Back in the day when I first began fabricating dimensional signs (1984) we used clear edge grain redwood. I stuck a rubber frisket to the glued up wood, then hand cut the lettering (after laying it out by eye). I would then don a heavy canvas suit and sandblast the wood to reveal raised lettering and beautiful wood grain. The frisket would often blow off, and it was tricky to get an even blast pattern. Blasting was not nearly as much fun as cleaning an oven - especially when it was warm outside. These days it is impossible to find clear, edge grain redwood - if I could afford it. Instead we use 30 lb, high density urethane. The layout and computer files are done digitally, then sent to our trusty MultiCam CNC router. Routing the complex, detailed files isn’t a quick process, but the machine works extremely well on it’s own with only the occasional check to make sure everything is proceeding as planned. The result is amazing and once painted and glazed will be hard to discern it isn’t the real thing. The only constants from days of old are the imagination and skill required to design a good looking sign and the skill to paint it.
