Signs Never Sleep

Londonderry Fire Department Carved Wooden Sign

Here is a sign we installed for the town of Londonderry, NH just a few days before snow started flying in 2007.  When we dug holes the first inch or so was frozen up, but beyond that it was all easy digging (except for all the rocks!).

The "Fire Danger" portion of this sign has a changeable panel so the danger can easily be moved up or down as conditions allow.

One question I get asked alot is "How long does a sign last?"

A carved wooden sign like this should stand up to the elements for 10-14 years before anything at all needs to be done to it, (even longer if you don't mind it starting to look a bit ragged around the edges).  Every 8-12 years the sign should be completely repainted and re-lettered.  If a carved wooden sign is repainted and re-lettered, there is no reason it couldn't last for 35 years or more.

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Carving a Ski Sign: Part 5

Here is the ski sign completed and out of the shop.  Vicki painted the snow with a combination of blue and white, and was able to get a significant amount of detail in on the skis. 

We really enjoy doing custom residential signs like this as it is wonderful to think that something we made will become an integral part of a legacy of someone's home.  This sign could be the first thing a person sees after getting home from work each day, the signal to someone that has a vacation home that they have arrived at their vacation destination, or just a wonderful little reminder to a ski enthusiast that even though it is August 15th and 98 degrees, one day soon there will be snow again.

Those are the reasons that we make signs like these...

PS:  If you like this sign, and if you think a sign like it might make a great gift for someone, please email me so I can put your name on "the list".  I am going to develop a gift-sign program around a sign like this ("ski sign" is a very high Google search term in the world of signs) and I have wanted to be able to offer something very creative and unique for awhile now.  In the next few months I am going to develop a Gift-Sign program for a Ski Sign, and I will be sure to email the info out to you once I have it.

Carving a Ski Sign: Part 4

DSC01200, originally uploaded by SignsNeverSleep.

 

In this picture our ski sign has been "lettered".  If you think that hand-painting carved letters and consistently staying within the lines takes a certain amount of skill,.... it does.  I'm not the one who does it, it is usually Vicki or Michelle at this point, and we have plans to get some other people trained to do it as well... I have done it in a pinch...

For the lettering of our carved signs we use 1-Shot or (One-Shot) Paints.  These are the paints that every sign-maker has in their paint cabinet, and they are what we use whenever we hand-letter a sign.  The differ from the latex mainly because they have a smooth, glossy finish that levels out very well while drying, and they tend to be thicker so are easier to letter with.

We will need to hit the letters with 2 coats (as we do just about everything with at least two coats).  The background blue on the sign actually ended up getting about 3 or 4 until we were happy with it.

Carving a ski sign: Part 3

DSC01196, originally uploaded by SignsNeverSleep.

Here is the ski sign after it has been primed and painted.

The Sign Prime that we use is a water-based primer (we only use oil based primers when we are working with wood) and we are going to follow up the water based primer with a water based paint.

The paint that we put on the majority of our signs is a Latex Outdoor Acrylic Latex Paint, and is the best quality paint that we can possibly buy.  I would say the majority of signs (created in other sign shops) are painted with Oil-Based enamel paints, but Lincoln Sign Company has been using latex paints over 20 years with fantastic results.   There are signs that have been out in the field for 5-7 years that we have done that still look as if they had just been painted.  One of the things that we pride ourselves on as a company is creating signs that last a long, long time.

This sign is getting picked up on Friday, so the timing is going to work out perfectly.  Vicki will probably be going the lettering today, but she will probably paint the skis and snow first.  Hopefully I will post some pictures of that tomorrow.

Carving a ski sign: Part 2

OK, so this is what the sign actually looks like once we get into the process of carving it.  We use a computerized cnc router  to do all of our carving, and each tool-path used to carve a feature of a sign is fed into the software item by item, and then is sent to the router, item-by-item.

Now just because "a machine does it", does not mean that we sit back all day playing video games.  Creating a 3D model like to one for the skis takes about 2 hours (and that's not including the lettering toolpaths).
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Here is what the sign looks like after the lettering and in-line are carved.  We used a 90 degree V-Carving bit for this.
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And here is the sign cut out.  Now I need to do a bit of sanding, and it will be off to the paint-shop for this little guy.

If anyone has any questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments page directly below this article.

Now, I'm off to play video games........

Carving a ski sign: Part 1

Yes, I know... Ski season is just about over (but in case you are wondering, there is still great skiing up here, and we are actually going to Bretton Woods on Sunday, right Vicki?  you said we were going to!  There is no way I am raking and doing yard work instead, so just get that out of your pretty little head OK?!!!!!!  Raking leaves...  BAD   skiing at Bretton Woods...  GOOD)

OK     SkiNH ... there's my plug for late-season skiing

Anyway, this is a sign we are working on in the shop right now, and it is turning out to be alot of fun.  I wanted to create a carved sign for this family (it is a gift for another family that allowed them to use their condo for a vacation, or something like that) and I really wanted to create a sign that captured a "snowy" and "carefree" kind of feel.

The top image is, of course, the proof that I sent to the customer.

The image below is what the 3D model looks like in my modeling software ArtCam.  Tomorrow I will be sure to post pictures of the various stages of carving.

PS:  If you like this sign, and if you think a sign like it might make a great gift for someone, please email me so I can put your name on "the list".  I am going to develop a gift-sign program around a sign like this ("ski sign" is a very high Google search term in the world of signs) and I have wanted to be able to offer something very creative and unique for awhile now.  In the next few months I am going to develop a Gift-Sign program for a Ski Sign, and I will be sure to email the info out to you once I have it.

By the way,
as the ski season is just about over, here are some dreamy, skiing photos to keep those skiing dreams alive until next year.

Oh, and Vicki, just to reiterate, there is no way I am doing yard-work this weekend unless we go skiing for a half-day on Sunday...
and I want to cook on the grill on Saturday for lunch and dinner...

If anyone wants to meet-up to ski this weekend, just let me know (I am unclear if Vicki will make you do yard-work as well)

Making small carved signs for a walking path in Portsmouth, NH: Step It Up Seacoast! : Lincoln Sign Company

Here is a group of signs that we are creating for Step It Up Seacoast!, which is a health and fitness program for Portsmouth NH.  These are some pretty small carved signs, about 8" x 8", but they will look fantastic.

We will be finishing these up next week and shipping out around Friday, maybe Monday...

Beth, do me a favor and email me to let me know exactly where you want these shipped!
lincolnsign@lincolnsign.com

Thanks!

Korber House Sign: Completed Project

Here is the Korber Sign, completed and hung in our "picture studio" for one last snapshot before it is picked up by its new owner.

I was having a conversation with a friend the other day, and we were talking about websites and weblogs, and he asked me why I do the Lincoln Sign Company weblog the way I do (meaning "why do you put such an ungodly amount of time into it every day?")

There are actually, many, many, many answers to this question, but the answer I gave him relates to this sign that we just completed.  It is always a pleasure to make a sign for someone, and especially for something as personal as someones home.  I want to "remember the process" of making this sign, and I want the ability to look back at this sign, years from now, and see the little details about the process that I may have forgotten.  I also want that ability for any of the people who have, do, or will work with us at some point, to be able to take someone you care about to this little spot on the Internet and say "you see these trees?  I painted those trees".

That might sound like a small thing to some people, but it is my small thing...

Now, if you want to see the entire process of making this sign, and other projects like it, you can go to where we tell the stories of how we make our signs...

Korber House Sign: Gold Leafing a Carved Sign

Here is the sign just as Vicki was starting to gold leaf it.  Gold leaf is exactly what it says it is, very thin "leaves" of gold that have been pounded extremely flat (in fact, they are so thin that if you pick one up and rub it between your fingers, it will actually disappear as it is absorbed into your skin!)

Here we gently press the gold onto the "size" that we had painted on and it bonds to the size permanently.  People always ask us why gold leaf shines so brightly in the sun, and it is simple answer really.  What you are doing is taking very thin sheets of metal and putting them in an angled letter to allow the sun to bounce back to the viewer.

It the end, Vicki will brush away the extra gold (that won't stick to areas that there is no size), and the sign is finished.  (After we put the last coat of paint on the border!)

Korber House Sign: A carved sign ready for Gold Leaf

There is quite a bit going on in this picture.  The trees have been painted a few different colors of green, and the "sky" background has been painted a purplish-blue.  You might notice that the letters seem glossy?  That is because Vicki has just painted "Gold Size" onto the letters.  Gold size is a "glue" (not really, but we'll call it that) that will allow real 23K gold to "stick" to the carved letters.  I will talk about the actual gold leafing tomorrow

Oh, you might notice that there seems to be sand or powder all over the sign.  This is so the gold will not stick to the background paint when we leaf it.  I am guessing Vicki used baby powder for this sign, as she usually uses that, or a potato (the starch of the potato also can act as a "barrier" to keep gold from sticking)

Korber House Sign: Painting the border

Here is the sign right after Michelle put the first coat of paint on the border.  For the border of the sign we use 1-Shot or (One-Shot) Paints.  These are the paints that every sign-maker has in their paint cabinet, and they are what we use whenever we hand-letter a sign.  The differ from the latex mainly because the have a smooth, glossy finish that levels out very well while drying, and they tend to be thicker so are easier to letter with.

I think 1-Shot is the right call the paint the border of this sign, as it will give it a little bit of extra "zip".  We will need to hit the border with 2 coats (as we do just about everything with at least two coats).  The background green on the sign actually ended up getting about 4 or 5 until we were happy with it.

Korber House Sign: First Coat of background color

Last time we talked about this sign we covered the fact that we had already put a primer on the sign.  The Sign Prime that we use is a water-based primer (we only use oil based primers when we are working with wood) and we are going to follow up the water based primer with a water based paint.

The paint that we put on the majority of our signs is a Latex Outdoor Acrylic Latex Paint, and is the best quality paint that we can possibly buy.  I would say the majority of signs are painted with Oil-Based enamel paints, but Lincoln Sign Company has been using latex paints over 20 years with fantastic results.   There are signs that have been out in the field for 5-7 years that we have done that still look as if they had just been painted.

The color we are using here in what we call in-house "Dark Green" but is more specifically known in the shop as "Crylite-2-Pumps- Black".  It is the color all of us see when we close our eyes.  Yes, we do many, many, MANY green signs here at Lincoln Sign Company, but we do live up in the woods (Brown is a big color as well).  If we were located in California I am sure our standard color would be Fuchsia or perhaps Teal (Britta!). 

Korber House Sign: Carved and ready for paint

This is a sign we finished carving recently and I decided it would be a good sign to show all the different types of paint that we use and how we put it on layer by layer to create a finished carved sign.

The material we carved the sign from is called Everwood or high density urethane.  It is hard to explain what it actually is or what it feels like, and the best way to explain it would probably be to describe it as a super-dense insulating material.  It is a great material to carve with, as it is extremely uniform and will never "surprise" you the way wood will sometimes when you are carving.  It is a material that was specially made for the sign industry, and has been in use for over twenty years.

This sign is actually carved out of one piece of material.

After it is carved we use a primer call Sign Prime (imagine that!) that is specially made for this material that primarily helps the paint bond to it.  This sign was already painted with Sign Prime, and tomorrow we will start hitting it with some green...

South Peak Resort Lot Signs: The finished product

south peak resort lot signs, originally uploaded by SignsNeverSleep.

Here is the first of these signs to make it through the entire production process.  Originally we were going to go with one color of brown for both the letters and the border, but after getting into the actual painting process we opted to go with a dark brown for the border and a lighter, russet brown for the  carved numbers.  Worked much nicer with the overall coloration of the entire sign...

South Peak Resort Lot Signs: Carving a table-full of signs at once

We have quite a few of these lot signs that we need to do (67 in fact) and this is where having a computerized router-table like ours really shines.  We are able to cut 24 signs at a time using the router, and that is using 5 different sized and shaped cutting tools to get all of the angles and effects that we want.  How long does it take?  The total-elapsed cutting time is just about 4 hours, but figuring in tool changes etc the material is on the table for about 10 hours (some of the time it is just sitting there waiting for a tool-change as I am not going to run out immediately after it is done with a cutting tool, it can just wait, thank you very much)

Now, don't think all this technology makes our kind of sign-making effortless.  Remember, I probably worked on the cutting files for about 12 hours to perfect them and get them set up for all the different lot signs.  Still, it was nice to know that while I was out skiing at the Kanc my router was working on these...

 

South Peak Resort Lot Signs: Tweaking the digital cutting files prior to actual cutting

So if you ever wondered, this is the screen both myself and Lee stare at quite a bit.  This is the control screen for ArtCam Pro, which is the program that we us to control our CNC router.  It allows us to take simple line art, and tell our router to carve the line art with certain cutting tools to create shapes and angles.

 

this picture above shows the path that the cutting tool, in this case a 120 degree V-bit, will take as it cuts into the material to create that "20".  As you see, it is even showing us a "simulation" on the screen of what the finished product will look like, which is extremely helpful as you can imagine

 

The above view shows what will be the final toolpath that we will run, and this will be  the one that cuts the sign out of the material.

Here is what it looks like when you take a look at alot of toolpaths all at the same time (and this isn't even all of them!)

South Peak Resort Lot Signs: Prototyping a sign

Recently spent some time prototyping some signs.  This is the model for 67 carved signs we are doing for South Peak Resort on Loon Mountain and I spent about 3 and a half hours on doing this "prototype" from start to finish.

Most of that time was spent in the 3D modeling software that we use and planning how our computerized, CNC router was going to cut everything efficiently and cleanly.  Also, we spend some time watching the router cut and tweaking the speeds that it will be cutting at.  After to was done cutting, I was 88% happy with the result, and went back to the software to make the changes that I noted.  I was also glad that I consulted Lee on what he thought about the end result, as he suggested a tweak that is going to make painting these much, much easier.

I am planning and cutting a second prototype today (just to double check all the changes) and then I am probably going to set the router up to carve these over the weekend.  I think this project is going to make a good "Sign Story", so I will be updating you throughout the process.

Now, normally we do not create a physical prototype for every sign we do, because:

#1:  The 3D carving software that we use actually allows us to create a "virtual prototype" on-screen so we can see what a sign will look like after it has been carved

#2:  That would get expensive (just the material for this prototype cost about $15.00 (I know I am going to get a comment from Vicki about this))

The only time we are really justified in doing a prototype is when we are doing something radical we have never done before, or, we are going to be doing alot of them and want to make sure that we have gotten everything correct.

COMING TOMORROW
see the software we use to plan and carve these signs

The March of the Holiday Gift Signs: Part 7

DSC00008, originally uploaded by SignsNeverSleep.

So all of the Holiday Gift Signs are done, (except for one or two straggers) and we ended up doing 30 in all...

Not too bad...

I am shipping 3 of them out UPS today, and the rest are going to be picked up by local folks.

Thank you to everyone that ordered

The March of the Holiday Gift Signs: Part 6

OK

So all the gold-leaf has been done, and the backs have been painted.  We have also taken care of all the hardware that is going to be needed for handing the signs (note to self:  I need to come up with a set of instructions on how to install them)

Kristin and Vicki are pretty much spend the rest of the day cleaning the last of the gift signs up and getting them ready to ship.

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Vicki did get me a new camera so I am back up and running with incessantly taking pictures of everything.  I thought I was getting the same camera, but of course it has gotten smaller like everything electronic, and it is going to take some getting used to.  I can't wait for the "big electronic gadget" trend to hit.  I want a camera that it takes two hands to lift - much harder to lose and easier to work with.  I want a shutter button the size of a dinner-plate to press.  The new cameras shutter button is about the size of a ladybugs eye and my big, meaty paws are having a rough time finding it!

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Beware VORGOTH! - demon-god of the signshop!
he has cake, if anyone wants some...

The March of the Holiday Gift Signs: Part 5

Here is one of the first Holiday Gift Signs to be 100% completed (just about).  I think they look rather good once they are all finished.  The black borders all got painted yesterday, and the name of the game today is going to be going the gold leaf and painting the backs of the signs black.  Yes, believe it or not, we actually paint the backs of the signs last.  Don't ask me why, we just always have done it that way.  Would it make more sense to paint the back first, yep, you betcha, but old habits die hard.

Now, for anybody who has been following the progress of these signs on the weblog, I am "considering" doing another run of these in January for those people who said "darn, I should have gotten one", but I would really need 10 or 15 orders to make it worthwhile to do again.

So here's what I need to know, do you want one of these
These would be $75.00 each (smaller production run)

if you think you would get one, e-mail me at jdiles@hotmail.com

also, we will probably do a Holiday Gift Sign next year as well.  While we are on the subject, is there anything you would like us to offer as a "sign gift".  Leave me a comment

thanks in advance

The March of the Holiday Gift Signs: Part 4

DSC03645, originally uploaded by SignsNeverSleep.

Find the Holiday Gift Signs in this picture...  It is not hard, because currently they cover every available surface in the shop!  Seriously, you can't swing a cat in the shop without hitting a Holiday Gift Sign.  (Don't worry, we don't actually swing cats in the paint-shop, that's what the wood-shop is for as the Hydraulic Automatic Cat Swinger is too large a piece of equipment to fit in the paint shop.  We were going to get one of the smaller machines, but they just did not throw the cats far enough!)

anyway, I think the lettering on all the signs is complete, and there is going to be some serious painting of black borders going on in the shop today.  Remember, we are shipping these out on Friday

PREVIEW FOR TOMORROW
I guarantee I will not post any new photos.  As I mentioned earlier, my camera died and I am waiting for Vicki to run out and buy me a new one.  I am very lost without a camera (as I tend to take photos of just about anything almost incessantly)  Pretty much, if I don't take a photo of it and blog about it, it never happened.

NOTE:  I promise, as soon as I have a camera, I will take some action shots of the Hydraulic Automatic Cat Swinger in action!

The March of the Holiday Gift Signs: Part 3

Here are some of the Holiday Gift signs fresh off the router.  We will be spending the day painting them...

The march of the Holiday Gift Signs: Part 2

 

Here are some of the Holiday Gift Signs just after they have gotten a coat of primer, and their first coats of color (they will end up getting 3 coats of background color).  Just in case you were wondering, dark green and burgundy were the most popular colors (evenly split), there were two choices for Gray and no one wanted beige as the background color.  Will need to keep all of that in mind when we do next years gift signs!

I know that Vicki is working on getting the remainder of the designs for the signs finished, and I will be e-mailing them out to everyone by the end of the week.

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Currently it is snowing a bit here and about 20 degrees outside and very windy.  The weather gurus are saying that we may end up getting 5-6 inches on Thanksgiving day, which I would much prefer to rain. 

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Below is another photo that Connor took of people that work in the shop.  In this picture, Michelle is gold-leafing the letters that we installed not too long ago for the Viaggio Spa.

The march of the Holiday Gift Signs: Part 1

DSC03561, originally uploaded by SignsNeverSleep.

OK.  So it's almost Thanksgiving. Christmas is just around the corner, so that means that the deadline for the 2005 Holiday Gift Signs is beginning to breathe down our necks.

If you have ordered one, thank you very much, and one of the additional "gifts" we would like to give to you (and enable you to give the recipient of the sign, if you so choose) is the ability to "watch" your sign being created, step by step, here in our shop.

So, over the next three weeks, you will be able to check in (almost daily) and watch as these signs progress through the shop, and occasionally catch quick glimpses of your sign as well.  Here are the sign blanks after they have been cut to shape.  Lee just needs to hit the edges with some sandpaper, and then they will be making a trip across the yard into the paint-shop for priming.

We are producing about 30 of these this year...

Lee, I still need that list from you so Vicki can lay them out...

Short-Run custom labels for the Specialty Foods Market: Part-1

DSC02611, originally uploaded by SignsNeverSleep.

First of all, let me say that I am a big fan of Russell Farm Salsa, and I was eating it and a big fan long before we got the job to do their labels.  The salsa is produced right here in North Woodstock, NH, is hand-made in small batches, and is terrific.

I am going to be presenting a detailed number of posts in regards to the making of these labels, because I think Lincoln Sign Company can help many people in the specialty foods market and hopefully they will find this article and give us a call.

Kristin (who works in the shop) knows Carol (who makes the salsa) and mentioned to her that we sometimes do custom labels for customers.  Carol was interested in this possibility because although she currently has labels that she uses for her product, she was not entirely happy with them for a  number of reasons and was looking for a better way to get them produced.

Here are the issues that Carol was having concerning labels for specialty foods:

#1:  She was producing the labels herself on an ink-jet printer at home - and then cutting them out in a circular shape with a quilt cutter.  This was of course very labor intensive, and also pretty expensive when you consider how expensive printer ink is. 

#2:  She had a hard time getting colors to be consistent from label to label, which was very annoying

#3:  Her labels were not waterproof, and the color would run if the got wet

#4:  Her labels were very susceptible to damage and discoloration

#5:  The labels were just not giving her product the "polished look that she wanted"

#6:  Purchasing a large run of professionally printed labels was just too cost prohibitive, as she would have to place a VERY large order.

Lincoln Sign Company has a piece of equipment, in-house that solves all of the above issues, which I will talk about in the next installment of this article.