Advice on wood sign for lake house

[Tim Thomas]

My parents bought a lake property recently and most of the homes in their neighborhood have wooden signs out front, similar to the image I have attached. I would like to make a sign like this for them, but I have no experience in that kind of thing. I should have all of the tools I need (planer, jointer, router, sanders) and I have a router bit that should do a decent job on the lettering. What I'm not sure of is what wood I should use and what type of paint.

I am lucky to live near a very nice lumber yard so I can get pretty much any species of wood. I've heard that white oak, cypress and cedar all do pretty well in an outdoor environment. Since I am just making the one sign and it won't use much wood, the cost of the material isn't as important to me as the longevity of the sign.

As for painting/finishing, I'm not really sure what would be best. I have seen a technique for painting the carved letters using black spray paint and then planing or sanding the sign to quickly remove the overspray. If I were to paint something using multiple colors though (like the fish on this sign) I don't know what to use. Could I get away with acrylic art paints if I put some kind of clear coat over the whole sign after that? Polyurethane or spar varnish, something like that?

And so, venerated sign-makers of the Creek, I turn to you for advice. If you were to make a sign like the one pictured here, how would you do it?

[Joe Pelonio]

I have done a lot of that kind of sign, mostly sandblasted but it's
the same for routed. The best is redwood, if you can find it, here the best we have readily available is Cedar. You need to use dry, clear heartwood, unless for some reason you want knots.

The best paint to use with no clear over it is one-shot which is made for the sign industry and only available at sign supplies to sign professionals, but you may find it online. That stuff levels beautifully and lasts forever. If you can't get some (btw it's not cheap) then acrylics will work with a compatible clear coat over it, but don't expect it to last as long. Krylon clear is great but test it first on some dry paint of the kind you are using. Sometimes a clear will craze/krinkle the color paint under it. I like natural wood (or stain) background with color lettering/graphics, and with the one shot I paint first, then when the colors are dry, sand to remove any "boo boos" then stain and clear. If you catch any runs of the stain they will wipe right off the dry one-shot.

[Tim Thomas]

Thank you Joe. I know I can get my hands on some cedar, but I will look around for some redwood too. It looks like I can get One Shot from several different online retailers so I may give that a try, but if it is too pricey I'll just go with Krylon black for the letters and Krylon clear over the rest of the sign.

Thanks again for your advice, it is really nice to get guidance from someone who has done this a lot.

[Scott Shepherd]

You can buy very small cans of 1-shot. It's an amazing paint. Can't even begin to compare it with craft paints. You can paint a line with it, come back, and it lays flat and smooths out as it dries. It'll end up looking like someone did it professionally.

Super nice stuff to paint with.

[Jerry Olexa]

cedar will work and Joe has given good advice above...

[AL Ursich]

Clear Pine Signs work for some too, depending on your budget.

Then you tie the Sign into a Quilt Rack or wine Rack for the house. The Quilt Racks also work as a fishing rod holder....

So you start with the wood sign then a quilt or fishing rack, wine rack and clock...

I shrink wrap some signs for delivery.

AL

[AL Ursich]

The other side of the signs are simple painted signs.... I do this style in a 5000 home development.

AL