CNC Signs, Epoxy Inlay, and Bringing Your Idea to Life

What CNC-carved wood signs actually are

A CNC-carved wood sign is a piece of wood — usually pine, walnut, or acacia — where the design has been precisely cut into the surface by a CNC (Computer Numerical Control) router. Once the design is carved, the recessed areas are usually filled with paint or epoxy resin for contrast, and the wood is finished with a torch or sealer to bring out the grain.

The difference between a CNC-carved sign and a printed or laser-etched sign is depth. A CNC cut leaves a real physical channel in the wood — often 1/8 inch deep or more — that catches light, casts shadow, and reads as three-dimensional. A printed sign has no depth. A laser-etched sign is shallow and often looks scorched. CNC carving looks made, not manufactured.

The Tidemark process — from idea to finished sign

Step 1 — Tell us what you want

Every commission starts with a conversation. Some customers know exactly what they want ("a 4×4 sign for our vacation rental in navy and cream with our family name"). Others have a rough idea and need help shaping it. Either works.

The information Tidemark needs to quote and build a custom sign:

• Approximate size (a small phrase sign is 12×16 inches; a large custom name plaque might be 22×14 inches)
• The words, family name, phrase, or logo you want carved
• Color choices for the paint or epoxy fill
• Wood species preference (pine is warm and affordable; walnut and acacia are premium hardwoods)
• Where the sign will live (indoor vs outdoor changes the finish system)
• Any deadline (holidays, weddings, anniversaries)

Customers send a text, an email, or fill out the order form. Tidemark responds within one business day with either a quote or clarifying questions.

Step 2 — Design proof

For fully custom commissions, Tidemark creates a digital proof — a mockup of the sign at final proportions — before any wood is touched. The proof shows exactly what will be carved: layout, typography, spacing, and color placement.

Custom design work carries a $25 design fee. If the customer commissions the sign after seeing the proof, the $25 rolls into the final price. If they decide the direction isn't right and back out, the $25 covers Tidemark's design time.

Step 3 — Carve and finish by hand

Once the customer approves the proof, Tidemark carves the design into the wood using CNC routing. The carving is precise and repeatable, but the finishing work is entirely by hand:

• Wood is hand-torched around the carving to bring out the grain
• Carved channels are filled with paint or epoxy resin — one coat at a time
• Multi-color designs are masked and filled in stages
• Once the fill has cured, the surface is sanded flush with the wood
• The whole sign is sealed with an outdoor-rated protective topcoat

Every sign is signed on the back with the Tidemark maker's mark — burned into the wood, not stickered.

Step 4 — Pickup or shipped

Flat signs are typically completed in 10–14 days. Concealment cabinets (signs with hidden storage compartments) take 14–21 days. Lighted signs (LED-backlit through translucent epoxy) take 21–28 days. The final balance is due on completion, before pickup or shipping.

What Tidemark builds

Flat signs — from $125

Family name signs, phrase and statement signs, kids' room name signs with themed carvings, custom-shape family signs, welcome signs. These are the core of the sign business. Most are 12×16 to 22×14 inches. Paint fill is standard; epoxy inlay is available as a premium upgrade.

Concealment cabinets — $200 to $350

A concealment cabinet looks like a flat sign on the wall — but the front is hinged. Behind the sign is a felt-lined storage compartment sized for a sidearm, jewelry, documents, or valuables. Three sizes:

• Small ($200): single-sidearm or valuables
• Medium ($275): two sidearms with accessory space
• Large ($350): fits an AR-15 plus two sidearms, hinged on two hydraulic struts

A hidden magnetic lock comes standard. RFID upgrade is available for +$45 flat (replaces the magnetic lock).

Lighted signs — by quote

Tidemark's most premium offering: LED-backlit signs where the design is carved out of wood and the recess is filled with translucent epoxy resin. When the LEDs behind the sign turn on, the design glows through the epoxy. Custom family names, team logos, business signage, event pieces.

These are one-of-one commissions. Every piece is hand-poured, hand-finished, quoted individually based on complexity and size.

Custom business signage

For boutiques, restaurants, service businesses, and offices — Tidemark carves signs that live on storefront doors, workshop walls, brand walls, and lobbies. Solid hardwood, weather-rated finishes for outdoor use, dimensional carving that reads clearly from across a room or a parking lot.

Materials and finishing

Wood selection: A variety of woods are used depending on the project — the right material comes down to the customer's budget, whether the sign lives indoors or outdoors, and the specific look and feel they're after. Species and grade are picked during the design phase, before any wood is ordered.

Fill materials:

• Latex or oil-based paint (standard)
• Two-part epoxy resin (premium — deeper, glossier, more three-dimensional)
• LED-backlit translucent epoxy (lighted signs only)

Finishes:

• Hand-torched grain (standard)
• Marine-grade polyurethane topcoat (outdoor rated, UV-stable)
• Interior-grade satin sealer (indoor pieces)

Bringing your idea to life

Some of the best commissions don't start with a clear product. They start with an idea — a phrase someone's grandfather always said, a family motto, a place name, a memorial for a pet. Customers describe the idea and Tidemark works with them to figure out the right size, wood, layout, and finish.

That's the studio's real value. The CNC handles the precision. The hand-work handles the character. The customer brings the meaning. Every sign is unique because every customer's story is.

Ordering

Send a project inquiry through the signs page order form, or email daniel@tidemarkcreativeco.com with what you have in mind. Photos of the space where the sign will live are helpful but not required.

Made to leave a mark.