While every sign maker I know spends their time sanding and smoothing their signs I seem to be doing just the opposite. Most sign makers work hard to perfect their work bringing it closer to a machine made look. Instead I use machines and tools to make my signs and other projects look hand made. There are no straight lines in nature. Wiggly wins the day. I firmly believe a straight line (or smooth surface) is pretty boring most of the time.

One of the many projects currently under way in our shop is a farm sign. Its big and thick. To make it look even larger I used our die grinder to purposely introduce more texture. I wanted the sign to look hand hewn... and that it does. The texture grabs light and bounces it around making for a much more interesting surface - one pleasing to the eye.In the shot above I’m working on the top of the sign, but I didn’t stop there. I continued on to the back and the front surfaces too. The face of the sign is routed to simulate a sandblasted woodgrain. Even the letters are subtly textured. When I add the 23K gold leaf they will sparkle more than a flat surface ever would. The end result is a sign that instantly stands out from all the rest. Stay tuned for the next phases of progress on this sign.

-grampa dan