The Container

To create the body of the sign I used this container.

Rubbermaid Commercial 6306 6qt capacity clear polycarbonate container

If you would rather have a sleeker sign you could use the 4 qt version which has nearly the same opening but, would make the depth of the sign just over two inches smaller..

I used this container because I know it would be strong and already resembled the shape of the signs that I referenced online. It isn't the exact size of the real signs but it was close enough for me and it seemed like a good starting point.

Once I got the container I cut the handles off with a hack saw. I started to cut the lip of the container off too but, then realized that It would make no difference if I removed it or not.

Covering the container in Apoxie Sculpt

To be honest I don't think that this step was completely necessary. I don't think that I needed to cover the whole container with Apoxie Sculpt. I probably could have sanded the container smooth and only used the Apoxie Sculpt for the ridge that goes around the perimeter of the sign.

I always like to work with new materials, and Apoxie Sculpt was a new material for me on this project. It is essentially a two part clay that you mix together 1:1 (by weight) that will cure rock hard in 24 hours. After curing you can drill, sand, and paint the material with normal woodworking tools.

Tips

Its always best to try to get your applications of your clay as smooth as possible. This will require much less sanding and filling later. One cool thing about Apoxie sculpt is that it can be smoothed out with water. I usually put globs of the mixed clay onto the container and then smoothed out the surface with wet hands. You can see from the second picture how rough it will look if you are not patient enough to smooth it out completely. You can also see how nice it comes out after several passes of filling and sanding.

Making the ridge

For the ridge that surrounds the container, I first built up a volume using scraps of cardboard and hot glue. This will make uniformity easier and use less of the Apoxie sculpt. After I liked the look of the cardboard edging I covered it in the clay, trying to make it look as uniform as possible. I found it was easier to focus on one side of the cardboard at a time and to let it dry completely before adding clay to the other sides.

The inner perfectionist in you will hate and love this part. I filled and sanded the whole sign piece well over a dozen times to make it look as uniform as I could get it. This step will take the longest but, It is important to make it uniform and smooth if you want it to look like a painted metal version. If you start to get really bored you can skip ahead and start to work on the other parts of the sign.

Lastly, I drilled a whole for the power chord at the back of the sign. I should also mention that the container I used does not have a perfectly square opening, therefore I decided that the sign looked more natural when the height of the sign was the larger than the width.