Help with letter mounting

you can mark the template, and then either copy the template and transfer it to the letter or just put the letter under it and mark where the studs go.

that is how I'd do it.

 

1/4" thick acrylic is rough to put studs into. If you have a drill press to gauge your depth for a drill hole and then tapped for screwing in your stud. Might be better and faster to VHB tape with a spacer on the back for your mounting to the wall. How tall are these letters.

 

By outlines do you mean cutout or drawn onto the template? If drawn I'd be tempted to tape the letters onto the template, flip it over and drill into both just a bit to mark the letters. Take letters off and add studs where you drilled and then it will match your template.

 

You say it will have spacers, so can you use pre tapped acrylic mounting blocks? You should be able to get them in a day. Is mounting with tape an option? That would be east to fix, glue or tape spacers to the back and put tape on them. Whatever you do the paper template should work for mounting, you may want to make a copy though in case you screw it up.

 

https://mbs-standoffs.com/products/quick-snap?sort=sku!

 

I would mark the paper template for the mounts. Then transfer the markings to the letters and use glue pads.

https://www.geminisignproducts.com/...e65d43b0b1261/gemini_installationsupplies.pdf

 

These are what you want along with some resin bond to mount them to the letters. There are ways to make them yourself but sure is easier to buy them https://www.nglantz.com/67634/Category/Letter-Mounting-Accessories
I would tell the company you bought the letters from to overnight the mounts.

 

That may be why they didn't come tapped for studs. 1/4" is too thin. They should have told you they can't do it. It CAN be done, but very carefully and it really isn't recommended.

 

When you get the mounting blocks, just cement them onto the backs of the letters in appropriate places. Then mount short studs in all the blocks, and with the paper pattern resting on a slightly yielding surface, press each letter over the outline. If you are able to punch the studs through the paper, fine, but if not, rub soft pencil on the end of each stud so it leaves a mark on the paper.

 

Hey I've done this. Hopefully you have some vinyl with a clear liner. Run the pattern out on a piece of vinyl, with two copies of the holes where you want them and all. Cutting twice tends to cut through the liner, leaving a clean hole. Weed the letter shapes themselves, leaving you with a background of vinyl, clear liner where the letters are, and holes for the mounting points. Lay the letters out upside down. Lay the pattern out upside down over the letters. Position and mark through the holes. Place the letters. Profit.

 

what are these letters going on? do they really need to be stud mounted?

 

Important details to share....

Size of letters
Substrate of where they will be mounted.

 

Exterior, and 50+ letters sounds like a military base to me. Probably that military grade brick. Better have a great SDS rotary hammer...

 

https://www.geminisignproducts.com/en/resources/installation-maintenance/installation-supplies/

Stud pads for the larger letters - attached with Weld On 16.

Stud blocks for the smaller letters - attach with Weld On 4.

(confirm the Weld On numbers.......it's been a minute since I've used it)

You'll want 5-6 per letter on the larger letters and 4 on the smaller letters (except letter i's, l's, 3 for those....).

Cut a half dozen studs to around ½" in length and then grind them to a point.

Lay your paper pattern on a piece of coroplast (or cardboard).

Thread the studs, points out, into the pads/blocks, one letter at a time, set the letter on top of your pattern, line it up, press just enough to make a small mark.Then mark it with a pen so it's easy to see. Do that with every letter and you're good to go.

 

With a business name of signlords- and you don't know the answer?
They should have been supplied with standoffs, but since they were not, find out why-maybe they were accidentally despatched without them- so ask, or just get or make your own standoffs, fix them, mark the template, and drill or screw the bases on/in and mount them.

54 letters- so what? Each job we have that needs them uses close to 45 letters at times, We make our own paper or else cardboard patterns.
I can't see why you seem to be making a fuss as if the quantity of letters, and mounting method and spacing method is an ordeal.
It's simple- just do it and move on to the next job-nothng here is arduous or weird.