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Make Non-Expensive Signs For Your Layout
John has kindly sent in these tips to share with others in the hobby.
Road and railroad signs as well as lighted billboards are readily available through many online distributors, who also sell building and storefront signs. But what if you need a sign that’s exclusive to your train layout and is not available anywhere? You then have to make your own, and there is a way to do this without spending a whole lot of money.
To make these signs, you need a computer with a word processor that lets you change the size and font of the printed letters. You can use regular 8-1/2″ x 11″ copy paper, which will be reinforced later.
As for the sizes, I work in N-Scale right now, so my signs are made using 8-point type and varying the fonts and colors, even the background colors on some signs. They come out a bit too large for N, but at least you don’t have to look through a magnifying glass to read them! Paper will curl up or shrivel after awhile, so after you make your sign, cut it out and put it on plain white or pre-painted brown or gray light cardboard. Elmer’s stick glue or the equivalent is good for mounting signs onto the cardboard.
After drying, glue on painted or unpainted wooden toothpicks to act as sign holders or billboards for your creation. O-Scale modelers can use bamboo skewers for the sign structure.
For signs that are put on buildings such as industries, stores, stations, freight houses, etc., use heavier full-sheet label paper. Print the sign you want, peel off the back, and place the sign with the adhesive on it directly on the structure. However you make it, the sign is completely original, and use the money you save to make your layout even better!
Thanks John, you are making a wonderful contribution to the hobby.
4 Responses to Make Non-Expensive Signs For Your Layout
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A couple of further thoughts.
Consider printing on card and varnishing.
Consider printing on clear transparancy sheets (if you can still get it) to make painted “glass” and windows (including stained glass)
Here’s a trick to make signs printed on standard paper look like they are painted on to your buildings, works really good on brick walls. Carefully sand the back side of the paper with 150 or finer sand paper until almost worn through. Then dip in 50/50 white glue and water and apply pressing firmly with your finger. Helps to have your finger wet.
GREAT WAY I FIND TO MAKE SIGNS IS AS FOLLOWS
1. GO TO ANY MAZAGINE LIKE WOMANS WEEKLY / RALPH / ANY TOP END MAG
LOOK FOR THE SIGNS IE COCA COLA / PEPSI / KRAFT / DUNLOP / GOODYEAR ETC THE LIST IS ENDLESS
2. BUY A AL CHEAPO LAMINATOR UNIT AROUND 30 / 40 DOLLARS
3. BUY A [OPTIONAL] OFFICE PAPER TRIMMER AROUND 100 DOLLARS [WILL LAST FOR EVER IN OUR HOBBY]
4. CUT OUT YOUR FAVOURITE SIGNS FROM THE MAGS AND LAMINATE AS MANY AS YOU CAN AT ONCETO SAVE POUCHES
5. USE THE TRIMMER TO SIZE THE LAMINATED SIGN TO YOUR REQUIREMENTS
SIZE [OR RAZOR TYPE BLADE]
HEY PRESTO YOUR OWN SIGNS NEARLY FOR FREE AND EXCLUSIVE TO YOUR LAYOUT
GLUE TO WALLS / BUILDINGS OR FREE STAND ON LEGS
REGARDS
TRAINS 4 ME BOB
most (all) inkjet printers will print a 6 point even though its not an option in the font size window. Just type it in