My first five foot IBEW display and the story behind it

It started with a question from my neighbor

My neighbor works for a local union and asked if I could build a large coin display for their hall. The finished piece you see here is five feet by three feet, built with solid wood construction, including a backer I custom made.

I’m Jon Thetford, the maker behind T6 Design Co., and this was the first display I’d built this large. The process was long and a little crazy at times, but it was a really fun challenge to take on.

Why this build means something to me

My connection to this project came through my neighbor, but the electrical trade has a place in my own story, too. I spent more than three years as an electrical apprentice before life threw me a curveball.

That history made this IBEW display more personal for me. I wasn’t just making a large piece for a wall. I was building something for a union hall connected to a trade that had been part of my life.

The small vinyl pieces behind a big design

The emblem was one of the biggest challenges of the whole build, and the part I’m proudest of. I made a vinyl template so I could lay down the design and each color on the custom backer. Working with those small pieces of vinyl to create a design this large took a lot of time.

A large format print applied to the backer would have been an easier way to get the artwork there. For this piece, though, making the templates and working through the colors myself was part of what made it feel homemade and custom. That process mattered to me just as much as the finished look.

When you look at the front of the display, you’re seeing the result of that work. The close up photos also give you a look at the wood frame, shelves, and grain.

Taking the finished build around our hometown

Yukon, Oklahoma, is where we live and operate T6 Design Co. I wanted to show off our hometown alongside the finished display, so we took photos around town, including at Yukon’s Best Flour and the Route 66 landmark.

Thankfully, my buddy was with me. He helped hold the display steady so it wouldn’t fall and helped take the pictures, including the one with me standing beside it. That’s me in the photo, with a build big enough that a little help made a real difference.

Those photos bring the work back to the place it came from: our hometown, with a friend helping me show what I’d made.

What would you like me to build?

If you have a collection that deserves a display of its own, I’d love to hear what you have in mind. Tell me who it’s for, where it will go, what you want to display, and any artwork or personal details that matter to you.

We can talk through the size, design, quote, and timeline together. This five foot IBEW build shows one direction a custom project can take. Yours starts with your story.