Finishing Rough cedar

[joe]

Greetings Artists,

I'm very fond of Rough Cedar but I know it has a few limitations. This wood will move and open up with time. Knowing this I design the flaws in mind. It only cost about $2. a board foot. For us down here in Okla. it's available at most lumber yards. I love all the knots, splits and cracks. It's this inherant rough look I'm selling.

The Elephant Pavilion sign was made with 2"X12" planks. This panel scaled to 6'x16'. It weighed in excess of 500 lbs. Signs this size take extra help while in the shop. For that reason they are not as cheap as smaller signs. The OKC Zoo requested HDU. I knew the setting and it called out for rough lumber. A smooth surfaced material just wasn't the look I was after. The letters are pocketed Extira while the graphics are PVC and DiBond. The flower peddels were cut from 1/4" pvc and shaped with a propane tourch.

My favorite natural finish is several coats of Sikkens. I use three different colors. They are applied and blended seperately for extra depth. Owners of ranches like the natural wood look. I want these to last for years so I apply several coats. Five or six isn't unusual. I like blending with wet on wet. You can't make a mistake, it's that forgiving. As you apply extra coats of Sikkens it will get glossy in spots. I'm not fond of that but it's the territory. That goes away with time. I use their SRD version.

One little hint: When I begin routing, I go around all the letters and small details with a 1/8" down spiral. My first pass it about 1/8" deep, ending up at .40. After that, it's a fast hog out of the background with a 1/4" bit full depth. The rougher the better. Turn her loose, while you go have a hot cup of coffee.

Happy routing.

Joe
www.normansignco.com

[marysvillesign]

Thanks for sharing Joe. Trying out some yellow pine now. Anxious to try some of these tricks with it as well.

[dlcw]

Joe,

Excellent advice on the 1/8" spiral to sharpen up the letters. I've done several signs with cedar and love it too. I also did a solid cedar coffee table with 3D carving into the surface and it turned out beautiful. Granted not an outside project, but arm-r-seal really made the color and grain pop in the wood.

Great job on the signs!

[kevin]

Joe thanks for your time in your posts I hang on to evey word

I think after so many years I know it all.But when I look at your work I feeel like a 20 year old kid first day on the job

Joe what happened to retirement ?

[joe]

K,

Thanks for the complements. I'm not working very much now. I wander down to my friends shop and knock out some stuff.

There are so may experiments I want to work on. One would be to make grave stones for animals. That would be lots of fun and lots of rewards too. And I have some new idea's for horse ranches I'd like to work on.

I've limited all my work to exhibition pieces. If a job isn't portfolio worthy I'll refer the work on. My trusty assistant, Ron, has his own CNC and opened up his own businss. He's much better with the CNC than I am. He's a programer and technical guy and I'm the artists. We sometimes work together.

Joe

[blackhawk]

Joe - Thanks again for putting this good info out to us, keep it coming. I am in Virginia and WRC is very hard to find. The closest place to me that stocks it is 2 hours away and the price is about $3.25 per board foot.

The one thing that gives me trouble milling WRC is where narrow edges break off. The sign in your pictures has some pretty narrow portions. Any secret to keeping those areas from chipping off during machining?

I am sure any old growth cedar will be much more dense and stronger. I could just be getting all the young trees at my lumber yard. I have tried all types of cutting strategies, but to no avail.

Thanks

[joe]

Brad,

Our cedar is wet and crude. A 2"X8" board is just that size and roughly cut. I'd be happy to use other rough cut lumber. I'm sure there are lumber mills near by where you could get simular planks.

I just found a supply of rough cut white oak. Man, I love that stuff. It's been cut with a blade, as opposed to a band saw, m, which leaves plenty of saw marks. I could make good money with this wood except it's way too heavy for me to handle.

Wish I could find wood that was all knots. That would have real possabilities. Tomorrow Ron and I will install the ranch sign. I'll post a photo or two.

Joe

[curtiss]

Joe,

Have you filmed a pilot for this show yet ?? You could do charcoal fence posts one week and more signs and Shopbot stuff the next...

I would think you would have about 50 years worth of material.

[joewino]

Crumley on TV - now that would be a treat. Knowing Joe, he would probably be surrounded by a bunch of young ladies. I'd say "Go for it, Joe".

[burchbot]

Crumley on TV - now that would be a treat. Knowing Joe, he would probably be surrounded by a bunch of young ladies. I'd say "Go for it, Joe".

I Can see the intro. now. Joe is going to kick sign making up a notch. BAM !!!