Frosted Glass Look for Outdoor Sign

[gancan]

Hi,

I've seen some good advice here and since I'm fairly new in the sign business I was hoping you could send some my way.
I'm proposing a non-lit outdoor sign to my low-budget customer who would like his hexagonal logo mounted directly over his entrance door.
Approximate size for the sign will be 31"tall x34"wide. His requirement besides the low budget..lol, is that the sign have a white smoke (vapor) look.
I was thinking something along the lines of using 3/16" thick clear lexan to route out the hexagon and inner logo letter then applying frosted vinyl to the back of it.
Here are my concerns:
1. How to mount it to the wood panels with approximately a 2" standoff (not showing from the front)
2. Keep a clean and modern look and feel.
3. Are there any other options for achieving a vapor look
4. Should the acrylic be thicker than 3/16"
5. What can I do to the edges to make them stand out, I've heard of polished edges, but not sure what it does.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated guys/gals. I also attached an image for you to see a preliminary layout.

 

[Moze]

What's the customers definition of a low budget?

 

[gancan]

He is trying to keep it at around $800. Thanks.

 

[MikePro]

don't waste $$$/time on frosted vinyl. cut your acrylic, and then spray it with clear matte paint.

 

[artbot]

i did a sign for a gallery using the frosted glass spray (rattle can) and 6 years later is still looks great. also, use 3030 colored acrylic. will give it a "real" glass look.

 

[gancan]

Thanks for the suggestions thus far. So I have some clear Lexan in stock that I could use, do you have any suggestions on how to fasten it to the wall without using any drill-thru stand-offs?

 

[MikePro]

Thanks for the suggestions thus far. So I have some clear Lexan in stock that I could use, do you have any suggestions on how to fasten it to the wall without using any drill-thru stand-offs?

don't make the "V" a negative in the design. make it an opaque shape mounted to the front of the "frosted lexan" and use that for your stud-mounting. if anything, it can just be vinyl and then you hide your studs behind that area.

 

[synergy_jim]

p95 acrylic would be perfect. comes in 1/4" and 1/2" for sure.

why mess with frosting your own when its on the shelf???

 

[Moze]

Agreed on the P95. I'm about to do a sign using .375''. There isn't much of a price difference either.

 

[gancan]

That P95 sure looks pretty nice. What do you guys think of the idea of a dimensional V over the frosted acrylic, I mean it seems like it would add some depth which is kinda nice. However I would wanna keep the finishes somewhat matching, I guess I would spray it matte black if I went with the P95 material. Now in order to use stud stand-offs, I would think that 3/16 is too thin. What would be the recommended minimum to get sufficient grab for a 3x3ft sign on the back? 1/2"...what's the price of something like that go for? I hope it won't put me over where, I'll end up working for minimum wage

 

[Moze]

That P95 sure looks pretty nice. What do you guys think of the idea of a dimensional V over the frosted acrylic, I mean it seems like it would add some depth which is kinda nice. However I would wanna keep the finishes somewhat matching, I guess I would spray it matte black if I went with the P95 material. Now in order to use stud stand-offs, I would think that 3/16 is too thin. What would be the recommended minimum to get sufficient grab for a 3x3ft sign on the back? 1/2"...what's the price of something like that go for? I hope it won't put me over where, I'll end up working for minimum wage

Depending on your supplier, they may charge you for the full sheet of acrylic, so you may just want to have them cut both pieces for you from one sheet (or purchase the whole sheet for whoever does the cutting) and backspray the 'V' prior to mounting it to the background panel. Then you could drill and tap both pieces (3/8'' total). Or for more depth, cut two of each piece and attach them. I would still use VHB tape and silicone when installing though. Pricing varies considerably... Call your supplier.