jdixon

Ok guys, Do you sign your work and if so what do you use? sharpie, woodburner? Do you put your name, date, type of wood? What do you put and if ya got pictures even better!

John

BHOFM

My clocks all have a sticker on the back with the
model and serial number and date of manufacture.
The customer also gets a certificate that the clock
is one of a kind, or limited to "X" number of units.

knotscott

I use on oval rubber stamp and clear coat over it.

I also add a penny from the year it was made in each piece.

goingenoan

I took the plunge and bought one of Rockler's electric branding irons because they went on sale awhile ago. My friend's and family have been telling me to sign my work for some time now. I am kinda jittery about it I don't want to be a show off in any way and am really pretty shy about my projects but it would be kinda nice to get recognition for some of the stuff I make. I'll just put the engraving in an dark corner where it won't be noticed right off

_____________________________
Work to live, not live to work!

Woodchuck1957

And here I thought your name was Scott.

Woodchuck1957

I made my own miniature branding iron. I heat it with a propane torch, it works pretty well.

Mychal Berry

I bought one of the propane torches from rockler. While I do like to have my signature on my projects, I don't know whether or not I should put my signature on the projects I sell.

GeorgeC

I just use a Marks-a-Lot and sign the bottom of a drawer or somewhere else inconspicuous. Name and date only.

Sometimes I will use an engraver for a granddaughters rocker or something like that.

G

cabinetman

I sign and date everything I make. I use a Dremel and write in script...my name and date. I'll try to use a somewhat conspicuous place, like the inside side of a drawer, or the inside of a cabinet wall, towards the front.

For my tool chests, there were many, and they were signed, some with the clients name, my name, the date, and numbered. The tool chest below the signature is on the vertical section of the top tray, below the piano hinge.
.

Boardman

I don't sign my work. I'm a Polack with one of those last names that has too many consonants. Half the time I can't even remember how to spell it.

knotscott

...it is, but in 50 years my good friend Tom will get all the credit!

joesdad

...I hear ya, mine's French. Initials work well for me.

__________________
"Well... it looked good on the drawing" :http://armandj.com

bradnailer

I use a brand.

Kenbo

I have a brand that I use to "sign" all of my work. It is one that heats with a propane torch. The only problem is that the heat on the brand is very inconsistant so I have to experiment a lot before I brand the actual piece. I am in the market for a new one and I think that I will go electric this time to get some consistancy in the temperature.
Ken

red

I sign my name, project number, date and glue a business card to the back of every project. Red

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JIMBETHYNAME

I sign everything. If it's casework, I just sign the date and name in pencil/ marker.
If it is some project that includes framing, I always sign,date and put the time on the last piece of lumber.

mics_54

nope...but I do endorse the check when I deposit it!

robin wood

For years I refused to sign my work. I am a big fan of the book "the unknown craftsman" by soetsu yanagi in which he says that something like 99% of all the artworks that he values most highly are unsigned. What are we doing when we sign something? are we saying it is worth more because we made it than somebody else? Is it so the person who buys it knows who made it? but then most of us pass our work directly to the new owner. Is it in the often misplaced belief that our customers are buying a valuable artwork and that it has more monetary value if it is signed?

Have you ever looked round a car boot fair or ebay at all the 1970s and 1980 art pottery going for pennies even though its signed?

Why do you sign it? is it to do with your own ego?

I am just playing devils advocate here. I do now sign my work because my customers demand it. I use a very small inconspicuous w made with a couple of strokes of a v tool.

__________________
bowls made on a foot powered lathe http://www.robin-wood.co.uk/index.htm
book on the history of the wooden bowl http://www.robin-wood.co.uk/book.htm

rocklobster

Hmm...I messed up when I tried to quote someone and then couldn't find a way to delete this one. Sorry. See next post.

rocklobster

I don't sell anything. I just make things for the family. I sign and date everything with a sharpy in an inconspicuous place.

I do that because I hope my stuff will stay somewhere in the family for a long time. I know that if I had something that had been in the family for years, it would be cool to unexpectedly find grandfather's name and the date he made it on there somewhere.

Rob