Outdoor signs - wood and edge gluing

Projects
1

I’ve been looking at making some outdoor signs, but durability and edge gluing are leaving me hesitant.

I would imagine cedar, teak, redwood are probably the best species for weather resistance, but is anyone using other common types? I’ve read Titebond II and Gorilla Glue are ok for edge gluing for exterior use. Anyone have a preference or suggestions?

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I would defiantly look into using cedar

it is a beautiful wood and very element resistant

although cedar can prove a little tricky to cut make sure its not to green

you can also look into things like pvc plastic sheet it is a cheap material that you can find in alot of different colors

also something that you may want to look at is hdu foam cuts like butter holds amazing detail and if sealed properly it will last 2 life times

5

It sounds like Titebond III is the glue of choice then. My plan is to use 6" cedar boards, probably from Menards as they have the best selection of “clear” boards.

  • Edge glue to 18" square panels - planed and sanded
  • Stain with Behr Premium Weatherproofing All-In-One Wood Stain and Sealer for a variety of colors
  • Cover the surface in painters tape
  • Carve my design
  • Color fill with black or white Krylon ColorMaster
  • Top coat / sealer?
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personally I would not use blue painters tape

I would go a graphic supply store and get some high contact release paper you will have much better results with that

and a semi gloss poly will work great to seal

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It depends on the masking tape. I’ve had ok luck with some of the high tack blue kind. Frog tape was by far the worst. It all depends on how well it adheres to the surface. The only downside is it can gum up a bit. Citrus cleaner for cleanup is required.

This product looks interesting for masking as well: http://a.co/6zYjkjA
Liquid Frisket - looks like it’s used primarily for watercolor, but I’ve read it works with wood as well. Worth a shot maybe?

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for the size boards that you are looking to mask I think that this product will be eating all you profit

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for the size boards that you are looking to mask I think that this product will be eating all you profit

Certainly - there are others out there that appear to be more economical. Just trying to think out of the box.

10

Old fashioned varnish seems to hold up well in the weather, though may require a recoat every few years. It also blocks most UV light and will keep the wood from fading and graying as fast.

If you thin the first coat a little it will soak into the wood better.

11

I use cedar and then Cabots Spar Varnish. It’s very thick but brushes smooth. It does give the wood a deep Amber look, some have described it as honey.

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What do you use to seal HDU?

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Love this! Are there plans for this?

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I bought the Adirondack chair plan at our local Woodcraft store. It’s a Norm Abrahamson Design from This Old House Show. That’s the basic chair then I modified it to add the Michigan Lower peninsula. I edge glue five 1x6 Western Red Cedar boards together 27.5W x 31H. I iused a jig saw to cut out the arms and Michigan profile from the templates in the Woodcraft plan. I plan to take the templates to our local FedEx store and have them scanned so I can turn them into an acceptable format for Vcarve Pro.

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