Legacy Crests
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Things to Consider
Your Participation
in the Design
Because your project will be based on your own design, and
because it is custom-made from the ground up, you are invited
to
have
as much or as little input in the design as you wish. If you
are
unfamiliar with woods and fabrication techniques, you may wish to
leave
most of the details to me, simply giving me a graphic,
photograph,
or drawing (or a description of one) and providing me with some basic
guidelines. If you are familiar with various woods and their
properties, you may have strong ideas about what you want in your crest.
I will be happy to discuss your ideas and wishes and to share my own
thoughts and opinions as part of the process of coming to an agreement
on a commission (as discussed below). It is
important that we
understand each other and are in agreement on all aspects of
the design before money changes hands and work is begun.
There's
no point rushing this stage: you should be comfortable that
what
you will receive is what you have envisioned; I must be sure that I'm
making what you truly want.
Even
the most faithful copy of the simplest
logo or device allows for a few choices in its
execution, especially where wood is involved. In a
complex
design, many things must be considered.
What kinds
of wood will provide the best foundation for my design?
 There
are several dozen species of wood available for this kind of use, from
the common - oak, maple, walnut - to the exotic - bubinga, wenge,
sapele. Color and grain are important, but they are not the
only criteria. Some woods are hard to obtain in large pieces;
some are hard to obtain except by (risky) mail order; many are
inappropriate for certain uses (too brittle, too soft).
How stark
should contrasts between them be?
Will
the object be large or small? Will it be in a bright or a dim
environment? Will it be seen up close or from a distance?
Are you
looking for subtlety or drama?
Will
exotically colored wood (purpleheart, bloodwood) be brought
into the design, or should I try for a "natural" look?
There are so many beautiful woods with gorgeous, startling hues;
once you start
looking at them it's very easy to get carried away
and try to incorporate everything that catches your eye into your
design. Resist! A little restraint can save a
design from
looking garish and overdone. Besides, there are so many
artificial stains and washes available nowadays, many observers will
assume that your colors are fake. "Woodier" hues are usually
your best bet; more colorful species are best used as highlights and
decorative elements rather than as main themes.
 How will
grain be used in the design?
Some
woods have very fine grain - basswood, mahogany; some very
coarse
- oak, ash; some very distinctive - zebrawood, birdseye maple.
What part does grain play in the aethetic of your design?
How can grain be used to accentuate without cluttering?
How can it guide the eye? How can it frame certain
things
and downplay others? How will it interact with the various
wood tones?
What depth
should relief be carried to?
The
whole point of this exercise is to bring a two-dimensional design
alive. But you don't want to produce a caricature of your
crest
or logo (unless of course you do...). Care must be taken that
the various elements receive
their proper weight within the whole and that visual balance is
maintained.
What finish
should I use?
Linseed
oil, tung oil, oils with resins, carnauba-based waxes, beeswax,
urethanes - there are dozens of finishes available. Which is
best?
Well... What environment will it live in? Will it
receive
frequent care? Frequent abuse? Exposure to
moisture?
Large swings in humidity and temperature? And which
finish best
brings out the beauty in the woods being used?
For most indoor applications it comes down to preference - oils, waxes,
and urethanes will all serve.
- Urethanes are hard and essentially
waterproof, but they do not penetrate into the wood fibers and so do
not show off woodgrain as well as oils. Urethanes can also
be chip-prone under abuse and are difficult to repair smoothly (though
this isn't usually a concern with a decorative piece);
- Waxes
alone can be quite beautiful with many species of wood and are easy to
repair, but they are susceptible to abuse and moisture and
require
occasional re-waxing to stay at their best;
- Oils penetrate and
make the grain "pop" visually and they are also easy to repair, but
they will
also need occasional touch-ups.
 My
personal favorite is Waterlox,
a tung oil and resin recipe that
penetrates into woodgrain then hardens, forming a deep
waterproof surface that is not likely to chip, but that can be easily
repaired if it does. It has the look of an oil but requires
no
maintenance beyond dusting. Unless you have a strong
preference
for something else, this is what I'd recommend.
Just "Crests?"
Absolutely
not. I'll be happy to take a commission on any logo, device,
coat-of-arms, or even sign that you've got in mind. It isn't
important that your
design be crest-shaped.
Then why
"Legacy Crests," not "Legacy Signs?"
A
sign, even an artistic and well-crafted one, won't usually involve
exotic woods, carvings, multiple layers, applied borders, etc., and is
probably painted. Most carved outdoor signs these days are
made
of HDU (high density urethane) rather than wood anyway; beautiful in
their own
way, but not my cup of tea.
Pricing
is based on several criteria: materials, labor, complexity, and
shipping costs.
Without experience of this kind of work, it may be difficult to
understand the time-consuming and intricate nature of it. I will
be happy to explain to you all the steps that will go into your
project. A fifty percent deposit is
required to begin work, with the remainder due before
shipping.
(Photos of the completed crest will be provided before final payment is
expected). Any applicable taxes are due with the original
deposit. Payments will be made by cashier's check to Embry McKee.
 It
is in the interest of both parties that the scope and detail of the
project be fully understood before work begins. All care will
be
taken to ensure that it is: plans for the project will be as
detailed as possible and you as the commissioning client will be asked
to give your written consent for those plans; if I
am
responsible for drawing up the concept, you will be asked to sign off
on the final drawings.
Having said that, this kind of project is as much art
as
fabrication. You are asked to remain flexible in the
finer
points of interpretation. No plan can foresee every nuance,
and minor changes may be deemed useful or aesthetically preferable as
the work progresses. Be assured that any important changes
will
be cleared with you before they are implemented, but be aware that
inspiration continues after the work has begun and as the design takes
shape and the logic of the added dimension becomes clearer.
As I indicated above, I do encourage you to take as large a role in the
design of your crest as you wish...until work begins. Once
the
commission has been made and the first payment received, I will make
very detailed projections for materials, acquire the materials, and
begin work. Seemingly small changes: "Can we make it an inch
wider?" or "Why don't we use mahogany instead of basswood for the
letters?" can require many hours of additional work or even complete
reworking of the project. For this reason, once work has
begun,
further design consultation will be billed at the rate of
$20/hr; any changes to the design will be billed at the same rate,
multiplied by the projected number of additional hours of work
involved, to be paid when the changes have been agreed upon.
Of
course, you are free to check on progress or  ask other
questions
whenever you wish.
In the course of making an agreement, I will provide you with a
projected date of completion, and I will work with the intention of
meeting that date. I will not, however, meet
that deadline
at the cost of inferior craftsmanship. Wood is a natural
material: it can warp, split, or break; mail-ordered
materials
can be delayed or be unusable when they arrive; I may be dissatisfied
with
some part of the project and wish to re-do it; if the choice is between
excellence and speed, completion may be delayed.
Please feel free to contact me
with any concerns, comments, or questions - I look forward to
hearing from you.
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Copyright 2006, 2007 by Embry McKee. All rights reserved.
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