carved signs • 3-d signs • fabricated signs • routed signs • painted signs • woodcarvings
For naturally finished signs wood is a natural choice, however I have made a number of HDU signs which have resembled both wood and driftwood. The main advantage of a HDU sign is that they are more durable then their wood counterparts. Most of the carved signs I have done over the years have been in wood. In resent times, I have been working mainly with HDU.
The wood most commonly used in my carved signs is sugar pine which comes from northern California and Oregon. The only problem that I have encountered in resent years is that it is getting harder to find the quality of pine which I am use to carving on. This is why I prefer to use the carving media when the situation warrants this. Meaning, that the sign is going to be painted. Carving media gives me the same results as wood, the advantage is that it will not warp, crack, or check and unlike redwood (which I do not ever use) it will hold paint.
The synthetic media (HDU) lends itself well to carved, sandblasted, as well as routed signs and is more resistant to the elements then wood. Here are some of the advantages…
- Once Painted it looks no different then a wood sign
- Changing wording is easier then on a wood sign
- Can be easily repaired if necessary
- Less Weight then a wood sign means less shipping cost and easier to hang on structures
- 100% waterproof
- Will not wrap, split or crack
- Unaffected by temperature
- Will not rot or decompose
- Is highly chemically resistant
- 10 year manufacturers product warranty
- Easier to install
As much as I like carving wood, when it comes to a nice carved sign which is going to be covered by layers of paint, I prefer carving media.
When carving a sign or sculpture which is going to reflect the qualities of the material, then the use of wood is the overall champ.
The bottom line here, is that in most cases when your sign is going to be painted, I will use the carving media unless your sign is being left natural and the wood grain is important, or where you specify your desire to have wood used.
If you do not specify wood, I will use either pine or the carving media. Most of my signs are still being carved in pine since I have use for the wood chips.
Sign•Foam is my carving media of choice.
Finally, no matter which media I use, you are going to be getting a T.R.Wolff Creation which will provide you with years of enjoyment.
Image to be carved in your Sign:
