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Q: Set posts in ground first or put up whole sign?

HulkSmash

New Member
Seems like we are both doig a lot of assuming in this thread, the op never said anything about size of posts or length. if it was just a small real estate sign 4x8 on 10' 4x4" posts no prob for 1 person to stand. For the size yu described I would have one person lifting the sign with a truck I am not defending Colorado as an underdog. He is ussually a prick in threads much like you are being here. I just calls em like I sees em. For the sake of arguement. Just show some pics of your work and experptise on this subject so your arguements and belittling if others can hold some water.

Hey! i'm a really nice guy! (and im actually helpful unlike some:rolleyes:)
As you i call it as i see it! Respect!
 

skyhigh

New Member
For the sake of arguement. Just show some pics of your work and experptise on this subject so your arguements and belittling if others can hold some water.

I don't have to prove anything to you Keith. But I will say..... I'd find it hard to believe a national chain would hire a sign company that DIDN'T know what they were doing. I think thats proof enough. No offense, and to those members here that know me personally....well, I don't have to prove anything. Am I the best....nope. Do I know it all...well, no again.

By the way....here is our pole going together on that job. Off the top of my head, I believe the cabinet was 6 x 24. I eye'd up the plate to the side of the building, and oversized the plate holes slightly to allow for a little twist.....Its lined up perfectly parallel to the building. Our hole had a footprint of 4' x 7' & 8' deep.
 

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andy

New Member
I don't have to prove anything to you Keith. But I will say..... I'd find it hard to believe a national chain would hire a sign company that DIDN'T know what they were doing. I think thats proof enough. No offense, and to those members here that know me personally....well, I don't have to prove anything. Am I the best....nope. Do I know it all...well, no again.

By the way....here is our pole going together on that job. Off the top of my head, I believe the cabinet was 6 x 24. I eye'd up the plate to the side of the building, and oversized the plate holes slightly to allow for a little twist.....Its lined up perfectly parallel to the building. Our hole had a footprint of 4' x 7' & 8' deep.

You manufacture your post mounted sign assemblies very carefully don't you? I'm willing to wager that your production drawings match the finished sign assemblies to a tolerance of around +/- 3mm or better.

This would explain your choice of installation method.... your signs match the production drawings exactly so there is absolutely no point in jabbing your sign posts into the ground.. you know where they need to be just by looking at your piece of paper.

I also suspect that there have been several projects where you have had the holes excavated before your sign assembly has even been finished... to save time the holes are dug in advance ready for a quick "drop in" using your cranes.

Working from drawings using measuring devices to set out footings makes sense to me... but it only works if your sign assemblies are made properly:smile:
 

skyhigh

New Member
Same job? Did you paint the post black after the install? :Oops:

Wow....why yes I did Colorado. Why is it you ask?
Do you think it should have been painted prior to install? Prior to welding all the plug holes and plates, then grinding them smooth?

don't embarrass yourself any further Colorado.
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Keith, I see you have installed a subway sign also. That 4x8 is cute. Did you build the cabinet? Is it lighted?
 

grafixemporium

New Member
This thread illustrates why I rarely participate here anymore. Obviously you have nothing to prove skyhigh... which explains why you've spent so much time in this thread proving yourself.

To the original poster...

Build the sign. Measure the distance between post centers. Dig two holes of equal depth at that distance on center. Stand the sign up. Add dirt as needed to level sign. Add quick set concrete. Temporarily brace sign posts if wind is a concern. Grab a beer and login to s101 to read the latest pissing contest.
 

skyhigh

New Member
This thread illustrates why I rarely participate here anymore. Obviously you have nothing to prove skyhigh... which explains why you've spent so much time in this thread proving yourself.
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My 2 pics vs 10? You're correct, I don't have to prove myself. I think I allready told Keith that very thing. Most of my posts were in response to him. If you feel the best way to mark your holes on a 40" x 108" sign....that is allready attached to 10' 4x4 posts, is to stand it up...... well, have at it.

At some point one man will have to hold this structure by himself, while the other marks the holes. Sounds like a great way to damage your sign face when the one man loses it.
(the attached is to scale with the original posters measurements and 2 guys that are 5' 10" tall)

What amazes me is, Keith said he stands up the panel only to mark, then attaches to the posts......yet he is defending Colorado's way to do it as the proper way.
:help

Now lets talk about "turn". See attached again.... Here is TO SCALE, the sign the original poster is talking about. The basic diagram shows very small 14" diameter holes. Novato, as long as your semi-close to being aligned, you will be fine. I usually lay a 2x4x8 on the ground and give it an eyeball. Most of the time, that will be fine. Per my diagram, you can "fine tune" the angle after its in the holes, and unable to fall over & get damaged. (if you want to get real percise, I can give you the Pythagorean theorem to get a perfect right angel to the road.)

You are correct....I have spent too much time in this thread. Alas, its only a 40" x 108" sign. I'm sure any way you want to do it will be fine. Some ways will take 1 man....some will take 2. Some will spend twice the amount of time installing as others, but hey....its not rocket science. At the end of the day we all will have the sign installed.

Navato, it all depends on the sign face itself whether or not I install attached to the posts. If not attached, I will install both poles connected & spaced with stringers. That way you will not get one twisted, and it makes leveling a breeze. Anyway is fine.....just don't install each pole separetely.

Sorry if I came off as a DB to some. I do get a little testy when I hear really goofy advice. Perhaps some didn't read the OP's original thread well enough?

Ya'll have a super day.

Novato, good luck with the install. Sorry I was part of making your thread go to chit.
 

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HulkSmash

New Member
My 2 pics vs 10? You're correct, I don't have to prove myself. I think I allready told Keith that very thing. Most of my posts were in response to him. If you feel the best way to mark your holes on a 40" x 108" sign....that is allready attached to 10' 4x4 posts, is to stand it up...... well, have at it.

At some point one man will have to hold this structure by himself, while the other marks the holes. Sounds like a great way to damage your sign face when the one man loses it.
(the attached is to scale with the original posters measurements and 2 guys that are 5' 10" tall)

What amazes me is, Keith said he stands up the panel only to mark, then attaches to the posts......yet he is defending Colorado's way to do it as the proper way.
:help

Now lets talk about "turn". See attached again.... Here is TO SCALE, the sign the original poster is talking about. The basic diagram shows very small 14" diameter holes. Novato, as long as your semi-close to being aligned, you will be fine. I usually lay a 2x4x8 on the ground and give it an eyeball. Most of the time, that will be fine. Per my diagram, you can "fine tune" the angle after its in the holes, and unable to fall over & get damaged. (if you want to get real percise, I can give you the Pythagorean theorem to get a perfect right angel to the road.)

You are correct....I have spent too much time in this thread. Alas, its only a 40" x 108" sign. I'm sure any way you want to do it will be fine. Some ways will take 1 man....some will take 2. Some will spend twice the amount of time installing as others, but hey....its not rocket science. At the end of the day we all will have the sign installed.

Navato, it all depends on the sign face itself whether or not I install attached to the posts. If not attached, I will install both poles connected & spaced with stringers. That way you will not get one twisted, and it makes leveling a breeze. Anyway is fine.....just don't install each pole separetely.

Sorry if I came off as a DB to some. I do get a little testy when I hear really goofy advice. Perhaps some didn't read the OP's original thread well enough?

Ya'll have a super day.

Novato, good luck with the install. Sorry I was part of making your thread go to chit.

You lost again by the way.
 

Gino

Premium Subscriber
For us, there are many ways to install this kinda sign for the OP.

First, we don't know the weight of the 9' x 3.5' sign, but we know two 4 x 4's are gonna hold it up..... hopefully.

I wouldn't want to tackle this with only one man. That's too much back-breaking work.

I think the easiest way, which I didn't see mentioned, would be.....

  1. Put some cardboard or blankets down on the ground where the sign is gonna go.
  2. Assemble the sign on the blanket where you want it to go.
  3. Where the two posts end.... two guys, one with a digging bar and the other with a shovel........
  4. Commence digging two holes about 48" deep.
  5. Put a footer at the bottom.
  6. Both guys walk the sign up and into the holes.
  7. Start pouring your concrete and use a few rocks.
  8. Level it as you go.
  9. Fill up within a few inches of the ground level.
  10. Put some of your dirt back over the cement and the rest of the dirt in your truck.
  11. Add two stay posts and spike them.
  12. Come back the next day and remove the stays.

The key element in installations is not to do it as quickly or cheaply as possible, but to do it correctly and charge accordingly along with getting the proper permits to instal said sign. Don't be a fool and do the instal for next to nothing. Many times the installation costs more than the frickin' sign.


As for cranes to put this sign up, I don't think they're necessary.



Fight nicely, boys. :Oops:​
 

signmeup

New Member
I'm surprised at the number of posts explaining how to set posts in dirt(!?). I pretty much always use concrete to install a sign.

I'm also surprised there was no mention of concrete tubes. I use them because it freezes up here where I install signs. It would be tough to stand that sign up alone if you're using tubes.

I posted a thread a while back showing a method I developed for installing the posts in concrete, then putting the panel in after the concrete set up. I'll see if I can find it.
 

iSign

New Member
You lost again by the way.

Colorado, the problem with tryin' to be judge jury and executioner is you often end up hanging yourself...

I'm gonna have to vote tape measure over the unnecessary time wasting step if handling the sign an extra time. No wasted motions is my mantra (except posting in this thread :omg: )
 

signage

New Member
I just have one question what happened to the posts by FS-Keith?

If the turn is that important wouldn't you use a transit to get the location correct?
 
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GAC05

Quit buggin' me
Lots of lessons learned from this thread.
Foremost being;
never to pick a fight with someone who has access to a crane large enough to lift your house off it's foundation....

wayne k
guam usa
 
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