Sign your work?

[Scott Hildenbrand]

Was messing around on Facebook and saw this ad (good targeting facebook!)..

http://creative.ak.fbcdn.net/ads3/flyers/47/4/6002483485743_1_df66b5bd.jpg (https://www.workingwidget.com/10-custom_insert.php)

Got me to thinking... Who of you sign your work and what method do you use/prefer?

[Denny Rice]

Was messing around on Facebook and saw this ad (good targeting facebook!)..

http://creative.ak.fbcdn.net/ads3/flyers/47/4/6002483485743_1_df66b5bd.jpg (https://www.workingwidget.com/10-custom_insert.php)

Got me to thinking... Who of you sign your work and what method do you use/prefer?

This is nice timing....I have been thinking about doing this for awhile, I have seen the irons that get hot (kinda like a branding iron) where a company re-creates your signature or business logo and gives you the ability to sign work. I would like to see how others do it too.

[Danny Hamsley]

I use a branding iron that I bought from Rockler for about $70.

[Myk Rian]

I use a Rockler branding iron and ink the date on.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Small pieces..turnings...I sign and date using a extra fine Sharpie. Then I put a coat or more of finish over it.

Larger pieces, like furniture, I sign and date in an out of the way place and then usually get a engraving shop to make a little engraved plate. I mount the plate where it can be seen if it's for a family member.

[John Gregory]

We use a branding iron and inlay a copper penny to show the year it was made.

[Keith Outten]

There are a number of laser engraving woodworkers who are Members of SawMill Creek who would most likely offer you a much better price for custom medallions.

I suggest that you post a classified "Want Ad" and ask for a price, as I recall there have been lots of these made here for about one dollar each.
.

[Rod Sheridan]

Like John, I brand my name (I use a Lee Valley iron), and I insert a coin for the date.

For the past few years I use a $2 coin......Regards, Rod.

[Scott Hildenbrand]

Keith, I know there are alot on here with that ability.. The price on the link I posted above was rather high IMO, but it only served to get me thinking about it, is all.. ;)

Sinking a penny or coin in the work to mark the year is really cool. Wonder, go with a state quarter to mark the area and a penny for the year? :D

So anyone else have an interesting method of putting your John Hancock on things?

[Josh Reet]

I'd really like to come up with a way to burn a logo into wood that didn't involve me paying what Rockler/Woodcraft sell them for. That is way WAY too much money in my book.

the penny idea (or state quarter) is pretty cool also.

I wish I could make a joke about that canadian $2 coin being worth about the same as a US quarter. But these days it's getting to be the other way around.

[Rod Sheridan]

I'd really like to come up with a way to burn a logo into wood that didn't involve me paying what Rockler/Woodcraft sell them for. That is way WAY too much money in my book.

the penny idea (or state quarter) is pretty cool also.

I wish I could make a joke about that canadian $2 coin being worth about the same as a US quarter. But these days it's getting to be the other way around.


That's OK Josh, the jokes are still funny, and it's your turn to pay the exchange rate:D

Regards, Rod.

[Scott Hildenbrand]

Josh, get yourself a block of brass and break out the Dremel then.

I remember making stamps in shop out of some kind of rubber and carving tools..

Perhaps if you print onto a decal material (reversed) and apply it to the brass, then start removing OUTSIDE the lines to get it laid out.. Then you just have to deepen the recess.

[Josh Reet]

Josh, get yourself a block of brass and break out the Dremel then.

I remember making stamps in shop out of some kind of rubber and carving tools..

Perhaps if you print onto a decal material (reversed) and apply it to the brass, then start removing OUTSIDE the lines to get it laid out.. Then you just have to deepen the recess.


That is not a bad idea at all. I'll have to look into doing it.

[Scott Hildenbrand]

Another thought is to hit up these folks with CNC routers and see if they can work on that small of a scale. Chuck up a small diamond bit and away you go. Then you just have to drill the end and mount a rod.... Heat with a map torch and burn away.

Anyone have a CNC and feel like doing a 2" x 2" x 3/4" or so block of brass? For that matter, how much would you want for doing that.. Inquiring mind.

[Ken Werner]

I take a pen and some nice paper. I write a note about who the piece is for, and if it's an event [marriage, birthday, etc.] or whatever I feel like. I write my name, place and year. I draw a border around my note, I glue it on with yellow glue, and depending on location, may or may not cover it with finish. This allows me the flexibility to create more meaningful labels. FWW had an article about this, I think in No. 193.
Here's an example:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/album.php?albumid=159&pictureid=1574

[glenn bradley]

I go the penny route and then sign next to it. I have looked into the wood medallions and the Facebook ad is extremely high priced at a "reill" of 12 medallions for $40!!!

[Scott Hildenbrand]

LOL... Yeah, it's high priced for sure.

I'd do the note and signature, but my handwriting sucks. Too many years of working on computers.

[Ben Hatcher]

I sign mine with a sharpie just like an artist! :p

[Dave Lehnert]

I use a branding iron and penny.

I also have a rubber stamp that I had made at Office Max. You can just use the standard block print or just make a design yourself. They can copy that into a stamp. I got the self ink type. It cost less than $20

[Richard Gibson]

I will never forget a story a woodworker told me. He made wooden toys and used a branding iron on each one he sold. A little boy about 7 or 8 ys old from the neighborhood use to come to his shop. He didn't say much but he kept looking at a wooden truck. After several visits, he came in one day and pointed at the truck and asked how much. The man felt sorry for him and really lowered the price.

He reached in his pocket and brought out a crumpled dollar bill and several coins. The woodworker said, "Well what do you know, that is the exact amount!" The little boy picked up the truck with a giant smile and walked very happily out the door. The woodworker was very pleased to see the youngster so happy.

About 10 minutes passed and the little guy came in again but not with a smile. The woodworker thought that maybe something was broken. He said "What's wrong? Is their a problem."

The little boy turned the truck over and pointed to the branded name and said, "What the hell is this???:eek: This is MY truck and it should have MY name on it."

The woodworker said after he "recovered" from the little boys "colorful" outburst he thought to himself that he was absolutely right. He made the little guy a new truck and from that day on, he never branded or signed any other projects.:o

[Kent A Bathurst]

I use a branding iron that I bought from Rockler for about $70.

Heh-heh-heh. Last thing I made was a blanket chest for a niece, and partway through, I happened to look up at the wall at my grandfather's cattle branding iron from the 1930's - have had it for 15 years. Ace Hardware $7 grill, one bag of charcoal, and there you go - on the inside lid. Says nothing about me personally, but says everything I wanted to say.

[richard poitras]

I went to my local office supply house and had them make me a customized rubber stamp with my name on it and a saying and a small picture of some hand tools. I think it cost me about $8.00 and whatever an ink pad cost (pad lasts for a long long time) cheap, quick, and they will make the stamp any way you want it. I made mine off of the computer and sent it to them. It was done in less than a week. Works great.

[Don Bullock]

Scott, I have to admit that I bought some medallions that are similar to the ones you linked to. Mine weren't nearly that expensive and I didn't have to buy the Forstner Bit. I already had the correct size bit for the medallions. While they look great imbedded in the pieces I've made I won't pay as much as I did for them in the future. The owner of a trophy shop that we go to for plaques on the trophies I've made told me that he could make the medallions for me much cheaper and I could design my own. When my current supply is gone (at the rate I'm going right now it will be a while;)) I plan to take him up on his offer. Check out your local trophy shops or, as Keith suggested, check out the laser engravers here on the Creek. BTW -- I didn't have mine dated because I knew that they would last me for a while.

[gary Zimmel]

I had medallions made by one of the Creekers over in the laser forum.

What I did was have it made so a penny can be inlayed into the middle.
That will mark the year it came out of my shop.
If I had the year engraved into them most of them would be out of date in less than two months...

[Stephen Edwards]

I sign my work; furniture, nice picture frames, boxes on the bottom or back with a hand held engraving tool. Then, I spray a single coat of finish over it. I sign my name, date, county and state. Some pieces will likely last long after I'm gone and who knows where they'll end up?! Folks may want to know a little history.

On my art pieces I sign it very discreetly on the front with the hand held engraver like this:

Stephen Edwards
© 2009

One has to look very closely to see it.

[Jacob Mac]

Not yet. At this point, I don't want anyone to be able to trace my shoddy craftsmanship back to me. Someday, maybe, if I get good enough.

[Gary Breckenridge]

:)Everything, except kindling, that I make gets branded. Some of the stuff gets branded with my name and the rustic stuff gets branded with a symbol. A few pieces get dated. :)

[Brian Penning]

The problem with using coins is that the newly minted ones aren't issued until 2-3 months after the start of the year.

[Brian D Anderson]

I went to my local office supply house and had them make me a customized rubber stamp with my name on it and a saying and a small picture of some hand tools. I think it cost me about $8.00 and whatever an ink pad cost (pad lasts for a long long time) cheap, quick, and they will make the stamp any way you want it. I made mine off of the computer and sent it to them. It was done in less than a week. Works great.

I have a friend who does hand carved stamps (http://jackbearstamps.blogspot.com/) . He's supposed to be making me one for my work. He's actually going to use a picture of me with my initials in my hat.

For a different idea, I've been trying to figure out how to get a 2D barcode on to a piece. You can get up to 800 characters in a small area. You could write a whole bunch about the piece . . . who made it, what woods, the date . . . anything else you want to write. I'm guessing it would have to be done on a laser engraver or something like that.

-Brian

[Nathan Conner]

At this point, I don't want anyone to be able to trace my shoddy craftsmanship back to me. Someday, maybe, if I get good enough.

BINGO! We have a winner, folks!

I have one of the Rockler models that I used to use on nice pieces - my wife got it for me a couple of years ago.

Unfortunately, I was at a charity auction a couple of weeks ago and saw three very, very poor pieces, all with the same stamp, all from different guys. I went home, looked over some of my first pieces, and it really made me think. Do I really want anyone to associate those with me? And did I want the same "Hand Crafted by..." stamp that everyone around here tends to use? Strikes me as disingenuous to the craft, the art, and the uniqueness of woodworking.

But...I'm just rambling. On a nice piece, I'll just sign it with a sharpie, date it, and maybe note wood contents. On a piece I'm not so proud of, I'll just give it away unmarked. My first Morris chair got no mark. The second got a proud signature and a pat on the arm. The penny idea - I'm using it. And I probably won't even pay Gary for the idea.

[Larry Fox]

I dont typically - but when I do I use the kids. :)

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=97663&highlight=bubinga

[Scott Hildenbrand]

LOL.. I think I'm set on a stamp..

Spent a little time last night photoshopping it and think it turned out well. Since my signature sucks anymore, I went with a font that looked close to it and then modified the image further to make it look more personal. I left a space at the bottom for a date sig.

I think as far as detail and design go, you can't get as much detail in a branding iron. Since I do graphics work, I want the brand to reflect that skill as well, so a stamp is the best way to get those details.

This is what I came up with.. Found a place to do custom stamps of any size, unmounted, rather cheap..

http://pics.fuzzywolf.com/stamp-small.jpg

Lary: That's certainly a unique sig.. Rather like it! :D

[Josh Reet]

Anyone who is using a stamp. Do you stamp under the finish I assume? And if so, do you have trouble with smearing when you apply any particular finish?

[Izzy Camire]

I use the wood burning kit I had when I was a kid. It comes out pretty good and says what I want it to.

[Brian D Anderson]

Anyone who is using a stamp. Do you stamp under the finish I assume? And if so, do you have trouble with smearing when you apply any particular finish?

Not having my stamp yet . . . I was kind of wondering this myself. I was planning on doing a seal coat of shellac first, then the stamp . . . then my finish. My stamp making friend suggested an ink called StazOn . . . he figured a dark brown for light woods: http://tsukineko.com.xohost.com/store/cart.php?m=product_detail&skip=&p=3242 and a butter cream for darker woods: http://tsukineko.com.xohost.com/store/cart.php?m=product_detail&skip=&p=4218

Once I get it, I'll test it out. I'm sure it will be fine if I'm spraying a finish on, but I'm wondering how it would do with a wipe on finish.

-Brian

[richard poitras]

Anyone who is using a stamp. Do you stamp under the finish I assume? And if so, do you have trouble with smearing when you apply any particular finish?

I have used a stamp for about 8 years; I have never had trouble with the ink smearing (I just used whatever ink pad they had at the office supply house. I always stamp my work after I put on the stain then I lightly put on some top coat in that area. Works great and is a quick way to mark your work.

Richard

[Jack Camillo]

I think the wood medalions are a great idea. I agree a bit expensive, but at least available. There was a place in the UK, "Makers Mark," that did very nice engraved metal labels. I once had him do a sample picture and email to me, but I couldn't decide on a design and come up with the money to order for a few months. When I did finally decide and have the money, the guy apparently didn't want my business. I've always wondered if anyone else got anything from him. It certainly appeared to be very classy stuff.

[Mike Tidd]

I too was looking at Vidi Makers mark and then came across this thread http://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=36490, so perhaps you saved yourself some grief . Shame really, as his work certainly looks the business, so long as you can afford it!

[Jack Camillo]

Thanks, Mike. Interesting.

[Scott Hildenbrand]

Well, I got my stamps in today. I ordered from rubberstamps.net (http://rubberstamps.net) and got two unmounted stamps.

They're nicely cut and have a good amount of detail to them which honored my intricate design above really well. From the looks of them, they were cut on a CNC style machine.. The feed lines run left to right, which is consistent with an image being turned into g-code.

I've got foam laying around that will work well for mounting, and MDF all over since I'm working on the fireplace. Will mount them when I get a chance and test them out.

I did end up making a second, smaller design based closely off the first... One stamp is 3" tall by 4" wide.. Awfully large.. Has a space for a date under my name.. The second is smaller at 1.5" by 3"..

So for better or worse, I'll be stamping what I do.. It may be crap, but I'm proud of it regardless.... ;)

http://pics.fuzzywolf.com/stamps.gif

[Lee Schierer]

I use a branding iron my mother bought me as a present and embed a penny of the current year on each piece that I make. The brand is permanent and looks nice if you don't get carried away with the heat. I figure a penny is too small a denomination for some kid to pry out in the future for spending money. Quarters, dollars or Toonies may get yanked by some uncaring individual in the future. Most people receiving the items I make are pleased with the penny.

[Scott Hildenbrand]

I might upgrade to an iron down the road, provided I can duplicate the brand I made above in iron form and moreover, that my work improves beyond it's current state and at which it deserves more than just some lowly ink. ;)

[Sean Hughto]

I typically chip carve something in an inconspicuous place - bottom, back, etc.:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3650/3298625347_75ca38e2b4.jpg