Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Non-Petro Discussions Non-petro Discussion and Showcase Custom wood frames for tin signs

I just got a 20"x60" flat tin sign. It is old and weathered but in really good physical condition. I would like to get a frame made from old weathered wood to encase it. I need it to match the look of the sign. I wish I had the tools to do it my self but I do not.

I'd really like to find an OG member that is good with wood and can make a good solid frame for this. If not, does anyone know where I could order something like this and have it shipped to me? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

I recommend finding a local kitchen cabinet shop. They are set up to make strong wood face frames. You may have to find the weathered wood for them.

Some old barn lumber and a table saw and you can make your own.

I only have a skill saw. It is hard to get nice 45 degree angles. I was thinking I wanted the back of the pieces routed so the frame set flat when I attached it to a piece of plywood. I don't have the router either.

I had thought about a cabinet shop but the only one I know locally is always super busy. I will give them a call though and see what I can do there.

Now that I think about it, I guess I could go buy the equipment I need. Probably about the same cost as paying someone. Then I need to find the wood. I'll wait a few days. If no one wants to do it or if I can't find someone with the tools, I'll go buy them.

Whether you can cut a 45 degree angle or not, you could do a faux frame without having to get any extra tools. You also don't have to do the 45 degree if you are ok with the look of it as having the sides be the pieces with their cut ends up and down, and the cut edges of the top and bottom pieces hidden against the side pieces. That way the sides that are the most visible won't look like fresh cut.

Just cut a piece of wood for backing (and to hang on) and cut the baking to the size or slightly smaller than the sign and the 'frame' wood that you would glue or screw onto the back board, enough to hide the eyehooks you will need to drill into the top or upper sides of this wood.

Screw the two eyehooks in on the top edges or upper sides if possible. You can have them screwed into the back, but keep in mind that will be against the wall, and may scrape it.

Put two eyehooks in, attach the sign to the wood backing, and either glue or screw from the back, your old wood 'frame' onto the back board. Just remember if they are glued, never pick it up by that 'frame' just pick it up by the wire.

You can use wire, or heavy duty fishing line for the for the eyehooks.

Keep in mind when you put the eye hooks in, that they and their attachment to the wood backing is strong enough to support the load, and decide if you want the wire to show or not. That will depend on where you put the eyehooks. Don't forget to drill pilot holes for the eye hooks, to keep from splitting the wood.

If possible, put the eyehooks on top or near the top sides, to avoid the top of the sign tipping forward when you hang it on the wall.

I myself for some of my work, use lath strips, that I nail into the sides. You could use the old wood if it was slim enough, remembering to hide the cut ends of the top and bottom against the sides. You would be showing the edges of your old wood, looking at the front of the sign.

If you do something like that, you will need to create a wood structure behind the sign, that sits flush behind the sign, to nail the lath into. I use 1 by 4's laying flat, that I use metal strips with screw holes to connect the 45 degree corners (you can do straight edge as described above) with each other. I glue the painted panel onto my wood backing, in your case you would screw your sign into it.

You would put your eye hooks into the wood structure. In this case, I can put the eye hook on the inside edges, using pliers or a square-head screw driver to help turn the eye-hooks. Don't pick up the sign by the lath, grab the back wood, or the hanging wire, not the lath when picking up my painting.

Whew! I got away from myself there...LOL

If you want to make a real frame you need to know how to biscuit glue the 45 degree corners (you might get away with stapling the backs and just gluing the edges), a frame clamp/strap (a strap that you can tighten, with four loose metal corners the strap wraps around) that will clamp all the corners at the same time when you glue them, some kind of square, to make sure your frame is square, and the stapler (I forgot what it's called) that shoots glaziers pins (close enough - forgot their name too)into the frame to hold the sign in place.

Way overthinking this...find some old wood you like the look of, get a cheap plastic miter box from Home Depot to get the 45's..use finish nails to put together. If you want sign to sit flush behind frame some heavy grit sandpaper and a little elbow grease should be enough to get a little channel around frame to sit a thin tin sign in. Cheap and easy plus you have satisfaction of doing it yourself....

Yeah, I get a little carried away...

The picture shows 2 (well 1 and 1/3) paintings I used lath for.

And to add to making a real frame, a router to create a little shelf on the inside back edge of your finished frame, that the front edges of the sign will nestle in. (it was to late to edit in this info into the tome--er previous post).

Buy a speed square for about $10 and use your skill saw. I do that when I don't have my miter saw with me. You can use a table saw to make the rabbet cut or your skill saw if you're good at following a line !

I do home repairs on vacation rentals and you get good at making do with what you have available. I can't drag all my tools with me all the time.

Invest in a pocket hole jig. Not cheap - but it allows you to form 90-degree corners with a butt joint. All you need is a electric drill and any kind of saw.

The joint can be just screwed together - or screwed and glued.

It makes an extremely strong tight joint.

Make the frame about 2" bigger than the sign. paint the frame flat black and hit it with a sander to knock off the edges, add some 'age, and allow some raw wood to show through. Hit the raw wood with some brown shoe polish and buff.

Attach the sign centered on the frame and you're done.

Hang and enjoy.

Later . . .

Jim

Buy new wood and "age" it yourself.You can buy the rough sawn fence slats at any home depot if you like the rough texture. To turn the wood dark gray like barnwood use iron fertilizer for your lawn. Dissolve the pellets in water and brush on. You can also buy the liquid in the bottle. use an ice pick for worm holes, etc. Use your imagination. Have fun. Questions..ask Dave

Some good suggestions. Thank you greatly!

Follow up question. Anyone know where I can order some good straight "barn wood". I've made a few local calls but I hadn't found a good straight piece over 60". Need two of them and really want a solid piece. I'd rather not join two smaller ones.

I found thelumbershack.com. They have some nice reclaimed wood but a very limited selection in the size I need.

Dave, I thought about that too and will do that as a last resort. I guess you could say I wanted to keep the visible part of the frame as original and period correct as possible. I want the age, cracks, and imperfections that come with real old wood.

Just drive around looking for collapsed barns or sheds and see if the owners will let you have some wood...at least that can work in MD where there's lots of old tobacco barns and equipment sheds in disrepair. Not sure what they have in your part of Texas.

You might also contact some barn builders local to you to see if they are working on replacing an old or damaged barn. I'd even talk to builders, as some old homes that they might replace could have what you are looking for.

There also may be some old gassers on here who have some old shed/barn wood for you. Just post your request in the non-petro for sale/trade/wanted section.

Or you can go online...this is one MD site I found.

http://ecmafa.com/most-recent-items-for-sale/

Sorry it won't load the pic with wood I am trying to fix it.

P

There should be plenty of salvage places in Texas. They take down old houses and part them out.The boards are fairly cheap, but come with plenty of nail holes(and nails), cracks, etc. I've got a whole stack of 100+ year old heart pine from a church if you were only closer. I would consider aging new wood. Easier to work with and you can distress it as much as you want. I like to use wax and 0000 steel wool and ready work it into the wood. If I paint I apply several different colors, crackling one and then sand and steel wool through the different layers and age with colored wax. Play around with it until you get something that you like. MAIN THING...have fun. Dave Remember..."its only stuff".