Routing letters in pine picnic table top ?

[buckeye95]

All,

I have been thinking about making a kids picnic table for my MIL for Mother's day, I was thinking of personalizing it by routing each of her (current) grandkid's names into the top. The top will be several planks of 1x6 pine (eventually painted). Does anyone know of any jigs / accessories for something like this ? I would consider giving carving them by hand a try, but am concerned how long it would take, so routing is probably the only option. I do have both a full size plunge router and laminate trimmer depending on what might work better.

Thanks in advance for any help,

Pete
Buckeye95

[Wood_workur]

rockler has a lettering jig... Its like $30 but you need to have guide bushings. It'd give the best results I think.

[iceman61]

Although I've never used it, you could try TurnLock Router SignCrafter System at Rockler.

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=11139

Back in years ago in shop class, we used to trace out our letters & then route them out. Norm did a show on this on The New Yankee Workshop and on some of the lettering he did gold inlay. Probably not the best thing for an outside picnic table but if you catch the show it might give you some good ideas. Be sure to take some finished project pictures.

(wood workr looks like we had the same idea at the same time)

[LCHIEN]

won't the routings trap water, which is probably not desirable for an outdoor wood table, even painted?
Most of the commercial letter routing templates (like the Miles Turnlock someone mentioned), will be 2.5" high letters.

[John Hunter]

Although I've never used it, you could try TurnLock Router SignCrafter System at Rockler.

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=11139

Back in years ago in shop class, we used to trace out our letters & then route them out. Norm did a show on this on The New Yankee Workshop and on some of the lettering he did gold inlay. Probably not the best thing for an outside picnic table but if you catch the show it might give you some good ideas. Be sure to take some finished project pictures.

(wood workr looks like we had the same idea at the same time)

I have been using the Turnlock kit for several years and it works fine. You do need to be sure it is set up and tight, when I first used it I did route the sides out of a couple of the templet letters but I was able to replace the set for around $8.00

[TheRic]

When I first read your post, I also immediately thought about water pooling in the letters. Even painting it, the water will find it's way through a crack, maybe not this year but in a year or two of Ohio weather. That water would pool in the letters and freeze, the snow would melt and pool into the letters and freeze, etc. Since it's 4 grandkids how about 1 kid per table leg. The top would protect the area a little more. It would be harder for water to pool in the letters.

How about just painting the kids names on the table. Or let them put there hand print and name on the table top. Then put a protective layer of clear coat over it to protect it. Just thinking out loud.

[buckeye95]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I was strongly considering the Rockler lettering option, but am not sure how much I would use it after this. Maybe it's one of those things you use once you have?

In terms of the pooling water, I agree this is a concern. I know it will spend the majority of time under their porch, but it would only take a couple times of leaving it out and pooling water to start to rot it out. I'm starting to think the handprint / painting option might be the best way to go (from a longevity and expense perspective).

Thanks for all the comments,

Pete

[just started]

You could always cut the letters all the way through the top, maybe even with 2 or 3 different bits to give the cutouts some interesting profiles and still let the water run out the bottom.

[Pappy]

Nowhere near the amount you are talking about, but these were done by hand following a pattern glued to the wood.



This was the same idea, but relief background with the pattern left high.



The main things are to glue the pattern down completely and take your time with SHALLOW passes.

[Wood_workur]

how about you route it, but make the top slanted a little, and drill some drain holes?

[JimD]

I made a large sign for our former church by making a pattern out of 1/4 luan plywood that I used with a template guide in my router. I got lettering templates - look in a crafts store - for letters of the size and shape I wanted and wrote out what I wanted on the luan. I varied the spacing until it looked right and then cut out the letters with my jig saw. Then I tacked the luan to the 2X lumber I made the sign from and routed out the letters. Cost was low and result was good. It was vertical and made of PT but was holding up fine after about 10 years when we moved.

Jim

[just started]

I made a large sign for our former church by making a pattern out of 1/4 luan plywood that I used with a template guide in my router. I got lettering templates - look in a crafts store - for letters of the size and shape I wanted and wrote out what I wanted on the luan. I varied the spacing until it looked right and then cut out the letters with my jig saw. Then I tacked the luan to the 2X lumber I made the sign from and routed out the letters. Cost was low and result was good. It was vertical and made of PT but was holding up fine after about 10 years when we moved.

Jim

Any size letters and any font you like can be printed from a computer on heavy paper and then sprayed with adhesive and used for a pattern like a stencil.