Teak Yacht Signs Start with a Font
Our teak yacht signs are made to satisfy any captain. At our shop in Edgewater, Maryland, we choose teak or mahogany for every board, and we look for fine grain for both appearance and carving.
Every customer also receives an extensive font collection to review. First, choose your favorite font. Then we send you a drawing based on your size requests or our recommendations. Sometimes customers ship their old boards to us, and we make new boards to match, with the holes drilled to match as well. As a result, it is straightforward to install the new boards when you receive them.
We Finish Teak Yacht Signs with Gold Leaf
Once the wood is chosen, we shape, carve, and sand each board. Then we finish it with gold leaf and a finely painted outline, with or without carved letters. Carved letters look best, but flat boards with gold leaf are still impressive. In the photo below, you can see the dimensional effect of carved letters.
Before gilding begins, we wash each board with a special solution to reduce the surface oils in the teak. This lets the varnish sink into the grain and bond with the wood.
We Inspect and Touch Up Every Board
Next, we apply several coats of TotalBoat Lust marine varnish and sand it well before adding the gold leaf and painted outlines. We then inspect each board closely for any spot in the gold leaf or outline that needs a touch-up. A small smudge in the outline or a small patch of missing gold leaf is not a big deal from a few feet away. Nonetheless, we prefer to get every detail right.
After the outline dries, we spray the boards with Awlcraft 3000 Clear. We finish with one more sanding and a final glossy coat.
Canvas Covers and Care for Teak Yacht Signs
We recommend that you buy custom canvas covers for your quarterboards and cover them when the vessel is not in use. Seasonal upkeep of the topcoat may be necessary, especially in harsher climates. When the boards start to look dull, it is time to sand them and apply a new topcoat. If you are not able to maintain your boards, you can ship them back to us, and we will handle the job.
To see more of our work, browse our quarterboards, or see an example such as our carved teak name boards for Mallard.
Contact Designs & Signs
The quickest way to get started on your project is to send us an email.
We can also be reached by phone at (410) 798-5115.