What is a Custom Sandblasted Sign and How are they Made?

What goes into making a Custom Sandblasted Sign?

We often have people popping in our workshop to inquire about the different types of signs we make.  We always want to give our clients a lot of choice and let them know all the signage products that are available to them.  Choosing the material that suits their style and their budget is what the sign experts here at Sign Depot pride themselves in.  A great technique is sandblasting.  Sandblasting allows for full customization of the sign.  This means that you have a lot of options when it comes to creating the sign best suited for you.

Materials

We have sandblasted several materials including stone, mdf and wood.  When it comes to wood we prefer to use western red cedar because of it being rot resistant.  Cedar signs have a long life and with a little bit of care your custom sign will always look spectacular.

Design

Here are some items that our designers will want to know when preparing your sign design

• Size
• Shape
• Colours
• Graphics
• Text

If you come in with some of these points ready, the sign designers can have some choices for you to pick from.  Once the design is ready you’ll be sent an image for approval.  After approval production can begin.

Pre-Production

There are few steps in the pre-production of a sandblasted sign. Once the stone has been selected or the wood has been cut to the desired shape, the rubber stencil made to match your choice of material.  The stencil is cut out on the plotter and then applied to the surface of the selected sign material.

Sandblasting

Once the sign is prepped for manufacturing the sandblasting can begin.  Sandblasting is a process when abrasive grit is pumped through a hose by forced air to carve the design and text into the sign’s surface.  The design is created through the cutout parts of the rubber stencil.  Those parts are sunk into the wood while the spots that are fully covered by the rubber stay protected resulting in a raised surface.  This Sign Depot block is a great example of the sandblasting technique.

The blue areas are the spots where the cedar was protected by the rubber stencil, and then natural wood showing through shows where the stencil was cut out allowing the sandblasting to cut away at the wood.

Finishing

After the sign has been sandblasted it will be sanded to a smooth surface for the proper finish to adhere to.  Finishes come in choices of stains, paints and vinyls.  The finishing is very important as it is the final step before your sign leaves the shop.  Finding a finish best suits the conditions where your sign will be placed is very important.  Whether your sign will be indoor or outdoor, if it will be in direct sunlight or a sheltered area are things to consider when choosing the finish for your custom sandblasted sign.

That is how a sandblasted sign created here at Sign Depot.  To see more examples check out our photo galleries on our main website and our facebook page.  Have additional questions about sandblasting? Tweet them to us, or leave a comment below.