So here is the concept sketch that I was given to price this sign for Santa's Village In Jefferson NH.
For the purpose of this blog post I will only be concentrating on the support post for this piece.
The way this is drawn the designer specifies a stained wood 6"x 6" post magically coming out of this masonry base, then a 4"x 4" horizontal piece also stained wood to pierce through the center of the vertical post.
For the purpose of this blog post I will only be concentrating on the support post for this piece.
The way this is drawn the designer specifies a stained wood 6"x 6" post magically coming out of this masonry base, then a 4"x 4" horizontal piece also stained wood to pierce through the center of the vertical post.
Well the problems, to list a few are:
- wood coming out of a masonry base will rot out in a very short period of time.
- if it was to be pressure treated post it would shrink, split and twist as it dried out.
- the joint were the 6"x 6" and the 4"x 4" meet is somewhat impossible to achieve and have a strong joint that won't trap water and again rot over a short period of time.
The solution: use steel for the sub structure and then make it look like wood.
I used a 4"x 4" steel tube for the vertical, and a 2"x 2" for the horizontal pc. Plasma cut holes through the 4" pc. then slid the 2" piece through it and welded it in place.
I used a 4"x 4" steel tube for the vertical, and a 2"x 2" for the horizontal pc. Plasma cut holes through the 4" pc. then slid the 2" piece through it and welded it in place.
To the left is my drawing of how I saw the guts of this support to work.
The masonry base has a piece of 3-1/2"x 3-1/2" steel tube set in the stone work. then the post that I make slides down over the 3-1/2" post.
Done! no rotting, shrinking, twisting, it's easier to fabricate as separate components, easier to install and easy to remove for winter storage or refinishing. Hopefully the latter will not be for quite a few years.
The masonry base has a piece of 3-1/2"x 3-1/2" steel tube set in the stone work. then the post that I make slides down over the 3-1/2" post.
Done! no rotting, shrinking, twisting, it's easier to fabricate as separate components, easier to install and easy to remove for winter storage or refinishing. Hopefully the latter will not be for quite a few years.
How do you get the steel to look like wood?
Using My Multicam CNC Router and Enroute software I was able to route the wood grain texture into the surface Of High Density Urethane foam.
I mitered the corners and wrapped the steel with the texured foam.
see the pictures below:
Using My Multicam CNC Router and Enroute software I was able to route the wood grain texture into the surface Of High Density Urethane foam.
I mitered the corners and wrapped the steel with the texured foam.
see the pictures below:
working towards the finished product here is the connection were vertical and horizontal meet.
In this shot the post has been primed and the first base coat of paint has been applied.
It will get another base coat, then a glaze coat that will really make it look like stained wood and finally a couple of clear coats for protection.
In this shot the post has been primed and the first base coat of paint has been applied.
It will get another base coat, then a glaze coat that will really make it look like stained wood and finally a couple of clear coats for protection.
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