# Has anyone made alphabet blocks?



## tomakazi (May 30, 2009)

I wanted to make same alphabet blocks for my daughter. I've seen some on LJ that are just blocks with stamped letters. I want to make some with the letters and numbers raised. They will also have a raised boarder. Any ideas will be helpful (wood types, jigs and anything else you can think of).

THANKS,

Tom


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## pommy (Apr 17, 2008)

Hi Tomakazi

I have made blocks before but i sort of cheated all i used was 4"x4" softwood timber and i routered the letters in one side and numbers the other so as for raised letters you could draw the letter and boarder and introduce yourself to carving lol thats all i got hope it helps

Andy


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## Rustic (Jul 21, 2008)

I made some for my niece once. I had a 2×2 (i think) cut it to a size I thought that she could handle and used stencils to lay out the letters and then wood burned them in


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## tomakazi (May 30, 2009)

Thanks Andy

I wanted to keep them around 2". I also wanted to make them with 1 letter per block and enough to spell her name TARISSA CONILEE RICHARDSON. All that times 4 is a lot of carving. I have some high end carving tools that i picked up at a pawn shop, about $600 worth for under $100. this was about 3 years ago and I haven't made time for them yet.


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## tomakazi (May 30, 2009)

Thanks Rustic I didn't think of that. I want to keep the natural wood color.


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## pommy (Apr 17, 2008)

Dave thats not so stupid as it sounds as for the laser machine they would be mighty expensive alphabet blocks 
lol…....

Andy


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## tomakazi (May 30, 2009)

Thanks DaveR

I haven't thought about either one of those ideas. Laser is quite an expence for some building blocks. I've never sand blasted wood before.


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## tomakazi (May 30, 2009)

I used a sand blaster on granite before. I cut patterns out of rubber then applied with rubber cement. that worked great. I have also been doing a lot of glass work the past few years, I would like to get a sand blaster that'll work for etching.


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## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

If you can find someone who has taped all of the New Yankee Workshop episodes, in season 6 Norm made an alphabet wagon. He made the type of blocks you are looking for. I searched the NYW web site but for some odd reason, that project is not listed.


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## tomakazi (May 30, 2009)

Thanks lew

I'll check that out. if I can't find it I'll e-mail and ask.


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## North40 (Oct 17, 2007)

Maybe you could find someone with a Compucarve to put the letters and numbers in a long blank, then separate the blocks with the miter saw?


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