Signing your work -- how?

Carve it in...

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA

>I carve my initials and year into my work in an inconspicuous place.

Re: Signing your work -- how?

Lyn J. Mangiameli

>Woodturners commonly sign their work and most follow one of two techniques, either using a handheld Dremel engraver or a woodburning pen.

I'm of the Dremel engraver crowd. I like it because it coms close to developing a true signature, is a cheap method (they cost under $20), is permanent, and the engraved depressions can be filled in with various colors of inch, such as a black extra-fine tipped Sharpie "permanent" markers for lighter colored woods, and the silver or gold pens for darker colored woods. By sitting below the surface, the colors don't tend to wear off, and are less likely to smear if a finish is dabbed or flowed over the top.

As for other methods, I think carving looks good, is traditional, and is lasting, but I'm not such a great carver, and it precludes the flowing signature of the above two methods.

Branding is much the same, but it can be hard to get an even burn and you can't get much detail. This is probably my least favorite method to see on a piece.

There are also those little plaques, usually in brass, that you can have made for you, and they can look pretty classy if mounted with pins, though I personally think the stick on variety look a bit tacky.

Just my preferences.

Re: Signing your work -- how?

Steve Wargo

>Sharpie with date, Client's name and my signature. Seal with waterbased poly, just one whipe.

Re: Poly

Lyn J. Mangiameli

>Good point about the water-based poly

One of the best tips I ever picked up was that alcohol was very effective at removing pencil lines. Alcohol is also a solvent for many marker dyes and inks. (And what is the solvent for Shellac?) Much the same for the laquer solvents. So any wonder there are problems putting most finishes (even including many solvent softened waxes) on.

Thus, waterbased poly (still has some of the other solvents, but much less) is a good way to lessen bleeding/removal of pencil, dye and ink lines. Another possiblity is a light misting of laquer where the solvent has mostly flashed off before the solids hit the surface.

Re: Signing your work -- how? *LINK*

GolfSteve in Calgary

>To quote Lyn, "it precludes the flowing signature of the above two methods" :-) ....

I'm sure the Dremel works find, but I can't stand the tool. Reminds me too much of being in the dentist's chair. I use the following micro-carving tools from Lee-Valley (which I see are now being discontinued! They were a bit expensive, but were handy for signing your work as above)




Lee Valley Micro Carving Tools

Re: Carve it in...

William Duffield, on the Cohansey

>That's how I do it, usually with a small Pfeil V-parting tool. Here's an example.

Re: Signing your work

Lyn J. Mangiameli

>Indeed Steve, your skills exceed mine, and I stand corrected for the general statement. Of course, if you regularly were having to carve out the name of Mangiameli, you might have come to my conclusion.

Re: Signing your work -- how?

Greg Sloop, Portland Oregon

>Ok, for total oafs like myself who have difficulty drawing stick people, "it precludes the flowing signature of the above two methods." So there, take that!

Personally I use a sharpie, and I've not had problems even applying oil based poly over it - I just don't get too vigorous in rubbing/scrubbing that spot for the first coat or two. (Not that using a sharpie improves my penmanship any, but with my artistic skill, I'd just as soon use a hatchet as carving tools.)

Perhaps I'll have to try the dremel thing. Sounds like a winner.

Cheers,

Greg

:-)

GolfSteve in Calgary

>Yup, it's nerve wracking carving in just five letters, a period, and the four digits of the year (the date format I use is Y2K compatible but I'm a bit worried that I should switch to multi-millenia compatible dates - 02005 - so that my descendents don't have any problems with the furniture).

Carving my name in is usually one of the last things I do before finishing. If I slip up, then the piece is wrecked. If I were smarter, I would carve in my name before glue-up so that pieces could be replaced if necessary.

The hard part is the round bits - the "S", and getting both zeros in the date (2005) to look identical.

So Lynn...

Derek

>Aren't you a doctor? Isn't there a law that doctor's signatures must be illegible or something? :>)

Sorry Lyn

Derek

>I spelled yor name wrong... my bad. I guess I'm neanderthal enough to not know how to read. :>)

Re: Sorry Lyn

Lyn J. Mangiameli

>It was probably my illegible typing that threw you off. :-)