HELLO EVERYBODY! DOC HERE FROM THE AMERICAN GARAGE.
FRANK ON THE AMERICAN PICKERS T.V. SHOW INSPIRED ME TO PAINT THIS LATEST SIGN PROJECT AFTER HE PICKED ONE UP IN A RECENT EPISODE. I PERSONALLY THINK THIS ONE CAME OUT GREAT!
IT STARTED LIFE AS A PIECE OF SCRAP 1/8" TEMPERED MASONITE KICKING AROUND IN MY BASEMENT.
MY FIRST STEP WAS TO SAND THE FLAT SIDE LIGHTLY AND THEN FOLLOW IT UP WITH A COATING OF
KILZ 2 PRIMER WHICH IS
WATER BASED.
2ND STEP WAS TO PROJECT MY ARTWORK ONTO THE PRIMED MASONITE POSITIONED VERTICALLY ACROSS FROM THE OVERHEAD PROJECTOR. I MAXED OUT THE SIGN ONTO THE MASONITE AND TRACED JUST THE OUTSIDE PERIMETER. FOLLOWING THAT BY CUTTING OUT IT'S OBLONG DIAMOND SHAPE.
THE 3RD STEP WAS TO SUPPORT AND STIFFEN THE FLIMSY MASONITE ON THE BACK SIDE WITH SOME 1x2" LUMBER, GLUED AND CLAMPED FOR ABOUT 18 HOURS. I LATER FINISHED THE EDGE OFF WITH PRIMER AS WELL.
THE 4TH STEP WAS TO PICK MY 3
OIL BASED COLORS THAT MAKES UP THE SIGN LOGO USED BETWEEN 1933 AND 1957. I CHOOSE WHITE AND YELLOW GLOSS FOR THE MAIN BASE COAT BACKGROUND. 4 TEASPOONS OF WHITE AND ONE OF YELLOW, MIXED WELL AND APPLIED WITH A 4" FOAM ROLLER SLOWLY....
THE WET PAINT ACTUALLY LOOKED LIKE PORCELAIN IN A WAY. THE 5 TEASPOONS WAS ACTUALLY JUST ENOUGH TO ROLL OUT THE ENTIRE SIGN.
AND ENDED UP BEING RELATIVELY CLOSE BUT NOT EXACT.
THE GLOSS BLACK FOR THE BORDER AND LETTERS. THE
"HOT RED" IS A NEW COLOR OFFERED BY TRUE VALUE HARDWARE STORES AND IS A GIFT SINCE MOST RED SHADES OFFERED AROUND HERE ARE NOT LIKE THIS
HOT RED WHICH IS EYE-CATCHING BRIGHT...A TRUE
RED.
BY THE WAY, THE SIGNS MEASUREMENTS TURNED OUT TO BE 26" TALL BY 52" WIDE BY ALMOST 1" THICK.
STEP #5 WAS TO REPOSITION THE BASE COATED SIGN BASE IN PLACE AND TRACE OUT THE LINES FROM THE TRANSPARENCY ON THE OVERHEAD PROJECTOR. USUALLY SOME ADJUSTMENT IS REQUIRED WITH REPOSITIONING.
HERE'S HOW THE TRACING CAME OUT....
STEP #6 WAS TO TAKE THE NOW READY TO BE PAINTED SIGN INSIDE THE HOUSE WHERE IT WAS MUCH LESS HUMID AND PAINT IT AT THE DINING ROOM TABLE ON A LAZY SUSAN TURNTABLE. BASICALLY THE SIGN NEVER TOUCHED THE TABLE! YOU MARRIED GUYS DON'T TRY THIS AT YOUR HOUSE LOL!
I STARTED WITH THE BLACK LETTER PAINTING ON THE INSIDE, FOLLOWED BY THE
HOT RED BORDER....
THESE CLOSE-UPS SHOW HOW I USE A SMALL MODEL BRUSH TO EDGE THE BORDER AND FOLLOW UP WITH A 1" FOAM BRUSH IN THE LARGE OPEN AREAS THAT I JUST OUTLINED. YOU CAN ALSO SEE THAT THE OFF WHITE BASE COAT DRIED WITH A SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT LUSTRE.
AFTER THESE TWO COLORS WERE DONE, I BROKE FOR SUPPER!
LATER ON, I FINISHED UP WITH THE OUTSIDE BLACK BORDER AROUND THE EDGE OF THE 1x2 FRAME TO THE BACK EDGE AND LET IT DRY FOR ROUGHLY 20 HOURS BEFORE TAKING THIS FINAL/FINISHED SHOT....
HOPE YOU LIKE AND ARE POSSIBLY INSPIRED TO PAINT A SIGN YOU'VE ALWAYS LIKED BUT COULD NEVER FIND OR AFFORD.
THANKS!
I have a Simonize sign I should send you a pic of. I bet you would like it 
![[Linked Image from imagizer.imageshack.com]](https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/xq90/921/7Yb02T.jpg)
