I am open for suggestions. Bigger numbers would be much easier I've decided. Too late.
My mind wanders. And that's not a good thing, 'cause it's too small to be out there alone. Posts: 3129 | From: Tooele, UT | Registered: Mar 2005
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Joe, I would be open to any suggestions you might have. I got all the numbers cut at one time, and then I next did the carving on all the letters, and then started on the finish. I don't remember having a particular order, but the 4 was last on each stage because it was the most difficult. I think I started with the 8 because it looked like the most fun.
My mind wanders. And that's not a good thing, 'cause it's too small to be out there alone. Posts: 3129 | From: Tooele, UT | Registered: Mar 2005
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posted
We use the Sign foam primer on 15# Hddu all the time. Before we prime I sand it with 220 grit, vaccuum, blow off the rest of the loose stuff with a compressor, then tack cloth it, 2 coats of Sign form primer. I sand with 220 between coats. I then sand with 320 wet/dry before putting on the 2 caots of 1 shot. Using the 100 grit will open up the cell structure. To get into tight spaces, we have used emery boards that women use for filing their fingernails, or get some sanding sticks from Wood Workers Warehouse.
Diane
-------------------- Balch Signs 1045 Raymond Rd Malta, NY 12020 518 885-9899 signs@balchsigns.com http://www.balchsigns.com Posts: 1735 | From: MaltaNY | Registered: Jan 2000
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So much for that theory...... I wonder now what prize I missed out on?
First, I would mark the return on all the letters.....a carpenters compass would work pretty good for that purpose. Then, I would prime the back of the letters....one coat. This will capture all the dust on the back surface. Then I would apply double face tape to the backs and secure all of them to a piece of scrap MDO or masonite, leaving a good amount of space between them. Then I would mark the centers. Then I would "carve" all 4 at once.....using each tool wherever I could before setting it down and picking up the next. This could save a lot of time (I don't make any money picking up tools and laying them down ) However, this method won't allow me to use the tools in a downward direction....the backing gets in the way. So, my carving motion will have to be side to side along the edges of the numbers. This does have a benifit though. It sould be easier to keep my bevels flat....avoiding the protruding belly. Actually, the fastest way is to use a pen knife to carve the bevels....much bigger chips than filing and sanding...but of course that's another skill that would need to be practiced. I would then just have to sand a little to smooth it all out.
Prime and finish as suggested in the above posts.
Just a suggestion.... hope it's helpfull.
Joe, Makin Chips and Havin Fun!
-------------------- Joe Cieslowski Connecticut Woodcarvers Gallery P.O.Box 368 East Canaan CT 06024 jcieslowski@snet.net 860-824-0883 Posts: 2346 | From: East Canaan CT 06024 | Registered: Nov 2001
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Diane, thanks for those suggestions. An emery board would work perfectly for getting into corners.
Joe, the part about a "return" and a carpenters compass flew right over my head. I need some help understanding that concept.
As for carving with a knife rather than files, I can see your logic. I started experimenting with cutting implements (mill knife, Olfa knife, small pocket knife) and got good results. A clean cut with a blade produces no scratches to sand out. I had also not considered securing the work to a board. I will give your suggestions a try on the next project I attempt. Thanks very much for your input.
My mind wanders. And that's not a good thing, 'cause it's too small to be out there alone. Posts: 3129 | From: Tooele, UT | Registered: Mar 2005
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The return is the vertical surface that extends from the lower edge of the bevel to the bottom of the letter. If you looked at a cross section of your letter it would look like the profile of a house.....the bevels would be the roof and the return would be the walls. To achieve this, a paralell line should be drawn around the wall of the letter as a guide. A compass, in this case, would be used like a marking gage to draw this line.
I don't know how clear this is but It's my best shot.
Joe, Makin Chips and Havin Fun!
-------------------- Joe Cieslowski Connecticut Woodcarvers Gallery P.O.Box 368 East Canaan CT 06024 jcieslowski@snet.net 860-824-0883 Posts: 2346 | From: East Canaan CT 06024 | Registered: Nov 2001
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My mind wanders. And that's not a good thing, 'cause it's too small to be out there alone. Posts: 3129 | From: Tooele, UT | Registered: Mar 2005
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