Maharlika Sign

When my brother's in-laws embarked on their Airbnb venture, they reached out to us for a special touch: a sign to grace their property. Initially sketching out their vision, they entrusted us to refine and bring it to life.

Recognizing the sign's outdoor placement, enduring harsh weather conditions was paramount. Wellington weather can sometimes be unforgiving. Anthony, ever the meticulous researcher, delved into materials and techniques to ensure longevity. With careful consideration, he selected the perfect wood, glue, and finish. The result? A striking sign, not just visually appealing but built to withstand the test of time, a true testament to Anthony's craftsmanship and dedication.

Process

1. Design
   The first step was working with the clients on the design, Nicole with her creative genius, discussed fonts, style and design. Drawing on the meaning of Maharlika, which is Tagalog for Royalty, a design of a crowned resort was born.
2. Sourcing the Cedar
   Having settled on red cedar as a durable external grade wood that would last the test of time, we ventured out to find a supplier. We found City Timber in Wellington which had an amazing supply of many varieties of wood, in a variety of finishes. We picked up a board of clear grain cedar which was pre milled to square and looked absolutely beautiful.
3. Making the sign board
   We had been given the desired dimensions for the sign, and this was wider than our plank, so we had to cut and glue the board together, which we did with a high strength external grade glue to ensure it would stay together for the lifespan of the sign. We then were able to cut the sign to size ready for next steps
4. Shaping and Sanding
   We refined the shape and surface finish of the sign board by adding our signature asymmetric chamfers, then sanded every face to 240 grit.
5. Etching
   This sign pushed the limits of our laser cutter as it was larger than our cutting bed. This meant that some somewhat complex geometric calculations were required to correctly center our etching. After experimenting with various etching settings for the best etch on cedar, we settled on a medium speed crosshatch etch for getting the cleanest and best quality result. We etched the design onto the front of the sign, and our branding was etched on the rear.
6. Cleaning
   With all etches, there is a black residue left over from the burnt timber, wanting to make sure that the finish was as clear as possible and no ashy streaks were left behind, we spent some time with Isopropyl Alcohol and a soft microfiber cloth cleaning all the etched elements to remove all the loose charred residue.
7. Finish
   As cedar is a naturally weather resistant material, we contemplated leaving it unfinished as from our research it would apparently be good for at least 20 years as is. However we wanted to preserve the signs appearance for as long as possible so we applied two coats of Amber Cabot's Aquadeck to provide a hard wearing surface for a lifetime outside which will be easily able to be maintained in the future.

Taking on this project was a delightful challenge, pushing us to explore new territories in craftsmanship. It sparked a joy within us, igniting a passion to delve further into outdoor creations. Excited by the experience, we're already brainstorming our next ventures, eager to embark on more outdoor projects.