Retirement Gift

[Lin]

One of our set-up guys just retired this past weeks after working in my shop for 47 years. I cut this piece for him. It is an outside sign to hang on his house or garage. Cut from 3/4" spalted maple with hard maple fishes. I really like the way this wood looks...I may just have to amke one for our house.
Lin

 

[Gill]

Forty seven years in the same place ? You get less than that for murder!

Let's hope your lovely sign reminds him of all the friends he made during that time. After forty seven years, he certainly deserves a long and happy retirement and no doubt he'll treasure your gift. Are you going to tell us how you treated the sign to make sure it endures the hard Michigan winters, or are you just trusting to global warming ?

Gill

 

[Lin]

Personally I doubt than any finish will withstand several years of our winters..without redoing the finish every few years....but I went along with what info I could gather on the web and what the finishes said on the cans...I used teak oil on the fishes and the spalted maple first...several coats...I used a an outdoor spray paint...primer first...three coats on both sides then three coats of outside black spray paint on the backer before glueing with Titebond 2...Also used screws on the backer besides the black screws in the fishes eyes for assembly...kinda doubt if the glue by itself would hold up to the cold. Krylon outdoor satin acrylic spray finish on the backer...both sides before assembly...and about 6 coats of it both sides of the piece after assembly...Crossing my fingers...I did tell the guy that putting it in an alcove where its not getting direct weather will help it hold up longer.
Only time will tell now.....
Lin

 

[Intarsiaplans]

47 years??? wow, some dedicated guy you had there.

Nice gift you made...Better than a watch to receive.

Danny

 

[jimp11]

Very nice sign.if you use fiber glass resin that will stop water for 10 years so its said . 47 years I got 27 in don't think I'll go much past 30 though 50 now like to play a little for 20 or 30 years.

jim