# Painting a logo, sealing for sea use



## JohnFleming (Jun 25, 2013)

I'm currently working on a small woodworking project that includes some stuff I've never done before.

I want to paint a small logo onto a wooden box, then seal it/protect it for use on a boat. This would be given as a gift to a relative who does a lot of sea sailing, and the box would be a nice item to have below deck (not directly in contact with seawater).

The logo would be a single color, probably black, custom designed and around 2 inches square in size. There would be a little bit of detail involved, so I thought a stencil might be the best way to go, but I've never done that before. Is there a simple stencil system that would work well for my purposes, or is there a better way to go?

The second thing I'm wondering about is the best way to seal up the wood after I put the logo on. I've done some work with polyeurethane, and I would guess that would be OK, but I'd love to hear any other suggestions.

Thanks!


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## Gaffboat (Mar 11, 2012)

I liked to use Sikkens Cetol Marine wood finish on my sailboat. It is a synthetic that is applies with a brush and needs no sanding between coats. It gives bare wood an orange-ish brown cast that I found pleasant. It is formulated for marine use above the waterline for those who want low-maintenance brightwork. 

For the logo you could make a reverse-image laser printout of your artwork and transfer it to the wood with an iron. Then use that as guide for routing or just hand painting the logo. A stencil seems like a lot of work that won't give you crisp edges unless you get a sign maker to cut you a vinyl stencil. Dan (L Town Graphics) could probably advise better on that technique.


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## JohnFleming (Jun 25, 2013)

Gaffboat said:


> I liked to use Sikkens Cetol Marine wood finish on my sailboat. It is a synthetic that is applies with a brush and needs no sanding between coats. It gives bare wood an orange-ish brown cast that I found pleasant. It is formulated for marine use above the waterline for those who want low-maintenance brightwork.
> 
> For the logo you could make a reverse-image laser printout of your artwork and transfer it to the wood with an iron. Then use that as guide for routing or just hand painting the logo. A stencil seems like a lot of work that won't give you crisp edges unless you get a sign maker to cut you a vinyl stencil. Dan (L Town Graphics) could probably advise better on that technique.


That's great advice on both fronts. Thanks very much.


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