Hanging HDU Sign Question

[neato]

I'm making a sign for my shop from 2" HDU. This is a double sided hanging sign. I know the best method would be to use thinner HDU and sandwich either PVC or MDO in the middle for support for the hanging hardware. But I have a big piece of 2" material here and would like to use it. This is a small sign (24" x 18"ish) hanging just a couple feet off the ground. So if it falls, it won't damage anything or hurt anyone.

How should I go about this? Is there a method to attach screw eyes so they don't slip out of the foam? Epoxy maybe?

 

[Gino]

Drill completely down through it from the top out the bottom. Use all-thread with an eye hook at the top the same size and glue it in there. Also washer and nut it at the bottom. A sign your size, will use this all-thread as a sorta framework assembly.

As for it won't hurt anyone, if you are a sign shop, hanging out a shingle and it falls, flies off in a storm or is batted down by vandals, it would not look good if you were found not to have gotten a permit for your own sign, with the excuse..... I didn't think it would hurt anybody.

 

[neato]

Hey Gino.

Thanks for the idea. I like it.

Like I said, this is only going to be about 2 feet off the ground and in my front yard. I'm not worried about it hurting anyone More concerned about it lasting. We get a lot of strong storms around here.

 

[Kottwitz-Graphics]

My preferred method is like you said, 2 layers, but I fabricate a steel structure...but, since you made it from 2", you could drill all the way through, like Gino said, but that could be tedious. If it goes off, you do run the risk of drilling through the face. Not to mention, probably having to buy a long enough bit...

Instead, I would drill an oversized hole, and fill it with a 2 part epoxy. Once it's firm, I'd drill it, and install a stainless steel eye bolt.

 

[tbullo]

For that size and low to the ground I would do this. Bore a hole with 1'' bit. Then place a 1/4''-20 t-nut in the bottom of hole. Then take a 1/4'' machine eye and coat threads with wax and place it in t-nut. Then fill hole flush with West epoxy with a little 404 added. Wax is so you can unscrew eye when epoxy is setup. I have used this for hanging signs and great for blind mount on the back of signfoam..

 

[rossmosh]

Build a frame around the sign out of metal.

 

[GB2]

The size you propose is very small, trying to drill an 18" or 24" hole all the way through the sign is very unpractical at best and you risk ruining the material if you are not equipped to do such a thing. The rest of your hanging method may have some influence on what you chose to do, is it hanging from a post and arm, is it hanging off a bracket on a building, etc. What I would try to do is use a flat metal piece, aluminum, painted steel or whatever would go with the rest of the system, and screw it into the sides of the sign. You can then drill a hole for a chain or do what you need to at the top of the metal to attach it to whatever you are hanging it from. If you are really paranoid, you can put some epoxy in the holes before you put the screws in.

 

[Billct2]

I agree with Gary. A strap up the side, 2" wide would be nice. Round the top edges and drill a hole for hanging.
depending on the sign design it could be made to look industrial, paint it black and use some lags to fasten it.
And on that topic I would use at least three lags on each side and maybe a bead of lexal too.

 

[signbrad]

Bore a hole with 1'' bit. Then place a 1/4''-20 t-nut in the bottom of hole. Then take a 1/4'' machine eye and coat threads with wax and place it in t-nut. Then fill hole flush with West epoxy with a little 404 added. Wax is so you can unscrew eye when epoxy is setup. I have used this for hanging signs and great for blind mount on the back of signfoam..

This is a cool idea.
So, which way do you install the T-nut? Fangs up or fangs down? Or do you use the T-nuts that have holes in the flange instead of fangs?
And what the heck is 404? I know it's not an error code.

Brad in Kansas City

 

[7oaks]

Guys, you're over killing this. 2 ft off the ground. Get 2 eyebolts about 6 inches long. Drill an oversize hole at a slight angle toward center of sign (longer than
than the bolt and spray some water in hole, coat eye bolt with gorilla glue, mist the bolt and insert into over sized hole up to the eye. Let dry and hang.
Before everyone gets excited, I have larger signs hanging like this. Besides, this method came from this site.

Ken

 

[visual800]

if it were me I would do a frame around it in a strap metal or even aluminum, paint to match

 

[Gino]

This is a cool idea.
So, which way do you install the T-nut? Fangs up or fangs down? Or do you use the T-nuts that have holes in the flange instead of fangs?
And what the heck is 404? I know it's not an error code.

Brad in Kansas City

Haha........ you know, I read it as WD40 and never noticed the wrong spelling. Hope that's what he meant. Error code, now that's funny. :Big Laugh

 

[tbullo]

This is a cool idea.
So, which way do you install the T-nut? Fangs up or fangs down? Or do you use the T-nuts that have holes in the flange instead of fangs?
And what the heck is 404? I know it's not an error code.

Brad in Kansas City

I'm sorry. I should have realized not everyone uses West epoxy. 404 is the adhesive filler you add to the epoxy when bonding fastners. Fangs up.

I'll try to make this quick.
I make a pattern for my hole layout then drill(in this case 3/16'' hole for 10-24 t-nut) a pilot hole.
Then I drill a 1'' hole.
Then I coat the stud with wax leaving a little stick out for alignment.
Then I place into the pilot hole so it lines up to my pattern.
Then I fill with West epoxy with a little 404 added.
When dry you can remove the studs for transport.

These pics are from the back of a 1'' thick signfoam address sign that will be blind mounted to brick columns. I just hang my template up on column, drill, attach studs and glue and done.
Works for me.

 

[Marlene]

The size you propose is very small, trying to drill an 18" or 24" hole all the way through the sign is very unpractical at best and you risk ruining the material if you are not equipped to do such a thing. The rest of your hanging method may have some influence on what you chose to do, is it hanging from a post and arm, is it hanging off a bracket on a building, etc. What I would try to do is use a flat metal piece, aluminum, painted steel or whatever would go with the rest of the system, and screw it into the sides of the sign. You can then drill a hole for a chain or do what you need to at the top of the metal to attach it to whatever you are hanging it from. If you are really paranoid, you can put some epoxy in the holes before you put the screws in.

that's how I've done it and it works great. no way would I try to drill thru the entire sign.