golf course signs | MowryJournal.com

Collaboration can be a good thing.

My engraver, Teri Diamond of Lavene & Co, likes what I do with wood, and I like what she does with a laser. It all works. She developed this project for the Sand Canyon Country Club, formerly known as Robinson’s Ranch. Their new owner is re-developing the property, and is re-imaging the golf course. He wanted new hole signs, and Teri saw how we could do this together:

I shaped and stained the wood.
She engraved and backfilled (painted) the engraving. She added a 3D element, with an appliqué of the SCCC logo, as well. Finally, she marked where each hole should go for mounting each sign.
I drilled the mounting holes, and then put a topcoat of polyurethane on each sign.
We installed them together.

Today, we installed 18 holes of signs on the course, bringing the total installation to 56 of the 84 signs made so far. There’s more to come … but we are well on our way.

This project taxed my capacity in a few ways. Completing 81 pieces at one time (the first 3 signs were done separately) is a challenge in my small shop. Importantly, finishing 81 pieces at one time is a huge challenge for me. It took over our driveway and front sidewalk, as you’ll see below. Then, the last batch of signs to get the poly topcoat needed for that to happen as summer temperatures climbed above 90 … and you can’t apply poly above 90 degrees, nor in direct sunlight. Lucky I just happen to have pop-up canopies handy….

Here, then, is a look at how this project went from being a pile of lumber on the driveway to informational signs at the Sand Canyon Country Club golf course.

So, I’ve got this pile of wood….

Waste is absolutely minimized.

These strips are not-a-signs. Good thing I have a need for boards this size!

Boards often have defects; these are cut out. These are also not-a-signs.

81x signs needed 135x boards cut to size.

The top sign has a rounded edge.

Sanding. Lots of sanding.

I’ve found the best way to protect raw maple is to sand it on a towel. Don’t tell Mrs M.

I need 27x of these panels.

I. Need. More. Clamps.

Good thing we have portable tables. And trash cans. I needed every square foot of “table” space I could find.

Each board got pre-stain, then stain had to be applied while the pre-stain was still damp.

Long hours.

These oily rags got soaked in water, and that’s how they stayed until they could be properly disposed of. If you don’t do this … you get spontaneous combustion. Been there, done that.