a. Stencil-Cutting Machines. Stencil-cutting machines may vary in appearance and size (1/4- to
a 4-inch cutters). Each machine has a handwheel to position an indicator that designates the letter,
number, or mark to be cut; and it has a cutting handle to depress. A portion of the stencil machine's
rotating handwheel contains a punch, which is positioned under the cutter handle. The positioning of the
indicator brings the punch in alignment with a die in the lower portion of the machine. Depressing the
cutting handle forces the punch into the die, thus cutting the desired letter or number into the stencil
board.
b. Stencil Board. Stencil board comes in two grades-high-wear resistance (grade 1) and
moderate-wear resistance (grade 2). Grade 1 is available in 8- by 24-inch, 20-.by 32-inch, and 24- by
36-inch sheet sizes. Grade 2 comes in only one sheet size, 20 by 24 inches. The grade required for a job
is determined by whether the stencil will be used only once or several times.
c. Stenciling Ink. While any suitable paint may be used to stencil, stenciling ink is a specific
ink that will mark porous surfaces, wood and cardboard shipping containers, burlap, or canvas. This ink
comes in black, white, and yellow.
d. Stencil Set (Brass). When a stencil-cutting machine is not available for use, a brass stencil
set will produce a professional job. It is a good practice to have two or three sets of each size on hand,
as many signs contain two or three of the same letter and it will save time if the complete sign is made at
one time. The stencil set consists of brass numbers and letters that interlock to form the desired words
and numbers. The set includes a container and the following stencils: a complete alphabet; numbers 0 to
9, one ampersand, one comma, one apostrophe, one period, one spacer, and four end pieces. The letters
and numbers are gothic style and are available in 1-, 1 1/2-, 2-, 3-, and 4-inch sizes. You should
disassemble the letters and numbers immediately after use and wash them in the same type of thinner
used to thin the stencil paint.
e. Stencil Key Set. The stencil key set is used as a guide for laying out and drawing letters or
numbers on stencil boards. A 3-inch stencil key set is shown in Figure 3-48, page 3-44. To use the
stencil key set, first mark off a horizontal line on the stencil board. Then use the key set to outline the
desired numbers or letters, using either the inside or outside of the set. After all the letters or numbers
have been outlined on the stencil board, simply cut them out with a sharp knife or a one-sided razor
blade.
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