SANDBLASTED SIGNS

My interest in sandblasted signs was realized when I made my first sign in 1978. In researching the history of this process it was used in 1930. Studies in 1978 by the U.S. department of agriculture products laboratory reveals that redwood is the most durable material including weathering, bugs and decay. However I use western red cedar with good results. It is a little softer but the grains come up quite nicely. I have had no problem over the years with weathering. Because of the cost I only use redwood on request.

In 1978 this process of making sandblasted signs became a great addition for our sign shop. The idea was to pick lumber with good grains and sandblast fairly deep to raise the grains. It gave the sign a good 3 dimensional look. However, in doing this you loose some of the sharpness of the letters. This is where the skills of a sign painter comes in. The tendency is to sandblast shallow to keep a sharp edge on their letters and leave little or no grain effects. To me the grain effects increase the character of the sign.

Many signs are clear coated with resin but the problem with this is it takes on the look of plastic. We have managed to stay away from this process instead using another procedure which retains the natural look of the wood and yet is still long lasting. We create sandblasted signs with custom designs in all shapes and sizes, gold leaf or painted. Signs are designed different for each customer.

GALLERY OF SANDBLASTED SIGNS