Making a sign with Cedar and router. Help

[Scotian]

Local historical socity has asked me to replicate three signs using 2x8 Cedar where I route out letters and fill with white paint. Total sign is 36 by 32 inches.
I need to create letters numbers and special shapes. I have an original sign which is rotting and very old but can copy characters to paper.
I am planning on using band saw and thin paneling and cut out a guide for letters and shapes. Appreciate I need to make wider to accomodate bushing that guides the bit.
Is there any other way to approach the project... Open for suggestions
Thanks

Fred

[Sonny Edmonds]

Fred,
Welcome to the forum!

Never done it myself, but I have a nefew that used to make signs with a letter and number rig and a router.
I would suggest using hardboard for the template, not paneling.
Does it have to be am exact replica, or can it very slightly? Hard to visualise what your up against without a picture. And being as we are up against a weekend, help might get scarce around the forum.
But this will bump it to the top.
There are folks here who do know, if we can catch them. :7

:D

Sonny Edmonds
"Precision Firewood Specialist"
[link:home.earthlink.net/~sonnypie/ | Sonny's Shop Pages]
God Bless America !
One Nation Under God! Or you can bite my A$$ and just leave!

[Danford C Jennings]

Howdy Fred and welcome,

If I were going to use a router, I'd wander over [link:www.sommerfeldtools.com|there]. You'll notice that they have a wide variety of lettering bits, guides, etc. I agree with Sonny on the choice of template material.

Not knowing exactly how old the signs are that you have to replicate, I'd probably do them by hand (chisels, gouges, and/or a router plane), which is the other alternative you asked for. Most historical societies I've delt with get pretty hysterical about being historical.

Are they exterior or interior signs? Reason I ask is because Redwood was (is) more commonly used for exterior signs than Western Red Cedar, the Redwood having the better carving characteristics.

Dano

[Norm in Fujino]

for some basic hints.

http://www.workbenchmagazine.com/main/images/routedsign_lead.gif

[TDHofstetter]

Hi, Fred. You must be our "new" Scotian... :)

This sounds like a perfect application for a 1:1 pantograph, regardless of the tooling you actually use for the cutout work. If you can get an electric router past the historical hysterics, you could use a 1:1 ROUTER pantograph. If you're required to use traditional tools like the router plane (AKA "Old Woman's Tooth") and carving tools, or if you simply prefer to transfer the shapes to paper, you could use a 1:1 pencil pantograph for the transfer.

-- Tim --


Argue for your limitations,
and sure enough - they're yours.
- Richard Bach -

[Scotian]

Will try and find more information on Redwood. I am in Toronto area and have not seen it at the various big box stores but will research.
The sign is to have words dates and a canoe as well as series of arrows.
Appreciate guidance and suggestions.
Fred