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Friday, November 1, 2013

Making a Post to Hang One of my Signs

I often get orders from people who have either seen my work at Farmers' Markets I go to, or see products for sale online at Kijiji.

I was contacted through email for an order for a sign with the family name on it, hanging from a post.  I also had to supply the post!

When I get an order like this I use email to send links to signs I've previously made and shown here at my blog, or photos of signs I haven't yet posted.  This way the client can choose from many different styles, colours, sizes, and fonts and settle on something they feel is suitable for what they want.

This lovely lady chose a white sign with black lettering.  It is the same on both sides and will hang at the end of her driveway.



Now to make the post...

I purchased an 8 foot 4"x4" pressure treated post and cut about 3' off one end to use as the horizontal member.  The vertical piece and horizontal piece will lock together with 1/2 of the depth of the wood cut out of each piece. (This is called a half-lap joint) Here is the pencil marking of what will come out of the vertical piece.


I use my sliding compound mitre saw to work away at the post.  The saw can be set to only cut down to the width you want, so that it doesn't cut right through the post.  In order to do that, you also need to set a scrap piece of wood between the piece you are cutting and the back fence.  You can see where I have clamped a 4 x 4 piece to keep my post the correct distance to give a straight level cut.



Here you can see the full notch cut out.  This is the same cut for both vertical and horizontal pieces.

Of course you need to be accurate with this in order for the pieces to fit tightly together. Here are the two notches cut out:


They are then fit together, fingers crossed...


Ta da!


I then drilled a hole in the center and used a large carriage bolt with a washer and nut on the back to hold the pieces together more firmly.


The sign then has eyes screwed into it and hooks into the crosspiece. This shows it at my house before delivery:



I also supplied a ground spike for the post to sit in, these are available at lumber or DIY type stores.  It is hammered into the ground using first a short scrap piece of 4 x 4, and then the post is fit into it and screws in the top of the spike box are tightened.

Here is the sign at the owner's home:

Thanks to Sam for trusting in me to make just what she wanted for her family home.



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My Repurposed Life

10 comments:

  1. A beautiful sing, Julie! I love those perfect cuts and your tutorial. I wish I could do that kind of cuts. Got to invest in better tools first :/

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  2. Hi lovely lady.
    I love the work you did and it is Gorgeous !! Iam your newest follower on your your lovely blog, hope you will come over and become a follower on my Tablescapes.I also did a post on Coastal Charm I am right next to you.
    xxoo
    Diane
    Diane

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  3. great job on the sign Julie, and thanks for the tute on the post.

    gail

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  4. Thanks for sharing this NIFTY sign at my party this week.

    Blessings,
    Linda

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  5. Very cool! And let me say I'm glad I don't see an apostrophe before the "s" on O'Connors. That's one of my things. :)

    -andi

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  6. Hi Julie

    I just found your blog and am very impressed with the things you make and your knowledge. I am keen to try making things from wood myself, but as an 'oldie' never had the opportunity to learn in school. As I am disabled I can't get to classes, and so plan to learn as I go, but wondered if you could maybe point me in the direction of the tools that would be most useful - I'm hoping my husband might buy me some for Christmas.

    Hope you don't mind me contacting you via the comments box, but I couldn't seem to find a contact email.

    Warm regards

    Judi in the UK

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  7. Awesome! Thanks for the tips, I am going to find this notching technique very handy next spring!!

    xox

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  8. That looks really nice. Most people around here just dig a hole and cement the post into the ground. Besides not having to dig a deep hole, are there any benefits to the spike? It looks like the arm of the post would make it too top heavy for just a few bolts at ground level to support. But I'm intrigued.

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  9. Great tutorial! I love the post, I am sure they are very happy with it!! Thanks so much for linking up to the wowza weeekend link party! Have a great day!

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I appreciate all your comments, they keep me blogging! I like to personally reply to each comment I receive but many of you are "no-reply commenters" which means your email address is not connected to your comment. If that is the case I cannot directly reply, sorry.