V-carve sign option

[brucehiggins]

I have made some v-carved house number signs out of select clear pine, primed and painted w/ rustoleum hammered on paint (thanks again Ed Lang), v-carved and then applied a couple of coats of marine spar varnish to the whole sign. The golden hue of the varnish over the pine contrasts well w/ the paint - no masking needed. Great result for the effort. Any opinions on how well this will hold up to the elements?

Bruce

[ernie_balch]

Varnish is good in the shade, but won't last 6 months in full sun. Been there --- done that.

ernie

[sawdust535]

Pine itself does not hold up to the elements well. However, if properly primed, painted and finished with a spar varnish, it should be okay. The end grain needs to be sealed well. Let that primer soak in.

[joe]

Nope, I'm with Ernie.

Any paint or varnish which dries hard will crack. Spar varnish will show failure within six months. Boat builders are the fellows to watch.

There are some very attractive stains made for the log cabin homes. One of those is Sickens. We us it all the time and lasts for years.

Pine will hold up well outdoors but it is a sappy wood. Which means a primer coat of Kils, Zinzer or any alchohol based primer is necessary to capture the sap and keep it from showing through the paint. I like any good latex paint. It's flexable enough to stay put.

[donchapman]

Joe and Earnie are right. I've seen lots of spar varnished double faced signs where the shaded north side looked great after six months but the sunny south side looked awful. UV penetrates the varnish and breaks down the wood and the wood/varnish bond from the inside out according to the US wood products researchers.

On big cruise ships they have several workers who do nothing but refinish the spar varnished mahogany railings. They never finish.

I tell all my customers that if they insist on a varnishd sign in the sun, expect to refinish it at least every year.

Unfortunately I've found no good substitutes for varnish other than (1)oiling the wood (which is less difficult to repply) or (2) suggesting the customer learn to love the gray of naturally weathered wood.

[donchapman]

Sorry about the Earnie, Ernie.

[billp]

One trick that helped us keep from having to re-varnish tall wooden masts in the Florida Keys was to start by mixing up some epoxy, and then thinning it 50-50 with Xylene ( I know, I know, it's incredibly evil stuff....)We would then paint the now thoroughly nasty mix onto the wood. Because the xylene thins the epoxy very much the epoxy flows INTO the pores of the wood. The xylene then evaporates so your epoxy mix is now IN the wood fiber.
We'd then just surface sand the epoxy, put on a few coats of a good marine varnish ( with a real UV filter) and we could get over 5 years in the Florida sunshine without having to re-coat anything. Varnish needs a stable base, and epoxy needs a UV filter, so it's a symbiotic relationship that works well...

[joe]

I'm amazed!

Bill is back. One of our heros'

[knight_toolworks]

You can buy epoxy for restorations that will really soak in without mixing. been wanting to try it.

[rc_woodworks]

I am a few months late, but I make my signs with reclaimed old growth redwood and finish them with Hood's product Hydrocote, Polyshield gloss. It comes in satin and semi gloss too. www.hydrocote.com (http://www.hydrocote.com)

It is not cheap about $50.00 a gallon, but it is very easy to use. I spray it on, but can be brushed too. It is very forgiving and dries fast. It is waterbased and clean up is easy.

It has an UV inhibitor and I have had good results with it in the snow, rain, hot and cold weather. However the only problem I had was from direct wind. I live in northern Calif. and the wind always blows. I have refinished a double side sign after 2 years and one side got all the wind it peeled. The other side was good.

I usually spray 3-5 coats depending on how much soaks in. Oh it does not require a sealer first, the first coat will be the sealer and no sanding between coats is required. Plus it does not yellow or discolor white lettering

I have had good results with it, but like all clear finishes the more weather it gets the more it wears.

Rick

[dandan30]

I sugest tha you used cedars next time im frome quebec and making wood sign only it is very goog stay for ever dont put varnish on your sign only boats primer and paint if you absoly want to put clear take epoxy clear end dont be cheap on the clear

[pappybaynes]

I have used spar urethane on signs and canoe paddles with great results.

[joe]

Fellows,

It could be a question of where you live.

One excellent option I've found is a "Log Siding" stain made by Sickens.

Bruce, since your coming to my workshop, remind me and we'll coat out some cedar.

Joe
www.normansignco.com/workshop.htm (http://www.normansignco.com/workshop.htm)

[brucehiggins]

Joe,
I have used the Sikkens log cabin stain per your recommendation and it seems like a great product.
I have also had two wooden boat owners recommend Smith & Co penetrating 2 part epoxy sealer as a base coat for marine spar varnish. They swear it holds up very well though needs a light sanding and another coat of varnish every few years. http://www.smithandcompany.org/mwp/HowUse.html
Bruce

[rc_woodworks]

Joe is right, I can get old growth redwood where as I wouldn't buy cedar Canada! One the cost would be high and the other I don't like cedar!

As forth to Hydrocote I buy it directly from the manufacture in New Jersey. I just thought I would share this finish. It has worked for me, it dries fast and gives a plastic coat like epoxy. The problem with epoxy is the sun fades it and it takes too dang long to dry. Not to mention the continual need to check for bubbles and cleaning the excess out of those deep recessed letters!

Rick