SignManiac
New Member
Yes, PVC are all sheet materials of the brands you have listed in varying thicknesses.
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Exterior sign panel choices
- Thread starter Billct2
- Start date
Yes, PVC are all sheet materials of the brands you have listed in varying thicknesses.
Biker Scout
New Member
I've said this before, but you can't warrantee a product from nature. I've never offered anything in wood to my clients, especially when there are better alternatives. The price of the substrate shouldn't be in the equation when pricing a sign that you expect to last 5+ years. It's minimal between MDO and say, 6mm ACM. Most ACM has a 20 year outdoor durability rating. Why wouldn't you use it? If they don't want to pay, give them a banner. It will last as long as a wood sign. Since they probably think their business is going to be temporary, give them a temporary solution. 
Just flat out ask them, "So you're telling me that you only expect to be in business less than 2 years?" Store Owner: "Uhh, well... no, of course not." You: "Then why not get a sign that will last you many years without having to replace it? I can tell you this [MDO/Wood Product Sign/Whatever Else Cheap] sign, will only last you maybe 2 years before it starts to deteriorate."
We are oftentimes only dealing with a difference of $85 - $100 on the high end. Seriously, are you pricing your work so close to the margins that $85 will break you or make you lose the bid with the business owner? If so, that's not a business you really want to deal with if they don't understand lasting value. Or just offer to give them a free replacement banner sign after a year.
Just flat out ask them, "So you're telling me that you only expect to be in business less than 2 years?" Store Owner: "Uhh, well... no, of course not." You: "Then why not get a sign that will last you many years without having to replace it? I can tell you this [MDO/Wood Product Sign/Whatever Else Cheap] sign, will only last you maybe 2 years before it starts to deteriorate."
We are oftentimes only dealing with a difference of $85 - $100 on the high end. Seriously, are you pricing your work so close to the margins that $85 will break you or make you lose the bid with the business owner? If so, that's not a business you really want to deal with if they don't understand lasting value. Or just offer to give them a free replacement banner sign after a year.
Lauren
New Member
What thickness are you going with?
Locals Find!
New Member
Don't bash my head in here for this suggestion/question just trying to think outside the box.
Couldn't you use 10 mil alumacorr for this? Since your talking economy based signage? It's got a 10 year outdoor life expectancy.
I have used it on a few projects but nothing shaped myself. Usually just straight 4x4 or 4x8 signage.
Couldn't you use 10 mil alumacorr for this? Since your talking economy based signage? It's got a 10 year outdoor life expectancy.
I have used it on a few projects but nothing shaped myself. Usually just straight 4x4 or 4x8 signage.
Biker Scout
New Member
Yeah, Alumacore is a great product. That is if you can nest it into a frame or slide trimming all the way around the edges to hide the fluting. Which, on a routed or shape cut sign would look unfinished if you didn't.
visual800
Active Member
the last time I used wood on anything was when i was making a sawhorse table top. MDO, ALUMALITE and any other aluminum or plastic faced plywood or MDO is absolute crap and has been for the past 10 years. I say alot has to do with the weather down here. Hot and humid will peel the faces off MDO within a years time. Buckle the MDO and seperate it. Back in the 80s you could get a sheet of 1/2" MDo and that stuff would last for 20 years outside coated with the right paints.
Then back in early 90s our distributors would sell us warped MDO, then shortly after it started failing. You could plainly see the deterioration of the product and the cheapness in it over the last few years. You could epoxy it, tack weld it, wrap steel around it, whatever, it still wasnt what once was. The distributors thought you were crazy as hell for complaing, but they knew their stuff was crap
Then back in early 90s our distributors would sell us warped MDO, then shortly after it started failing. You could plainly see the deterioration of the product and the cheapness in it over the last few years. You could epoxy it, tack weld it, wrap steel around it, whatever, it still wasnt what once was. The distributors thought you were crazy as hell for complaing, but they knew their stuff was crap
Billct2
Active Member
@locals Alumacore could be used but the exposed flutes need to be filled, we've done it with paintable chaulk,it just never looks real finished.
And visual that's a big part of my complaint. MDO and the old versiosn of the aluminum clad ply were durable producst if prepped and painted right, now they self destruct from the inside.
And visual that's a big part of my complaint. MDO and the old versiosn of the aluminum clad ply were durable producst if prepped and painted right, now they self destruct from the inside.
SignManiac
New Member
What best suits the job. I use a fair amount of 1/2" and 3/4" for backgrounds. I often use multiple layers as most of my work is dimensional. I get really creative coming up with solutions when I fabricate my stuff. You also have to be mindful when working with these materials of expansion and contraction issues. I sometimes use a 1" or 1-1/2" square tube frame work and attach faces to both sides. On the ends or tops that might have a profile, I'll sandwich inside a filler of PVC or HDU to finish up the edges.
Here's an example of a sign I did a few months ago built the way I just described. The center framing was 1-1/2" square aluminum tubing. The top and bottom was HDU. The faces were ACM. But the sign was built like a tank and will last for many years.
Attachments
Billct2
Active Member
That is a sweet looking sign-Signmaniac! And for jobs like like I like the fabrication techinque. My question is more about basic sign jobs, you know, a 4'x6' double face sign between two posts, colonila shape, basic office sign, when $100 does make a difference in the sale/profit.