This is a job just finished about two weeks ago , replacing a sign that I first did in 1998. The original sign was built with solid 2" thick SignFoam High Density Urethane, and was installed with steel bars that ran down the sides of the sign. It lasted eight years, until broken by vandals in June. The replacement sign is slightly smaller, but the big difference is in construction. The new sign was built with two separate faces, laminated over an internal frame of 1/4" x 1 1/2" steel, which runs all the way through the sign, allowing for a smaller sign to hang below it. The curved framing on the top of the original sign was also HDU; on the new sign this is mahogany. These changes will make the sign far less vulnerable to being shattered by a single blow, which was the unfortunate fate of the original sign.

Design-wise, this sign has some interesting features. Aside from the classic V-carved lettering, the background of the leaf-and-branch motif is carved away, and the texture of the leaves is also lightly carved to resemble the natural veining. To achieve the unique reddish coloring of the European copper beech, the leaves are gilded with pure copper (metal) leaf, then glazed with a clear varnish tinted with a mixture of green and brown, before a final coat of UV urethane clearcoat. The same copper is used as an accent on the edges of the sign, then also clearcoated, as copper will tarnish if left unprotected. The lettering is finished with 23k gold leaf. This sign is a great example of the classic hand-carved signs that have earned Finest Kind Signs its reputation for quality and value.