posted
I read with great interest the post about redwood signs vs HDU. My question is this, what do you use on your redwood signs when a natural wood finnish is required. Do you seal it or leave the grain exposed to the elements. Here in Michigan we get 40 below to 120 in the summer. Thanks for any info.
------------------ Kevin L. Kleinhans Alma Signs (Signs Be Me)
Posts: 139 | From: Alma, MI USA | Registered: Dec 1999
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Hey Kevin. We have done alot of redwood signs in the past (now mostly HDU). We have found that a Marine Spar Varnish works well for us. Because we are in Phoenix AZ, the sun is always the major problem with clear coat finishes. Spar has a UV blocker in it and this seems to help. One tip, light coats!! If too much is applied the spar will wrinkle and look like*!%#. Go slow. We have spent alot of hours trying to fix wrinkles, because we were in a hurry. As far as how long does it last, we recently started giving a letter along with the signs (if they are left natural and clear coated) saying the customer needs to maintain thier signs. We tell them to clean the sign, and apply a new coat of the Spar at least once a year. This just might keep a guy from bringing his 8 year old sign back and want you to make it like new. (this has happened) Well good luck. Brad
posted
Hi Kevin, I'm about paralell with you on the globe and have pretty nasty winters here. The sun will actually kill your sign quicker than cold and snow. I have been using sikkens cetol for the last 5 years and have had nothing but good results. You have to give the sign a good 3 coats. The 1st you can pretty much slop on because the sign will soak it up, but don't let it pool or it will look crappy. Even if each coat looks dry before 24 hours is up let it dry for the full 24 hrs. 2nd and 3rd coats should be thinner. depending on how porous your boards are, you may need to put 4 coats on. Then your last coat should be their u.v. barrier. You will know when it is coated enough when it stops showing dull dry patches.
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Posts: 100 | From: north gower, ont., canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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Kevin, I'm in Michigans U.P. so our weather is like yours. I also like Sikkens Cetol but the redwood I get is so tight grained that the Cetol does not flow down into the grooves very well.
I've had great luck with Signlife stain. The color for a natural redwood look is sunset brown. I easily get 8 to 10+ years life from one coat. Its an oil stain so it flows down into the tightest crevices easily. Let me know if you would like a pic of this color e mailed to you. Someone else asked this question a while back and after e mailing him a photo he responded saying it was just the color he was looking for.
I'll tell you, side by side with several different clear coats, its always been my customers choice and its the easiest and fastest backgound coating I've ever applied.
------------------ Dave Sherby "Sandman" SherWood Sign & Graphic Design Crystal Falls, MI 49920 906-875-6201 ICQ: 21604027 sherwood@up.net
[This message has been edited by Dave Sherby (edited March 18, 2000).]
Posts: 5396 | From: Crystal Falls, MI USA | Registered: Apr 1999
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Did some blasted cedar signs last year & went with automotive urathane clear after I stained & guilded, marine spar takes so long to dry between coats. Sprayed five coats of urathane in a couple of hours, looked beautiful. I hate recoating spar every year.
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Posts: 965 | From: Bonita Springs, Florida USA | Registered: Feb 2000
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Azbrad, I make my own redwood "stain" for HDU by mixing fire red, shading black, & a little im. gold. Thin to stain consistency & add a little drier. It looks very natural.
------------------ SCP spurcell99@mediaone.net Cape Cod, MA
Posts: 900 | From: Cape Cod, MA | Registered: Oct 1999
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Brad I spoke with a rep that makes one of the popular HDU products and he said ANY paint or stain you use on wood can be used on HDU. I tried the coffee brown Signlife on a piece of HDU and it covered well and looked fine.
I haven't tried sunset brown on HDU yet but will be as soon as my Grain Fraim gets here. I have a golf course job where I'm making the tee signs look like natural sandblasted redwood.
Steve, I'm going to try your formula too. Can you give me an idea of the proportions of each color?
------------------ Dave Sherby "Sandman" SherWood Sign & Graphic Design Crystal Falls, MI 49920 906-875-6201 ICQ: 21604027 sherwood@up.net
Posts: 5396 | From: Crystal Falls, MI USA | Registered: Apr 1999
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I've offered two types of natural wood finishes. Marine varnish, which is high-gloss and requires regular maintenence; Popular for those wanting the "nautical" look of mahogany brightwork. We strip and recoat these every three years. Then there is the oil stain finish, which is done with the understanding that the wood will change color as it weathers. I've used SignLife, Penofin, and home-made stains for these jobs; my home-made stain for redwood is fire red tinted with black to the color I want, then thinned with Penetrol. I only do the marine varnish on mahogany carved signs, and not often, as it's an expensive and high-maintenance finish.
------------------ "A wise man concerns himself with the truth, not with what people believe." - Aristotle
When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. - Raoul Duke (Hunter S. Thompson)
Cam Finest Kind Signs 256 S. Broad St. Pawcatuck, Ct. 06379 "Award winning Signs since 1988"
Posts: 3051 | From: Pawcatuck,Connecticut USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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