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Thread: Wood slabs for reasonable price

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Seattle, WA
    Posts
    113

    Wood slabs for reasonable price

    I'm looking to make an outdoor sign to mark our property. I'm thinking of hanging a 48Lx36Hx2T slab of wood from a post and beam frame. I am trying to think of where I can affordably get a slab of wood to use for the sign. Any suggestions?

    I have thought about laminating a bunch of 2x4s or 2x6s, but concerned that once I cut them square they'll bend all out of shape and it won't work. Plus I need to figure out an outdoor glue that will withstand the elements.

    Looking for any other suggestions!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    San Francisco, CA
    Posts
    10,304
    Poke around on Craigslist. For Sale/Materials... use Slabs as your search term. In my area, I'd find a half dozen semi-pro loggers trying to sell me redwood slabs of that width and thickness, at reasonable prices. The wood is likely to be green, which is okay for your exterior sign.

  3. #3
    I have made several from cedar 2x6s...I use Tightbond 3 and when I rout them, I paint the letters and numbers then marine poly the entire thing with about 7 coats, Lasts about 4-5 years before needing to be re-done.
    Texas Red's Sawmill
    Kelly Hanna Woodworks
    Elmo [East of Terrell], Texas

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Issaquah, Washington
    Posts
    1,320
    Greg,
    Please clarify your criteria, the title states "slab" but then you talk about 2x4s and 2x6s which would indicate laminating. There are a number of places selling slabs in the greater Seattle area. Crosscut in Seattle has a fair selection of slabs and Woodcraft in Georgetown has a small selection, Craigslist (materials) has several listings for places with a wide variety of slabs.

    If you are laminating I would recommend West System epoxy and cedar.

    Regards - Bill

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Seattle
    Posts
    549
    Hi Greg,
    Wild Edge Woods in Oso has a huge selction of slabs--cedar, maple,walnut, lots of other local woods. They have a large belt sander to mill finished thickness as well. I just completed a big NE waterfall desk, console table, and bookcase from two 16' X ~36" X2" walnut slabs from them. I live in Edmonds and it's a 40 min. drive. Well worth the trip and they are very reasonable and great guys to work with. Say Hi to Bruce when you give them a call!!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Seattle, WA
    Posts
    113
    Regarding my criteria, I'm looking to either make or acquire a large chunk of wood that I can use as the backdrop for a sign. I'm not opposed to laminating if it would save on cost and the lamination variations would not be a distraction to the sign.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Central North Carolina
    Posts
    1,830
    A 48" X 36" X 2" single slab of wood, in any species, is going to be very heavy and very expensive, if you can even find a single piece that large. Most of the available woods will rot quickly if water gets into them, and they are very likely to warp severely when the Sun beats down on one side of them every day.

    I have made signs that have lasted very well from 3/4" pressure treated or MDO plywood with a 2 X 4 treated lumber frame around the edges that were initially primed and painted and then repainted, except for the sign letter area, every few years. Oil base exterior house paint was the choice for the paint and primer. Most have been lettered with vinyl lettering at a sign shop, but a few had hand painted lettering. Most of these signs were removed after just a few years, but some are over 10 years old and still looking like they will easily last another 10 or more years. I have a local privately owned lumber company near me that stocks a better quality and relatively dry treated construction lumber that I've used for these signs, so the signs have stayed flat both during and after the build without a single failure. The sign board itself is only 3/4" thick so the sign is much lighter than one made of 2" solid material so one made that size doesn't require a crane to install it. I wouldn't dare try making a sign from the dripping wet pressure treated wood that comes from one of the big box stores, but relatively dry pressure treated lumber, hand selected to be straight and with a minimum of small knots will remain relatively straight throughout it's life. I cut a slight hip bevel on the top of the top frame board and the top of the bottom frame board so water slides off of them well, and I miter the corner joints with a 3/8" thick spline. The plywood panel gets inserted into a 1/2" deep dado bedded in a layer of Poly Seam Seal rubberized caulking. Any squeeze out is removed after assembly. The mitered corners are also sealed with the same caulking, but the splines are also glued in using Titebond II. A few stainless screws are used wherever needed to keep the frame boards tightly attached to the edges of the plywood.

    Charley

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    So Cal
    Posts
    3,739
    I dont see what the problem is the last time my wife and I drove up the the Pacific Northwest you could swing a cat by the tail without hitting someone selling slabs of wood on the side of the road.
    Redwood,Cedar,Myrtle maybe is just me with my wood finder radar always scanning.
    I think a slab sign sounds great.
    Aj

  9. #9
    I made a sign for a neighbor, used Burr Oak, and had to glue up a panel as I had no pieces wide enough. Used Titebond 3 for the glue, and made up templates and routed the sign, painted the grooves white then used my ROS to clean up the paint.

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