Source for bronze letters?

[Ron Geisman]

I wa at the Classic Boat Show in Victoria, B.C. two weekends ago and noticed a number of boats there had beautiful bronze letters in a Trajan-like font. Letters were between 2.5" and 6" high, depending on the size of the boat and they mounted from the front with small bronze fasteners. Seems like an ideal solution for a wooden boat as it obviates the need for relettering each time the topsides are repainted. Stupidly, I didn't ask anyone where they got 'em.

Anyone know of a specific source for bronze letters—2.5"h to 3.0"h?

I know you can have them custom cast for horrendously large sums of money as "architectural signage."

[outofthenorm]

Lee Valley has brass letters, but they are a bit smaller than what you asked for. I've been looking for others as well to use on a windvane, but haven't found anything good.

- Norm
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&p=41839&cat=1,250,43232
http://www.leevalley.com/images/item/woodworking/projects/00k8000g1.jpg

[Lew Barrett]

These look nice:
http://www.restorationhardware.com/rh/catalog/category/category_4gifts.jsp?navSrc=leftNav&navAction=jump&categoryId=cat1463018&navCount=2

[Ron Geisman]

Thank you both for your posts. I just dragged the camera out and here is an example of one set of letters that I found in Victoria. These were about 3" high if my memory is still working...I like these a lot and would be perfectly content with them if I could find them.

http://www.rlgad.com/Images/bronze_letters.jpg

[Lew Barrett]

Faranda, the bridgedeck on the inside pier at Victoria, has probably worn those letters for thirty years or more; she's been under the same management for that long. I'm sure they were sourced in Canada; either Vancouver or Victoria. By the way, I doubt any of these letters are actually bronze. Don't fret if you get brass ones. If they're good quality, they should weather well.

[Ron Geisman]

Well I finally settled on some 3" high brass letters from Salisbury Industries in Los Angeles. I purchased them for $3.00 each on their website, www.mailboxes.com (http://www.mailboxes.com). They are not nearly as nice as the ones on Faranda, but neither are they terrible...

Thanks for the input in helping me make this decision.

http://www.rlgad.com/wb/brassletters.jpg

[Bob Cleek]

I'd know that Vertue bow anywhere, Ron! She looks great! Only one catch, if she's documented, and I believe she is, the Coasties specify the name be in at least 4" high block lettering. You can amost certainly get by with the nice ones on the bow, but you'll have to go at least 4" on the stern if they want to check them... which I doubt they ever do!

Sure looking good! Thanks for the tip... gotta get me some.

[Ron Geisman]

Hi Bob...

Unfortunately she has California registration, so the good news is that at least I can get by letters that are more in proportion to her size.

I'd like to do something better with the CF numbers. They are currently hanging on plaqards from the lifelines, much as the last owner did. At some point in her past someone screwed metal letters and numbers on to her bulwarks. Over the years agressive scrubbing left them "high and dry" and when the last owner removed them, there was a nice topographical style series of plateaus.

http://www.rlgad.com/wb/phoenix_11-07.jpg

Still, lots of work to go, although I am approaching the end of the survey recommendations.

[kc8pql]

Lovely boat.

[mike hanyi]

you have bronze letters available I am sure less then 10 miles from your home, I was just there to ask if they could do the gold leaf stripe on a boat, as they are experts in gold leaf and do it every week on a new piece.

havent figured it out?


the tombstone business !!

[Don Kurylko]

Google "bronze letters" and you will find all you want. Spendy though. $70 per 4" letter cast in bronze. Yikes! :eek:

[Nanoose]

Nanoose's lettering is mounted onto a separate piece of wood. When it's topsides time, we just remove the single piece and easily replace it when done. Also, we brought the name board home last winter - removed the letters, sanded and revarnished the wood - ta da! Just like new! (it used to be our avitar...)

Perhaps something like that for your "CA..." numbers?

[Tony Rose]

The bronze letters on the bow of "Faranda" were bought about 1978 from Smith Bros in Victoria BC for about $83 CAN per side. The savings scince then in sign painting costs have more than paid for them!
About 5 or 6 years ago, I bought "Faranda Victoria" for the transom at a cost of about $325 CAN from the same source.
Smith Bros will not order the letters until they have an order big enough to make it worth their time. This can take as much as 6 months or more.
I let the finish on them weather off and they turned that nice colour that bronze goes.
They are held on by small nail-like pins cast onto the backside of each letter. They get pried off with a galley knife for painting and re-applied with a dab of silicone on each pin.

[Scott Rosen]

Fort Townsend Foundry made mine in bronze using a Roman font. I think they look much nicer that the store-bought brass letters, especially as they age.

They weren't cheap, but they are beautiful and they'll last forever.

I'm sure you'll find their website if you Google them.

[Jay Greer]

Check with your local sign shop. They have sources that go beyond the average
supplier like Lee Valley. Most stock letters that are readily available in an infinate variety of fonts and cross section.
Jay

[Bob Cleek]

Another option, if you can find somebody with the computerized equipment is to have them custom cut from plate on a laser cutting machine. There are outfits turning out all sorts of widgets and gronicles this was these days.

[Ocean Spray]

I work in the sign trade. Most sign shops could have brass or bronze letters water jet or router cut in any font or letter style. 3" letters, .125" or .25" thick would run approx. $20.00 - 30.00 per letter. 4" letters, .125" - .25" thick would run $30.00 - $40.00 per letter.
You could also get cast bronze letters, but only in the letter styles that are available. Water jet or routed letters would allow you to get some really old classic styles.

[Don Kurylko]

Hey Tony....what font is that - do you recall? It really is nice.

[Bill Shepherd]

Pete and Cathy Langley @ Port Townsend Foundry in Port Townsend. WA make world class bronze hardware, including letters. Their work is recognized worldwide, as is their customer base. I'd suggest calling them @ 360-385-6425. Their email address is: ptf@olypen.com. They have a website as well: "porttownsendfoundry.com". The prices are fair, and the quality is far in excess of anything I've seen. Their work appears in Wooden Boat periodically, most recently referred to by a cadet on "The Spirit of South Carolina" regarding the operation of the anchor windlass Pete designed and fabricated for that restoration.

[Ron Geisman]

Don—

To answer your question... it's not easy to say from what font Faranda's letters are cast. The nearest I can come (in my 3000 font type library) is a relatively new font from Adobe called Minion Pro Condensed. The forward serif on the "F" is at a slightly different angle (near vertical), but the rest of the letters look really close, although I can't find the exact same descender for the "R". Caslons come pretty close, but still no banana. Among the common fonts more readily available, Trajan is certainly the one to look for. It is a beautifully drawn font in the classsical serif tradition and goes all the way back to the municipal buildings and temples of ancient Rome. Also a possibility is Palatino.

[Ron Geisman]

Tony—

Thank you very much for your response. I'll probably bite the bullet and order a couple sets for Phoenix. There really is nothing else quite like them! I saw a number of beautifully cast bronze letters during my last rumage at Minney's Yacht Surplus in Newport Beach. Unfortunately they only had a few letters and numbers and didn't seem very interested in finding out where they came from. They're using them for paperweights!

[Don Kurylko]

Thanks Ron, I'll check it out. :)