Making a Sign from Pallet Wood
Its my hope to help you with this project. Each sign is about a days work, which you can spread out over time.
I started out by taking my reciprocating saw, some people call them 'Sawzall's'. Thats not a correct name and would be like calling a facial tissue 'Kleenex'. Anyway I find that the reciprocating saw works best for removing boards from the pallet. Ive made other signs using larger pieces of wood from pallets, something like this:
However for this I wanted to do something different. My original intent was to make a 12-14" square wood base with stenciling and paint something on it to give some pop. Well, it didn't work out that way. First of all I had never painted before so, that was new. Then I didn't know what finish to go with.
A couple of months ago I read a story about using vinegar and steel wool to age wood. The story specifically said that the vinegar would change color as the solution developed. Mine didn't. I used a quart Ball jar and the solution was as clear as water. So, I didn't bother with it.
Fast forward and now I had some fresh boards, which you could tell were fresh. So I decided to use this vinegar, and had no hope that it would work. I was so wrong, it worked beautifully.
Ok, so here's the process so far. I took 3 14"scrap boards, and joined them using a
doweling jig and 5/16th's dowels, and Titebond wood glue. When the glue dried, I power sanded using a
belt sander and a hand sander.
Next I applied the vinegar solution and let it dry.
Next I changed my mind...lol. I decided that I could make something different, so I planned on cutting the original board in two. I also decided that I would whitewash the finish.
The whitewash was simply a white paint I used from Home Depot. I took a couple a couple table spoons and added water to make a runny slurry. Taking a old small piece of rag I washed the board, then wiped it down. I did this twice and the finish turned out great.
Now for the moment of truth. I bought some acrylic paints and started learning how to paint. The font I used for the lettering is called Papyrus.
Hope this can help you with project.
