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Advice on making christmas tree shaped signs
Hi
i have been asked to make six signs about 160cm or so in height in the shape of a Christmas tree silhouette.They are for exterior use and will be used every year during the Christmas season.
I was wondering how you would recommend making them. Should i jigsaw them out of wood myself and paint them. If so, can you recommend what type of wood i should use?
Or should i just buy them in ready cut from green foamex or something?
Any advice would be appreciated
thanks
Liam
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29 Replies
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what are you fitting them onto?
how long have they to last, or are they just for "this" Christmas period?Personally, ide use Hoarding Board composite sheet.
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liam,
If you want them to last I would do them in composite, and already in green so hoarding board may not be the answer, as it does not come in colours.Give Blackburns Metals a ring, 01234 684100, not far from you and their dibond equivalent is very competitive
Easy to draw a freehand shape and cut with a jigsaw,Peter
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Rob,
i am just supplying, they will fit them to wooden posts i believe, also they will be using them every year (as long as they last!)Thanks Peter,
funnily enough i just brought some material from blackburns for the first time last week, five minutes drive from me so i don’t have to pay delivery.I did not realise they did composite, i will contact them about this. Thanks for the tip, should come in handy for future jobs as well.
i wondered if there was a company who could cut the material if i gave them an eps file of the shape. Maybe that’s too lazy and i should just cut them myself!
Thanks again both for your replies
Liam
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Liam, Cherwell sign supplies will supply and cut composite from a file.
Peter -
Thanks Peter,
will look them up, as i’ve wanted a supplier who could do this type of thing for a while.
Still tempted to make them out of wood though!, so if anybody could also recommend what type of wood i should use i would be greatful. I recently made an oval sign out of pine, don’t know if that was the ideal material but it seems ok.
thanks again
Liam
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i did four of these a few xmas’s back, i bought 1x 8×4 green composite which i had cut into 4×2’s, all four were slighty different tree shapes with white lettering so I cut each outline with the text, applied to the 4×2, cut around with a jigsaw and removed the outline, the text remained.
had they all been the same i would have clamped them together and cut them all in one go to save time, i usually tidy the edges of composite with the edge of a stanley blade, takes of any burr without cutting in if done right.
Hugh
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If your going to use wood then use marine ply as it’s a bit more resistant to moisure, don’t use normal ply as it’ll delaminate in no time.
After cutting seal the edges well with varnish then paint as normal
Or use composite as it’s much simpler 🙂
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I have some old Christmas tree signs done on wood that are probably older than you, Liam.
I use exterior A/C fir plywood (sanded one side)
Cut to shape with a jigsaw (it’s fun)
Use the first one to trace as a pattern for the next.
Sand the edges. (not as fun)
Seal the edges with wood glue (you may need two coats)
Primer the entire thing (all sides) with a good primer.
Then the final coat would be oil-based enamel.
That way you can either apply vinyl lettering or hand letter.
Be sure to charge accordingly for labor involved.
Love…..Jill -
Thanks all for your replies.
I have just enquired for a quote on having these cut from composite, but i would like to make them out of wood as i enjoy the challenge, so i’ll see how the prices compare and if the customer is willing to pay for the extra cost of labour etc involved in the wood versions.
It’s an old fashioned location so the wood ones would work well.
Jill, thanks for your advice, sorry for my ignorance, what does the A/C stand for in A/C fir plywood.
Liam
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hi Liam, sorry mate, completely read your post wrong… skim reading for you eh! :lol1: hense why i asked how long it was for, when you had already stated it in your post too. 🙄 😉
we do lots of christmas stuff for edniburgh and glasgow councils and the like.
the usual type stuff, chirstmas trees, santas, angels, blah blah blah…Hoarding board does only come in white, but we use it because its temp signage and half the price of a coloured branded composite.
if it has just to be plain green, then yes of course makes sense to use a coloured composite. but you maybe better buying it in pre-cut fro a trade router supplier such as fabricut. http://www.fabricut.co.uk/
this way your not buying in a green sheet material and having to find a use for "green" off-cuts, but more so… you will have a neat finished edge to your trees and zero labour.
remember, the last thing you want is to cut these using a jigsaw and having sharp rough edge around it and some kid walking by and running his hand up it. a router finished one will be so much neater than jigsaw and filed.when we do them we cut the shape in composite (hoarding board) using cnc router.
then mount digital prints of the trees, Santa’s, angels etc on the face.
we also run some horizontal strips of composite taped to the back to give it a bit more strength on some of the more flimsy shaped designs..
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A is the good side, C is the back side.
😳 -
Liam slightly off topic but Blackburns also carry PVC Foam & have just started to carry acrylic sheet also.
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quote Robert Lambie:remember, the last thing you want is to cut these using a jigsaw and having sharp rough edge around it and some kid walking by and running his hand up it.
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:lol1: :lol1: :lol1:
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I have strategically placed razor blades and even a bees nest installed in my Christmas Tree signs.
😉
That’ll teach the little monsters not to touch! -
quote Harry Cleary:quote Robert Lambie:remember, the last thing you want is to cut these using a jigsaw and having sharp rough edge around it and some kid walking by and running his hand up it.
Harry, you hardly look any different without your beard…even though the pic is in monochrome
Peter
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Actually Peter, it wouldn’t be hard to convince me that was you as a nipper! 😀 😀
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nothing like me!
I had curley hairPeter
Attachments:
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Them’s the lowest ears I ever saw! 😀 😀 (my mum used to say that if she cut my ears off they would do as continental quilts! 😀 )
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quote Peter Normington:nothing like me!
I had curley hairPeter
:lol1: brilliant!
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would this be good enough to use? i cant seem to get any coloured composite board at a price which would make this job work
http://www.wickes.co.uk/Exterior-Plywood/invt/110117
Thanks
Liam
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liam by the time you have put your labour and materials in to prep and paint the board,
it must be higher than composite?
What is the best price you have been offered for composite?Peter
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Liam,
It looks like a cheap far Eastern mahogany type plywood and at only 6mm thick it’ll not last a few weeks. If you want them to last into the new year I think you should use at least 9mm, preferably 12mm, marine type plywood with a primer, an undercoat and gloss coat to finish and screwed to at least 2 posts. I would also be inclined to looking for a proper timber yard.Steve
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Thanks for that advice Steve, i am trying to find a way i can make them from composite.
Peter, i definately agree with you about the labour, and this also means time.
The best price i have been offered for composite is £60 a piece plus VAT
what do you think is a reasonable price to charge for these each??
that’s going to mean £100 each surely once vinyl is added, is that reasonable, it’s a regular customer so i don’t want to let them down on this.
Liam
p.s love the curls Peter!
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you should email / call a trade supplier of flat cut graphics and get a quote for them being cnc routered. even if the price is too high "for you", it should give you an idea of where your pricing should "start". just because you "think" its expensive doesnt mean it is.
the bottom line is, if they want cheap crap, give them a stencil in vinyl.
tell them to stick it to 1/4 inch mdf and jigsaw and paint themselves.
you’ve then made money from the stencil. helped your existing customer to save money and took away the hassle of a non-paying job.
if you do it yourself and they look naff or rushed, they will blame you for it.
and how does the old saying go? "your only as good as your last job".so why not price it via a trade supplier doing the job "correct", with your markup on it.
then explain you realise this maybe something you weren’t wanting to spend much on, so here is a solution for tehm. you will create the template and they can do the rest via one of their handy men or whatever out of MDF/Wood and paint.leave the ball in their court and concentrate on more profitable work.
.
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Definitely go to a real lumber yard if you are using plywood.
The stuff at the big box stores is usually cheap and warpy.
This is just down the street from me:
http://www.brooksidelumber.com/pages/hp … lywood.php
Maybe a bit too far away tho.
(if you scroll down the page you will see ½: AC plywood)
Last time I bought it was around $28/4×8 sheet and I always hand-pick it.It’s more work, of course, but it’s work even cutting the shapes from composite.
Personally, I’d suggest cutting the tree shape out of green vinyl and applying it to white material, not cutting out the shape itself if cost is an issue. -
quote Robert Lambie:the bottom line is, if they want cheap crap, give them a stencil in vinyl.
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Pretty much spot on! This is what’s happening, i even quoted for foamex and that was too much, so they can do it themselves.
But thanks everyone for taking the time to offer your advice as it really helped me a lot. And i have learned loads i can use in the future as well,
thanks again
Liam
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Want me to come over and beat them up?
I have a large candy cane cut out of AC Plywood.
First you grab them with the hooked part, then pummel them with the sharp splintery edges.
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quote Jill Marie Welsh:Want me to come over and beat them up?
I have a large candy cane cut out of AC Plywood.
First you grab them with the hooked part, then pummel them with the sharp splintery edges.
😀I was just going to laugh at their efforts and maybe post a picture of them on here! Slightly glad they didn’t want it in the end as it looked like a nuisance anyway. I still got the rest of the work, this was just being tagged on almost to the point of being a favour.
Liam
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