Personalized Family Signpost Ornament

Refer to the “Labeled Parts” canvas to see the cut parts layout so you know which part is which.

Move to the “Cuts” canvas to laser cut your pieces for assembly.

NOTE: There is a box around the Main Family Name/Year sign & the family member names signs. It is grouped & made this way so it can be used later as a jig/template for easier alignment when you get to the score/engrave step. Keep this piece!

Next, begin stacking the pole of the signpost together (the small solid & slotted circle cuts). The height will vary based on how many names you're adding to the sign or personal preference. 

Starting from the bottom, I stacked 6 solid circles & then added the 1st slotted circle piece. After that, I stacked 2 more solid circles, then another slotted circle until I had all of my slots where I preferred for the name signs. I wanted everything front facing so i planned my slotted pieces that way. However it will work if you want the names facing multiple directions. Just make sure to decide on your pattern before you add glue.

Assemble & glue the base together. The circle pieces for the base are stacked by size. Largest on bottom to smallest on top & they are centered one on top of the other. The final top 2 ring pieces will create a slot for the pole to be inserted later.

OPTIONAL: You can sand the pieces to enhance the look of the ornament by rounding some of the edges. I also sanded the pole of the sign to make sure it had an evenly rounded surface. I used a Dremel & also sanded by hand.

Next, its time to paint. Paint everything & let it dry fully. You will be masking over the paint so make sure its fully dry. I waited overnight.

Once everything is dry, Mask the front & back of the top main sign & the name signs.

**Tip- Once everything is masked, add a coat of clear paint or sealer as it will help prevent any color bleed under the masking. You can do this step before or after you score/engrave. I did it afterwards.

Use the template/jig on the “Engrave/Score” Canvas as well as the physical cut out from the original cuts.

Update the names & fonts to your preference. I used Xtool studio's Princess Sofia font.

Align the names on the jig/template box where you are placing the signs. 

Use pinpoint positioning to mark the jig/template box & frame the design to ensure its aligned.

Score or engrave all of the wording & names. 

If you chose to do both sides, you need to flip back the family member name signs to the far left of the template (picture for reference) & also just simply flip over the main family name sign.

Note: If you score, you'll need to weed out the masking. (I engraved which created a bit of a well & burned out the masking).

With the remaining masking still on, you'll fill the score/engravings with your choice of paint color. 

Remove the masking once the paint is mostly dry. 

My main goal was to take a flat piece of wood & turn it into a true 3d ornament. Although it was a bit tedious aligning & gluing the pole pieces together and then waiting for paint to dry, I think it turned out a success.

I used 3mm basswood that measured 3mm exactly. Prior to painting & glue the pieces fit loosely into the slots but once I reached the final glue up, everything fit together perfectly. Depending on your material you may need to adjust your kerf.

Lastly, Its VERY important to allow the first layers of paint to dry fully. I suggest at least waiting overnight. The 1st time around, I primed, waited until it was dry to the touch (20 minutes), painted & waited overnight & once i masked & removed the masking, I was ripping off paint all over. The 2nd go around, I primed, waited all day, sanded, painted, waited overnight & everything worked out. The cut, engrave, assembly & sanding takes roughly an hour combined but the painting process is the longest part & will require extreme 😁patience!