# A short tutorial on routing freehand signs



## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Over a period of time I've noticed that many new forum members raise questions about sign making, so hopefully this short tutorial showing how I make signs will be helpful.
This is but one of many uses for the ski mounted router, which is controlled by the end cheeks, ensuring constant depth of cut and huge mechanical advantage over controlling with the router's own handles. If I, as a 78 year old can do it, all the younger newcomers will find it a breeze.
Here is a zip file of the project:


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## dutchman 46 (May 23, 2007)

As usual, Harry The tut. was top notched! How do You find the time to do this, and all the other things You do?


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Harry

NICE Job but I do suggest you add a zip/pdf file to your post "How to make a Ski jig" now many members will see why the ski jig is a great tool for the router 


=======



harrysin said:


> Over a period of time I've noticed that many new forum members raise questions about sign making, so hopefully this short tutorial showing how I make signs will be helpful.
> This is but one of many uses for the ski mounted router, which is controlled by the end cheeks, ensuring constant depth of cut and huge mechanical advantage over controlling with the router's own handles. If I, as a 78 year old can do it, all the younger newcomers will find it a breeze.


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## Al Robins (Jul 13, 2009)

Well done Harry.....good, easy to read and understand....and like BJ said...the skis make it that much easier........AL


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## N'awlins77 (Feb 25, 2011)

Cool! Thanks Harry! Looks like I'll be building a ski jig soon! Although, I don't think my Ridgid router has those holes for the ski rods to go through the base. I think I checked both the fix and the plunge base. I guess this means I need another router?


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Thanks Harry,

great tutorial, as usual.....

PS where is the .zip file.......VBG


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Lee


You can't have to many routers but you can use a carrier plate to hold the router and not use the holes in the router base plate 


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N'awlins77 said:


> Cool! Thanks Harry! Looks like I'll be building a ski jig soon! Although, I don't think my Ridgid router has those holes for the ski rods to go through the base. I think I checked both the fix and the plunge base. I guess this means I need another router?


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

dutchman 46 said:


> As usual, Harry The tut. was top notched! How do You find the time to do this, and all the other things You do?


I'm determined Howard to avoid Alzheimer's and by keeping active I stand a good chance.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

bobj3 said:


> Hi Harry
> 
> NICE Job but I do suggest you add a zip/pdf file to your post "How to make a Ski jig" now many members will see why the ski jig is a great tool for the router
> 
> ...


Your suggestion is as good as a command my friend.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

jw2170 said:


> Thanks Harry,
> 
> great tutorial, as usual.....
> 
> PS where is the .zip file.......VBG


What zip file James?


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

My thanks to you all for not simply yawning.


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## N'awlins77 (Feb 25, 2011)

Carrier plate?



bobj3 said:


> Hi Lee
> 
> 
> You can't have to many routers but you can use a carrier plate to hold the router and not use the holes in the router base plate
> ...


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## John Venture (Jul 3, 2011)

I would think something like that which can potentially adapt to any tool: 

wolfcraft.de/jcatalog_generated/fr/products/product_groups/16651_product.html

By the way Harry it'd be nice to add a video of how you're using your skis, I'm having a hard time figuring how you've routed the edge of all those letters in 10 minutes!

In fact I'm not sure I've completely understood how the system works, is it like mimicing what a printer does? (as in route an entire line then lower to the second line)


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## dutchman 46 (May 23, 2007)

I don't think that You will have to worry about that, My friend! You seem to run on all 12 cylinders


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

harrysin said:


> What zip file James?



Thanks, Harry.......:dance3:


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

John Venture said:


> I would think something like that which can potentially adapt to any tool:
> 
> wolfcraft.de/jcatalog_generated/fr/products/product_groups/16651_product.html
> 
> ...


John, the start of such a project requires a computer program which allows you to select a text style also the text size, I use "Corel Print House" which I've had for many years. The photographs start by showing how the banner printout is taped to the wood with carbon paper between. The router is locked to the ski rods and the complete assembly is moved in all directions by holding the end cheeks. Because the background is going to be removed, the bit can enter from the edge as shown in this shot. Because the skis give perfect control of the router, it's easy to control around the outlines and can be "inched" when moving into a tight space.
I hope this explanation has helped you to understand the process, if not, just keep asking, no questions are considered stupid on this forum.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Lee

=====



N'awlins77 said:


> Carrier plate?


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## N'awlins77 (Feb 25, 2011)

Oh ok, I can do that!! Thanks Bob!!





bobj3 said:


> Hi Lee
> 
> =====


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## darrink (Sep 7, 2009)

N'awlins77 said:


> Oh ok, I can do that!! Thanks Bob!!


Lee,
Here is the way I did mine. BJ's can be made out of items from local hardware store, so it's a simpler solution. This one requires aluminum rails, and is rock solid.

Thanks!


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## N'awlins77 (Feb 25, 2011)

Darrin, too cool!


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## darrink (Sep 7, 2009)

harrysin said:


> ........If I, as a 78 year old can do it, all the younger newcomers will find it a breeze.


Harry, I will take that as a challenge and see if this 45 year old can do it. As a matter of fact, I may even put aside some other projects to do it. What are the dimensions of your sign, just to keep things fair and all? 


d


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Darrin, I just went out to the shed to measure it as it's mounted on the side of the shed so that Marlene doesn't forget where to take all the cups of coffee! It measures 19.5" x 3.5" and I'm sure that we all expect something really special, based on your past performance.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi

Just one more way to make the Ski jig, it's almost the same as Darrin's with a small diff.no need for brackets needed to hold and support the plate that the router is bolted to the slots are just the right size for the router table plate, the neat thing if you have your router mounted in your router table all you need to is pop it out and slip in right into the Alum.rails, then once you are done with the planer jig pop your router back into the table..

You can get the Alum.rails from the ebay seller (80-20 ) cheap and from 12" long to 60" long, one jig for many jobs..by the way no sag at all unlike the rod way.
Just a note the plate can move to the left or the right in the rails
with a small bolt in the track the router as a stop point if needed.

Plate used from below
All-In-One Router Plate Kit

http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shop...tacc1.html#All_In_One_router_plate_kit_anchor

Rails from below
http://stores.ebay.com/8020-Inc-Gar...=6479546&_sid=129537225&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322
http://www.ebay.com/itm/8020-T-Slot...721?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item334bfa8291

Just one more note Teflon tape on the bottom of the feet so can move free and easy on the plywood sub table.. 

=======


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## Santé (Jan 14, 2010)

Do you think that an assembly like the drawing would have the same result for a router with 8 mm bars?
Thanks Harry for all your help


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## rwl7532 (Sep 8, 2011)

What's not clear yet for me is how do you see the lines with the big router in the way? Is it raised up enough so you see the bit clearly?


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Ralph

If you are talking to me, this setup you see is for planing wood down and you don't need to see the bit the norm but it can also be use like normal ski jig, in the plate you will see a BIG 4" snap out plate ring that can be remove so you can see the bit under the router but I have other routers with lights on them to make it easy to see what you are doing under the router motor..

Other routers I use , are T4 with light, Craftsman and a On Point setup.

On-Point Universal Laser Guided Router Plate

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rwl7532 said:


> What's not clear yet for me is how do you see the lines with the big router in the way? Is it raised up enough so you see the bit clearly?


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## rwl7532 (Sep 8, 2011)

bobj3 said:


> Hi Ralph
> 
> If you are talking to me, this setup you see is for planing wood down and you don't need to see the bit the norm but it can also be use like normal ski jig, in the plate you will see a BIG 4" snap out plate ring that can be remove so you can see the bit under the router but I have other routers with lights on them to make it easy to see what you are doing under the router motor..
> 
> ...


That's helpful, Thanks.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Santé said:


> Do you think that an assembly like the drawing would have the same result for a router with 8 mm bars?
> Thanks Harry for all your help


Greetings Daniel, it's been a while since we last "talked". As shown, the two 8mm rods supporting the router, so long as the main rods are substantial, like 12mm or 1/2" will have no difficulty supporting a "real"outer like the Makita 3612C, I guarantee it! For such a set-up, which I think is quite elegant, main rods over about 28" would be problematical. Thanks for your kind comments. Both yourself and Bj keep coming up with interesting ideas.
As an aside, you may recall that I often promote full size ski assemblies and stress that because of the mechanical advantage over operating using the router's own handles, the control is quite amazing. I proved this conclusively yesterday by freehand routing a sign using small skis, just 12" wide and it was very difficult to control the router and I ended up with lots of rippled edges plus it was slow compared to signs that I've made with full size skis. I'll be posting a photo-shoot of this new sign in a day or two.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

"Just one more note Teflon tape on the bottom of the feet so can move free and easy on the plywood sub table."


Just an observation Bob, my own experience is that some friction gives better control, very low friction has the tendency for the router to overshoot, I use iron-on plastic edging strip sliding on a chipboard sacrificial bench top.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Harry

I guess I should call it like it is. 
UHMW Slick Tape 
UHMW Plastic Sheets and Strips

I did try the banding stuff and it would peel up/off on the ends in short order, the saw/router dust on the top for me gives it a bit of a drag..
Plus I could not find any of the banding stuff 1" wide ..that I needed..I'm sure they make it but I'm a cheap SOB.. 

=========



harrysin said:


> "Just one more note Teflon tape on the bottom of the feet so can move free and easy on the plywood sub table."
> 
> 
> Just an observation Bob, my own experience is that some friction gives better control, very low friction has the tendency for the router to overshoot, I use iron-on plastic edging strip sliding on a chipboard sacrificial bench top.


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## stan mashek (Sep 15, 2011)

Thanks so much for you great layout.. stan m.


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## Dick Turpin (Aug 11, 2011)

Hi Harry,
Thanks for putting this thread on I can see know to make a sign is easier than falling of a log,

Eric


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## the dukester (May 23, 2011)

Stan,

I'm intrigued by the "free hand" sign but I'm a bit confused (easily done with my small brain). I don't quite understand how you move the router around the letters using what appears to be the router in only a side-to-side position. I am obviously missing something. I would like to try my hand at making a sign but could use an explanation. 

"You'll miss 100% of the shots never taken"


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Thanks guys I appreciate your kind remarks.
With router skis, they are operated by holding the end cheeks with the router locked to the rails, the length of the rods give considerable mechanical advantage plus the router is set with clearance to the work-piece for better vision and waste removal, even by just blowing! Never be shy to ask questions on this forum, no question is considered stupid, but I would ask that you complete your public profile, it's nice to know who we're talking to!


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## kolias (Dec 26, 2008)

Great tutorial and well documented,

Thanks Harry


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## telecarver1 (Sep 25, 2009)

One thing to consider is that if the sign is for exterior use, shellac or lacquer will not hold up to sunlight or weather. A good spar urethane with UV inhibitors would be a better choice for exterior use.


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## telecarver1 (Sep 25, 2009)

I route my signs by using the router base directly on the wood. For visibility I have an extra router base that I cut out the front of and I mount a piece of teflon on the the base so it slides easier.


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## telecarver1 (Sep 25, 2009)

Here's a link to the signs I do. Hand Carved Custom Wood Signs
Check out more of what I do on my You Tube channel at this link: carvedbyramsey's Channel - YouTube
I will be posting video tutorials on sign routing and carving so subscribe to my channel for updates.


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## kolias (Dec 26, 2008)

And what is the painting process if you want to paint the sign with 3 or more different colors?


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## telecarver1 (Sep 25, 2009)

kolias said:


> And what is the painting process if you want to paint the sign with 3 or more different colors?


Prime the areas you want to paint and paint them whatever color you choose.


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## kolias (Dec 26, 2008)

telecarver1 said:


> Prime the areas you want to paint and paint them whatever color you choose.


That is understood but if you have a large sign with lets say 3 different colors (one color for the background, one for the letters and another for a motif) are you going to paint each color with a tinny brush? It will take forever plus you may miss some spots and make a mesh 

There must be an easier way


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## glwatson (Aug 31, 2011)

*making skis*

I enjoyed the tutorial of how to mke the ski ..Great job of showing how to.
Thanks


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

The Badge Man said:


> Hi Harry,
> Thanks for putting this thread on I can see know to make a sign is easier than falling of a log,
> 
> Eric


Welcome to the forum, Eric


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

stan mashek said:


> Thanks so much for you great layout.. stan m.


Welcome to the forum, Stan


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## acollert (Sep 9, 2011)

very nice tutorial


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

telecarver1 said:


> One thing to consider is that if the sign is for exterior use, shellac or lacquer will not hold up to sunlight or weather. A good spar urethane with UV inhibitors would be a better choice for exterior use.


Now you tell me Ron, you're three years too late! Notice the sign in the background that I made about three years ago, it didn't fare too well in our harsh Western Australian conditions so I've just recalled it for refurbishment or replacement.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

telecarver1 said:


> I route my signs by using the router base directly on the wood. For visibility I have an extra router base that I cut out the front of and I mount a piece of teflon on the the base so it slides easier.


Your method is providing great results however, I wonder what and how much faster the results would be using skis!


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

telecarver1 said:


> Here's a link to the signs I do. Hand Carved Custom Wood Signs
> Check out more of what I do on my You Tube channel at this link: carvedbyramsey's Channel - YouTube
> I will be posting video tutorials on sign routing and carving so subscribe to my channel for updates.


Ron, to say that your work is of world class standard will not come as news to you, I doubt that CNC routers are capable of producing better. Unfortunately most members of the forum, myself included will NEVER acquire comparable skills, such artistic abilities are not taught, a few lucky people are born with them and art schools are only able to teach such people techniques.


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## telecarver1 (Sep 25, 2009)

kolias said:


> That is understood but if you have a large sign with lets say 3 different colors (one color for the background, one for the letters and another for a motif) are you going to paint each color with a tinny brush? It will take forever plus you may miss some spots and make a mesh
> 
> There must be an easier way


Making a large routed sign can be a time consuming process. There are some tricks to speed things up but in my experience, producing a quality sign takes a lot of tedious work.

Paint the background first. You can use a large brush or you can spray the background. Make sure you get all of the sides of the letters. It doesn't matter if you get paint on the letters but smooth out the over-brush so it doesn't show up as lumps under the surface of the finish layer. Then you can roll or paint the letters with a brush. I prefer to brush them. It takes some practice but it goes pretty quickly and there is less mess. If the background is dark, re-prime the over-brush with a light primer or vise versa. For the finish paint coat on the letters, start by dripping a pool of paint in the center of the letter and then spread the paint to the edge making sure the paint is not so thick at the edge to drip over. Make sure the paint is spread evenly. It should be as thick as needed to cover but no thicker. If it's put on to thickly, it can dry unevenly resulting in a mottled finish. Touch up any drips with the background color. Use the same technique for logos or borders. If you want a natural wood border, sand off the over spray or oops drips and finish with a penetrating sealer, exterior spar urethane or Sikkens. Remember that the paint will outlast the clear finish so a natural wood border will require regular maintenance. The same goes for any natural wood sign finishes. The sun is the finish's worst enemy and clear finishes break down much quicker than paint in the sun.


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## kolias (Dec 26, 2008)

Thank you Ron for the info, I now understand that its a difficult and time consuming job to finish a sign. I haven't made any painted signs but I made some as a hobby to play with my CNC.

Once I was told that first you paint all the sign with any color you want and then you cover it with a self adhesive vinyl. Then you router the design and before you remove the vinyl you paint the design with any other color. Sounds good but I found 2 major problems with this method

First the router bit melts the vinyl as you cut the sign even at 8K RPM and second when you pull the vinyl to remove it, it pulls also some of the paint.

Perhaps there are special vinyls for this job but in my area I tried a few ones with the same results


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## telecarver1 (Sep 25, 2009)

harrysin said:


> Your method is providing great results however, I wonder what and how much faster the results would be using skis!


I'm not sure I understand what advantage the skis bring to the process if you are routing freehand. It seems to me that the skis would create more drag making it harder to control the router. It also seems to me that they would limit the size of sign that you could carve.

Another thing to consider is the bit you are using. A straight bit with a flat bottom will tend to wander more easily than a pointed or tapered bit when tracing letters.


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## telecarver1 (Sep 25, 2009)

harrysin said:


> Ron, to say that your work is of world class standard will not come as news to you, I doubt that CNC routers are capable of producing better. Unfortunately most members of the forum, myself included will NEVER acquire comparable skills, such artistic abilities are not taught, a few lucky people are born with them and art schools are only able to teach such people techniques.



Thank you for the compliment, however I don't consider myself to have been born with artistic abilities. I have been doing it professionally for 40 years and have acquired my skills by repetition. It's true that many of the people on the forum may not have the time to develop design skills but I have taught students in a couple of days the techniques and use of tools to produce a very sophisticated sign. My techniques of efficiently using tools can be learned by anyone in a short amount of time.


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## telecarver1 (Sep 25, 2009)

kolias said:


> Thank you Ron for the info, I now understand that its a difficult and time consuming job to finish a sign. I haven't made any painted signs but I made some as a hobby to play with my CNC.
> 
> Once I was told that first you paint all the sign with any color you want and then you cover it with a self adhesive vinyl. Then you router the design and before you remove the vinyl you paint the design with any other color. Sounds good but I found 2 major problems with this method
> 
> ...


Nicolas, I have heard of the technique you describe however I have never tried it myself. I do know that those who do it this way use a special sign making vinyl that they purchase from a sign supply company. It has to be applied to a very smooth primed and painted surface and squeegeed down well so that it makes a bubble free contact.


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## rwl7532 (Sep 8, 2011)

While not routed or carved, an option for a large wood sign is the sandblast process.
The wood is prepped and then sent out for the sandblasting.
Prep would be gluing up the wood for a blank, applying and cutting the mask (a thick rubberized product).

After the sandblasting comes the staining and painting.

For the sign attached I did all of the above except the sandblasting.


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## Peter Sanders (Sep 16, 2007)

Hi

Great info and tutorial.

Why not use a spray adhesive and stick the printed sign to the wood and use this printed sign as the routing guide lines?

This would save the time and effort (and steady hand) needed in transferring the sign shape to the wood via carbon paper.

The printed sign could of course be just the outline of the text and would not have to be the nice sign as seen in your tutorial 

(of course in some cases it would be necessary to have the text area filled in so that the correct areas and correct sides of the line are routed).

Kind regards

Peter


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## Peter Sanders (Sep 16, 2007)

Hi



telecarver1 said:


> I'm not sure I understand what advantage the skis bring to the process if you are routing freehand. It seems to me that the skis would create more drag making it harder to control the router. It also seems to me that they would limit the size of sign that you could carve.
> 
> Another thing to consider is the bit you are using. A straight bit with a flat bottom will tend to wander more easily than a pointed or tapered bit when tracing letters.



The use of skis in this task makes the job easier. It actually makes control of the router much finer and the length of the ski arms change the ratio of hand movement to bit movement.

The leverage of the ski arm length allows the user to move the end of the ski much further with a small movement of the router bit. Doing the same task with the built in router handles is more difficult because the distance between the handle and the router bit is much shorter.

A flat bottomed 1/8" router bit has a decreased ability to cause the router to wander than larger bit sizes. The combination of the small router bit with a greatly increased leverage of handles about 2' (600mm) or more apart does provide complete and very fine control over the router and potential wander.

kind regards

Peter


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

telecarver1 said:


> I'm not sure I understand what advantage the skis bring to the process if you are routing freehand. It seems to me that the skis would create more drag making it harder to control the router. It also seems to me that they would limit the size of sign that you could carve.
> 
> Another thing to consider is the bit you are using. A straight bit with a flat bottom will tend to wander more easily than a pointed or tapered bit when tracing letters.


Ron, how can the relatively small surface area of the ski ends, cause more drag than the surface of the router base sitting on the sign to be. I've mentioned so often that the laws of physics dictates that a single point can be more accurately controlled if it's controlling points are 27.5" apart rather than 9", just think of a see saw that was only 2' long compared to perhaps 10'. I also have mentioned several times that it's better to have a little friction on the ski ends which ensures that the router has no tendency to overshoot.
I've yet to hear from a member who has made skis and has found no advantage.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Peter Sanders said:


> Hi
> 
> Great info and tutorial.
> 
> ...


I see no problem with your suggested method Peter, but then I've found no problem with the method shown that I've used for a long time with success. We used to have a TV advertisement here which ended with the words:"when you're on to a good thing, stick to it"! At age 78, I have no difficulty tracing the outlines. Don't get the idea that I'm not open to new ideas, I learn new things regularly, especially on this forum, so please, if you do make a sign using your suggested method, let us know how it went.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Peter Sanders said:


> Hi
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thank you Peter for confirming what I've been repeating over and over again.


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## mstoltz (Sep 17, 2011)

Peter Sanders said:


> Hi
> 
> Great info and tutorial.
> 
> ...


I have tryed this, i used spray glue, i dont know if this is the same.
The problem was that after a while the paper with my guidelines was ripped off from the board by my router and the air coming from the routerbit, maybe the glue was dry enough, i dont know.

And one more thing, the routerbit was full with tiny bits of glue and was all sticky.

But i will give this one more try, beacurse its a very easy and fast way to make the outline for the sign, and can help alot.

Today i either use layout letters, that i have cut out with my scrollsaw both 1 inch, 1½, and 2 inch letters.
I then lay them out on the board spelling the word or name that i want, then spray a thin mist of black paint from a spraycan.
Then when its dry, i take the letters from the board and the letters outline remains so i know what to rout.

Or i use carbonpaper.

But the most effective way i think is to just print out the sign and glue it to the board, then you can paint the signs letters with a spraycan and also there wont be so much paint around the letters beacurse the paper is still on the board but the letters will be painted, and it wont be so much sanding to.

If someone else have done this with good results, then please let me/us know, and how you did it.

Once again, im sorry if my english is bad but i hope that you can understand what i mean 

Take care!

Morgan Stoltz, Sweden
morrissigns.n.nu


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

There is no problem with your English or suggested methods Morgan, as we say, "there are more ways to skin a cat than one" Don't worry if you don't understand the real meaning of that because I never have!


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## mstoltz (Sep 17, 2011)

I understood that and its true. Every person have there way to do signs that works for them, that we have to respect. 
But...if we can work together and give hint and tips to each other, maybe some of all the hint and tip can be very useful  

Greetings from Sweden
Morgan 
Morrissigns.n.nu


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## jschaben (Jun 21, 2009)

mstoltz said:


> I understood that and its true. Every person have there way to do signs that works for them, that we have to respect.
> But...if we can work together and give hint and tips to each other, maybe some of all the hint and tip can be very useful
> 
> Greetings from Sweden
> ...


Hi Morgan - Welcome to the forum
I've used your system and it works pretty well. I use this glue:
Elmer's Craft Bond Spray Mount Adhesive for Multi-Purpose Use
Don't know if it's available in Sweden though but maybe something similar is. The instructions say to spray the paper and the surface you are applying it to for a permanent bond which is what I do. Once set up, you shouldn't have any problem with the your guidlines tearing off. The glue will get on the bit though. It will clean off the bit and the sign with paint thinner/mineral spirits. You can also seal the sign with spray acrylic, just a light coat to make it easier to remove glue residue and paint overspray. A light sanding will then remove the acrylic.


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## telecarver1 (Sep 25, 2009)

mstoltz said:


> But the most effective way i think is to just print out the sign and glue it to the board, then you can paint the signs letters with a spraycan and also there wont be so much paint around the letters beacurse the paper is still on the board but the letters will be painted, and it wont be so much sanding to.
> 
> Morgan Stoltz, Sweden
> morrissigns.n.nu


I don't understand. Are you describing routed in letters or are you saying you spray paint the board prior to gluing on the pattern?


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## mstoltz (Sep 17, 2011)

telecarver1 said:


> I don't understand. Are you describing routed in letters or are you saying you spray paint the board prior to gluing on the pattern?


Hi.
Sorry if my English is bad.
What I mean is that I do the word in the computer and print it out . Then a glue it to the board. Now I know where to rout the letters.

After I'm done routing out the letters, I spraypaint the letters in black.
Then I remove the paper and sand the sign.

I hope I explained it right  

Morgan
morrissigns.n.nu


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## Eusibius2 (Feb 25, 2010)

Yeah, I'm a bit confused too... how do you see the letters when outlining using the router on skis (as shown)?


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## telecarver1 (Sep 25, 2009)

mstoltz said:


> Hi.
> Sorry if my English is bad.
> What I mean is that I do the word in the computer and print it out . Then a glue it to the board. Now I know where to rout the letters.
> 
> ...


So what is what you are saying is that you rout the letters into the wood rather than tracing around them and removing the background?


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## mstoltz (Sep 17, 2011)

Hi 
Yes that's what I mean. 
But you can also do outset letter this way.

Just to be clear, I only tried this one time and it didn't went so good. But there is people who has done it with great results.

I often use carbon paper or layout letters that I cut out on my scrollsaw.

You can see some of my signs I made on my website : 
www.morrissigns.n.nu 

Some signs are in Swedish but you can use googles translate if you want to know what it says.

Greetings from Sweden 
Morgan 
www.morrissigns.n.nu


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Eusibius2 said:


> Yeah, I'm a bit confused too... how do you see the letters when outlining using the router on skis (as shown)?


First of all I use a Makita router which has a large opening and this combined with a light as shown and the clearance between the router and the wood, which allows the swarfe to clear and not collect in the routers base all make viewing what the bit is doing infinitely better than sitting the router on the wood.


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## zarpman (Oct 30, 2011)

Harry, Just started to understand how the ski system works from your pictures. You really are a talented craftsman and I wish I had a little of your experience to make signs like you do. This weekend I am going to try and make the ski for my router if I can find 12 MM rod. The stores I have looked in only have smaller or larger diameters. Have to get going and thanks again for some of your knowledge and experience, God Bless, zarpman Melbourne, Fl.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Thank you kind sir, you are very kind. I'm sure that you know that even a no-hoper, if repeating an operation often enough will develop expertise and because I'm 78, I really have repeated most things many times, and because I don't think that I was a no-hoper to start with, it helped things along!


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## KenBee (Jan 1, 2011)

rwl7532 said:


> What's not clear yet for me is how do you see the lines with the big router in the way? Is it raised up enough so you see the bit clearly?



Or you could build a base plate out of 1/4 or 3/8 inch thick Lexan. I have converted all of my router base plates to both round and square Lexan that weren't already clear also with the ability to use PC style guides in all of them. The same applies to the base plate for the ski that Bobj designed, or any ski for that matter. I don't have a ski and am not entirely certain I want or need one for that matter. If I were to build one I would certainly base it on either Bob's or Darrin's design due to the absolute stability they offer as well as the ability to stabilize the router in place or slide the router from end to end depending on the usage. To me using a Lexan base plate is a no brainer simply for the vision control it offers and also the simplicity of adding light to it if you don't have a router with built in lights.

Interestingly enough I have began to use almost as much Lexan in my shop as I do wood for my jigs and fixtures, where it is applicable of course. Long before I got into woodworking I built a custom computer case out of Lexan but ended up selling it for a tidy profit. So you see I like to work with Lexan due to its versatility even though it isn't as forgiving as wood when sawed or routed without the proper tools designed to work with acrylics.


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