Decided a while ago I wanted an old-fashioned looking life-size station sign to hang on one of the walls of my layout. I was looking to design something from 1940's-1950's era that I try to model.
Ripped some 1" x 4" stock down to about 3" wide and routed out a 1/4" groove on the back side of the four frame pieces and assembled them with construction adhesive and 2" brads with a nail gun for the frame. The frame is approximately six feet (6') long and 10" tall (and 3/4" deep). Then cut down a piece of 1/4" luan plywood for the actual signboard to fit inside the groove on the back side of the frame.
Painted the frame a semi-gloss black and the luan signboard a satin white.
I had a local sign store make up a one-time-use removable stencil in an older font style to place over the white signboard and then spray painted the blank letters with a dark green Krylon satin paint and peeled off the stencil.
I hand-rubbed some antiquing glaze on the white signboard and sanded and distressed (dragged it across my asphalt driveway) the frame, signboard and letters to give the whole sign an aged look.
Finally, I inserted the white signboard into the frame with construction adhesive and 3/4" brads using the nail gun. It actually looks better in person than in the pic.
I'll get it mounted this weekend and post a pic next week.
