Signing your work

[Jenny]

A lot of the projects being shared on this site are bound to become treasured heirlooms.  Do you sign and date your work? If so, where on the piece and how?

[Don Grubish]

Usually I sign the underside of something, or the back. I woodburn my initials and the year, but I'd LOVE to get one of those Rockler heat stamps. They're spendy little buggers, though...

[Anthony Lanting]

So far most of the items I have made have been for my use.
The item I made for my stepson (a dog dish) this Christmas was painted white so I just used
a black Sharpie on the underside.

[Derek]

Yes, I scanned my signature into the computer at work and used used the laser machine to etch this in the back of the center drawer of my Cherry iMac Desk. I'd be honored if some day one of my decedents considers it an "heirloom!"

[Bob Stafford]

I sign mine with a soldering iron with my initials. I have just bought a set of coin forstner bits and will be using a penny with the current year showing along with my signature. The set comes with a penny, nickle, dime, quarter, half dollar and dollar. So I could use any of these also. I want to buy a branding iron, but that will come in time.

[Anthony Lanting]

We have been using pennies in our family for over 70 years....but in concrete! Anytime a porch, driveway, garage, sidewalk or anything else is added we put a penny with the current year in the corner of the job. When my insurance agent asked when the workshop was added I just ran out and checked the penny. Corny but it works!

JD said:

I use a custom branding iron, then I add the year and my initials.

Bob...I like that penny idea. I'm stealing it. Just letting you know. :)

[Kim C]

I started doing the same thing Bob did with the coin. I decided to use a dime though. I thought about finding a bunch of pennies with my year of birth or the year of birth of the person it is for. (We have A LOT of pennies.) I also thought of doing the state quarters.
I did not know you could buy the coin set of bits! Wow! I will have to look for those!

[Jenny]

Great ideas. Can one of you post a photo of the coin used on wood?

[Jerry Alfaro]

Jenny,
I always sign/date my projects, my Dad always did and it was fun to look years later to see when he built a particular project.
This is a tool box I built for my grandson for Christmas. He uses it to carry everything around with him. I still have the one my Dad built me.

[Craig Diamond]

I use a woodburner to sign and date so it's engraved into the wood. Works out great.

[Jim Bontrager]

I purchased a branding iron, electric, from Rockler then I use a marker for the date.

[Jerry Alfaro]

When I built this tool box, I used my printer with the font I wanted to use for the lettering. I then backed the paper with carbon paper and traced over the lettering with a ball point pen onto the wood. I then used my wood burner to burn the letters into the box. I also have a branding iron with my initials that I burned on one end of the box and then dated.
jerry-

Jerry Alfaro said:

Jenny,
I always sign/date my projects, my Dad always did and it was fun to look years later to see when he built a particular project. This is a tool box I built for my grandson for Christmas. He uses it to carry everything around with him. I still have the one my Dad built me.

[Don Witt]

A little late getting in...but the craft stores sell a woodburning set with an alphabet and numeral sets available..I think they are made by a company named Walnut Hollow! Even have a website check it out http://www.walnuthollow.com/woodburning.aspx

Donny