[AxlMyk]

Our Homeowners Association was wanting to get a sign for our road, and hired a local sign shop to do it.. Well, they screwed it up, we didn't pay for it, and they took it back.. Enter, me with my new router..

I decided to use cedar for the sign and got several 5/8 x 6" fence boards from Lowes garden center.. They were cheap, and cedar is easy to work with..

First, I fired up the computer and used Paint Shop Pro to design a 40"x24" sign..
I used a Harlow font, then printed the picture to 14 pages.. I trimmed and taped them together, and tacked them to the wood.. Next I traced the letters, filled in the impressions in the wood with pencil, and got to work with the router using a 1/4" straight bit at 3/16" depth.. I finished the lettering with a 1/8" bit..

For the larger areas I used a 3/4" bit and proceeded to make a heck of a lot of sawdust.. I did some chiseling and sanding to clean things up..

A little bit of Minwax Golden Oak stain for the letters and edges made them very visible, and I have to get to the store for some clear to protect the whole thing.. I hope to have it hanging on the sign posts in a couple days..

 

[AxlMyk]

Thanks for the cudos guys.. The next one will be the addresses.. The post office saw fit to send addresses 10 and 11 to one end of the street, and 20 and 21 to the other end.. With all kinds of mixing of the rest.. Good golly.. Makes for a real treat for delivery ppl trying to find a house..

I decided to give the lettering and border another splash of stain to make it a bit darker.. On some test scrap, clear polyurethane darkens the wood, so I didn't want to wash out the lettering.. I think it'll work out pretty good..

Bobj3, Sign-A-Rama wanted $250 for their sign.. I have about $30 invested in this one.. Although it cost me $700 to buy the power tools to make it..

 

[AxlMyk]

Now, I have the addresses to do.. Whoever assigned them must have a pea for a brain..

Rough draft: