Introduction: Handmade Sign for Bead Company
About: Most of what I build, make, or create are made of natural materials when ever possible. There is a whole world of interesting items that can be reused to create new useful things. "Do it yourself, if it does…
My wife and I opened a bead store recently in Nashville,IN. We originally were going to have the logo I designed sand blasted into a sign, to free up some time for me. Well as things work out I was destined to make the sign anyway. Because after hassle after hassle the sand blasting wasn't going to work. So off I go to get a new band saw and some more materials.
The sign is made of cedar boards. The background is two 2"x12" splined together at the edges. The lettering and necklace were make of rough cut ceder 1"x6". In an image editor I printed the sign to scale on multiple sheets then taped them together I then took the 1 x6's and cut them to length and laid four of them side by side. Bring out the transfer paper. Place it on top of the boards shiny side down and lay the stencil on top of that. Then I traced my design onto the boards. Once the boards are traced take them to the band saw. Now carefully cut out all of the lettering and necklace. The background board needs to be cut out. So lay your cut pieces on the board and trace the outer edge of the necklace on to the board. Then cut out the oval with a band saw or jig saw. I traced the whole design onto the background board so I could lay it out and glue easier. Then I did it all over again for the other side. For some beads I cut some of the wood balls in half and glued them onto the necklace. Then the whole thing was painted with a exterior paints. Everything was glued with waterproof wood glue and clamped.
The dragonfly was made of copper ground wire and wooden balls. I first drilled the holes for the body and head so the wire could fit through. In the top of the head I drilled a second hole on the edge of the center one. At one end of the wire I bent it over double about a 1/2" long. This recessed into the second hole in the head. I then threaded the rest of the balls on leaving a gap for the wings. I then bent the spiral for the tail and hammered it flat. The wings were bent using different socket wrenches for different diameters. when they were formed I carefully bent the ends around the center wire. This holds the head up and the tail balls down. I basically used the same methods for the jump rings and the bail that attach to the sign with two screws.
It was hung under the eave of the building with eye bolts and chain. There was a chain ran from the side of the sign to the building.
The sign is made of cedar boards. The background is two 2"x12" splined together at the edges. The lettering and necklace were make of rough cut ceder 1"x6". In an image editor I printed the sign to scale on multiple sheets then taped them together I then took the 1 x6's and cut them to length and laid four of them side by side. Bring out the transfer paper. Place it on top of the boards shiny side down and lay the stencil on top of that. Then I traced my design onto the boards. Once the boards are traced take them to the band saw. Now carefully cut out all of the lettering and necklace. The background board needs to be cut out. So lay your cut pieces on the board and trace the outer edge of the necklace on to the board. Then cut out the oval with a band saw or jig saw. I traced the whole design onto the background board so I could lay it out and glue easier. Then I did it all over again for the other side. For some beads I cut some of the wood balls in half and glued them onto the necklace. Then the whole thing was painted with a exterior paints. Everything was glued with waterproof wood glue and clamped.
The dragonfly was made of copper ground wire and wooden balls. I first drilled the holes for the body and head so the wire could fit through. In the top of the head I drilled a second hole on the edge of the center one. At one end of the wire I bent it over double about a 1/2" long. This recessed into the second hole in the head. I then threaded the rest of the balls on leaving a gap for the wings. I then bent the spiral for the tail and hammered it flat. The wings were bent using different socket wrenches for different diameters. when they were formed I carefully bent the ends around the center wire. This holds the head up and the tail balls down. I basically used the same methods for the jump rings and the bail that attach to the sign with two screws.
It was hung under the eave of the building with eye bolts and chain. There was a chain ran from the side of the sign to the building.