Need help with a sign!

[Sharon of the Dell]

I have a friend that asked me if i could carve a sign for her vacation rental.
As I have never done anything like this before, I need HELP!!!!

They have big slabs of walnut and would like it carved from that. The house has a covered porch. I told her if it hangs from the eve where it's exposed to the elements-rain, snow, hard freezes, etc., that walnut might not be the best choice.
I suggested that if they want it carved from walnut, that maybe attaching it on the wall under the eve by the door might be better- less exposure to the elements.
-So what do you sign carvers think?
-Should I suggest some other type of wood like redwood or cedar?
-Would the walnut work if sealed with properly?
Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
If this venture pans out, I'll be asking for more help!
Thanks!!!!

[Claude]

I'm a Scorpio, if that helps...

If they live anywhere close to you, I'd say redwood should be wood of choice - a couple coats of Redwood Rez and you're good for several years, then re-coat. We put redwood siding on the house my dad and I built when I was young and that's all we used.

But...if they insist on the walnut, then I'd suggest a good quality flat or satin oil-based polyurethane - this is the same stuff you can put on coffee tables so they don't show watermarks - and if exposed directly to light/rain, it would likely need re-coating annually (check the label on the can for outdoor use).

Are you hand-carving the letters, or using a router?

Claude

[mpounders]

I haven't did many signs, but my computer made things a lot easier than they used to be, as far as selecting fonts, spacing and transferring them to the wood. They make a kind of transfer paper also for transferring patterns to darker colored wood. Or you might try the transparent letter size mailing labels that would stick to the wood. In order to be profitable, I used a router for all my letters and then just carved a few details after relieving the background around them with the router. They turned out good and the customer's liked them, but it was more work than fun, for me!

[Paul_Guraedy]

I have lots of walnut available to me here, work with it a lot and will go a step further than Claude in saying that walnut is a very bad choice for a sign. It does not like the elements and even annual treatment might not be sufficient. Secondly, any carving on the sign will be almost invisible from any distance and would require painting for a good sign. If so, why walnut since the darkness of the wood is the feature most folks find interesting.

If they are insistent, many coats of a good oil-based poly would be the minium to consider.

I'm not a sign maker but would stongly suggest a wood more in tune with the elements such as redwood, cedar or cypress.

[Josef]

I have to agree with the others Sharon, Walnut just would not be suitable. Even if you placed it under the eves, the writing would be impossible to make out unless painted.

[Claude]

Sharon - just had another thought (second one today! ) If they have a small chunk of the walnut they can give you, flatten one side and carve a single letter in it, finish as suggested above. Show it to them and ask if that's what they really want, then suggest redwood or cedar.

Claude

[Sharon of the Dell]

Claude, I don't know what being a Scorpio has to do with it, but I sure got a good laugh from it!!!! GRIN!
Her place is way north east of here, closer to the Sierras.
I figured walnut wouldn't be to good for outside.
On the lettering, I don't know what kind she would want. Routing sounds like a good option though.

quote from Claude-
" - just had another thought (second one today! ) If they have a small chunk of the walnut they can give you, flatten one side and carve a single letter in it, finish as suggested above. Show it to them and ask if that's what they really want, then suggest redwood or cedar.""-----great idea!

Thank you Claude!

[Sharon of the Dell]

Sounds like a great idea Mike! Hope it ends up being more like fun than work. So far I'm enjoying drawing the design. Thank you!

[Sharon of the Dell]

Paul, thank you!
I think I will link her up with your comment and every one else's.
The idea of painting over walnut kind of makes me cringe! It's just to beautiful to cover up with paint and the up keep would be a pain in the butt!

[Sharon of the Dell]

Josef, I was thinking the same thing. it would probably look really cool up close and would be nice to touch, but from the street, it just wouldn't show up. Thanks!