# Sign, sign, how do I build a sign...?



## Buckster (Dec 4, 2019)

Hi, guys. New forum member here. Also, back to modeling after a ~35 year hiatus.

I'd like to make a "Welcome to Maggieville" sign (Maggie's my daughter) for the layout that she and I are building. You know how small towns have such signs with the various club emblems and whatnot around them.

I'd greatly appreciate any pointers on the best way to approach this. I was thinking I'd fashion the structure out of balsa wood and maybe try to do the graphics on my computer and print onto a decal sheet. Or... maybe there's an easier way?

Thanks!


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## Theamazingswal (Dec 14, 2017)

What style sign do you want to create?
George


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## Buckster (Dec 4, 2019)

Hi! More of the first one. I haven't closely defined it, but I'm going to aim for a bit of a 1950's feel to the layout, so I think a wooden sign is more apt.


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## Theamazingswal (Dec 14, 2017)

OK I tried to create a sign modeled after the first one. This is what I came up with. I don't like balsa wood, I used styrene. I placed it on my layout to get a sense of scale. Kind of hard to see the town's name in ho scale. The brick welcome sign may be better with the larger print. 

George


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## Buckster (Dec 4, 2019)

Yeah! That looks great. That's exactly the effect I'm going for. You get styrene at your local hobby store? I've never worked with it before but have read about it. It does seem like it's probably easier.


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## Theamazingswal (Dec 14, 2017)

Buck it's found in most hobby stores on racks like the below photo. I hope your have a few other projects that require it because you'll be wasting a lot of the product on one little sign. I use it for many of my projects. Good luck I hope this helps.

George


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## Buckster (Dec 4, 2019)

Thank you! Yes, I plan on doing many, many projects beyond this sign.


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## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

Evergreen styrene is great stuff to work with, just make sure you get the right glue for it. I have quite a pile of packages with various sizes of pieces and use it for everything from creating full buildings to adding minute detail pieces. You can also order it online, but then you have to pay for shipping.


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## Buckster (Dec 4, 2019)

Thanks, Shdwdrgn. What glue do you recommend?


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## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

When you pick up the styrene from the hobby shop, ask them for something. I think the stuff is just a thinned version of airplane glue, but it looks like water in the bottle and should have an application brush. I really like the green bottle of "extra thin" from Tamiya, you just paint a little around the edges and capillary action does the rest.

I forgot to mention, look around here, there was a recent thread (last week or over the weekend) discussing using MS Word to make signs. You should be able to find a lot of good tips one printing b&w or full color signs that can be pasted to your framework and then sealed.


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## Buckster (Dec 4, 2019)

Groovy! Thanks


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## Theamazingswal (Dec 14, 2017)

Buck if you stroll down a few posts in this section to Scratch Built Station I built nearly the entire station except for the windows with Evergreen styrene.

George


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## Buckster (Dec 4, 2019)

I just checked it out. That's good craftsmanship there. Thanks for sharing.


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## DaveInTheHat (Nov 13, 2011)

I made this sign in Adobe Illustrator and printed it out on an index card. It's glued to a piece of wood with spray adhesive. The posts are made from fancy toothpicks.


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## Buckster (Dec 4, 2019)

Hey, Dave. That looks really good! Thanks for sharing.


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## Dennis461 (Jan 5, 2018)

You can do a good job with a printer and paper, not a decal.
The key points are to pick thin paper, cut the sign out with sharp hobby knife, use very little glue when applying it to prevent wrinkles.

This war poster is .75" wide.


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## Panther (Oct 5, 2015)

DaveInTheHat said:


> I made this sign in Adobe Illustrator and printed it out on an index card. It's glued to a piece of wood with spray adhesive. The posts are made from fancy toothpicks.


I would love to know your method on how you built that road. It is the best country road I've ever seen.

Dan


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## DaveInTheHat (Nov 13, 2011)

Thanks Dan. Here's how I do it.
https://journals.fotki.com/daveinthehat/how-i-make-roads/


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