Installing dibond signs on chain-link solo?

[White Haus]

I feel strange asking for help on what should be such a simple install.....but I'm curious how you guys install dibond signs on chain-link fences? Any tips for installing solo? I've got (1) 36" x 36" sign to put up and don't want to pull another person out of the shop. It's on a section of fence that I can't quite reach over or around to reach the back when installing.

Any method that uses hardware that is readily available or scraps around the shop would be ideal as I have to get this thing up tomorrow. My first thought was to use some dibond scraps/plates or wood blocks to drill into the back but don't know if that is common practice.

Just want to do professionally and make the install easier on myself if possible.

Thank you in advance.

 

[Johnny Best]

Black plastic ties, drill hole in #4 corners of sign, thread tie thru chain link and pull tight.

 

[Dan360]

+1 for ties.

We use metal cable ties and put grommets in the sign for extra support.

 

[chester215]

I would try these as close to the edge as possible.
https://www.harborsales.net/Home/ProductSearchResults.aspx?quickSearch=Clip+(1)+with+Bolt+SLK3000
Or make something like them.

 

[Billct2]

We do backplates & thru bolt. But zip ties would come in handy to hold it it place while doing it solo.

 

[ddarlak]

We use metal cable ties and put grommets in the sign for extra support.

I have a few signs up like this, they have been up for about 4 years and look like the day I put them there. Make sure you use exterior grade zip ties.

 

[Hero Signs]

Unless the sign is temporary do not use ACM on chain link fences. .08 for long term.
But if you must, you can bolt with 2 strips of .08 alum as a back washer and 1.25" washers for front.
Or you can take a 2x4 full length of sign and screw into it on the back side of fence, still using washers on front

 

[2B]

+1 for the grommets as mounting points.

short term = zip ties through grommets
long term = (again use zip ties to hold in place) use a toggle bolt through the grommet with a washer on the face so the bolt does pull through

 

[White Haus]

Thanks for the tips guys! Like the idea of using zip ties to act as a helper, I definitely hadn't thought of that.

Think I'll use that method with toggle bolt/back plate.

I'll report back with my results.

 

[petrosgraphics]

how thick is the dibond , use grommets to reinforce your holes

 

[White Haus]

I was using 3mm dibond.

Install went really well. Ended up using bolts w/ big washers and 3" x 3" dibond plates on the back with another washer and a nut. I brought a little platform so I could reach over the top of the fence to access the back of the top bolts, and trimmed the bottom plates down by 1/4" so I could fit them trough the chain link openings. I could have just walked around the fence to reach the backs but had an old man with nothing better to do giving me a hard time about putting a sign on "someone else's" fence. Trimming the little plates down a hair allowed me to sneak them trough the fence and install the plates, washers and nuts from the same side of the fence. Took a bit of patience but managed to get everything on without dropping/losing any hardware.

Used the zip tie idea to hold up the sign initially until I could get the top bolts/plates/nuts finger tight.

Worked really well and I'll be using this method again.

Thanks for all the tips and tricks!

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

I was using 3mm dibond.

Install went really well. Ended up using bolts w/ big washers and 3" x 3" dibond plates on the back with another washer and a nut. I brought a little platform so I could reach over the top of the fence to access the back of the top bolts, and trimmed the bottom plates down by 1/4" so I could fit them trough the chain link openings. I could have just walked around the fence to reach the backs but had an old man with nothing better to do giving me a hard time about putting a sign on "someone else's" fence. Trimming the little plates down a hair allowed me to sneak them trough the fence and install the plates, washers and nuts from the same side of the fence. Took a bit of patience but managed to get everything on without dropping/losing any hardware.

Used the zip tie idea to hold up the sign initially until I could get the top bolts/plates/nuts finger tight.

Worked really well and I'll be using this method again.

Thanks for all the tips and tricks!

Appreciate the follow-up

 

[burgmurk]

I do this kind of thing a lot. one-man job if the sign can be held in one hand. I use square ali tubing, about 12-14mm and screw through the ACM into it. i hold it all in place with some small clamps.
Threading the tubing through and getting it in position is a little fiddly, but i haven't dropped one yet. I guess it would pay to have a recovery plan in place, maybe one of them 'grabbing sticks' the old folks have?
It's nothing revolutionary, but i made up this method because i was seeing the ugly zip tie method everywhere, and decided there must be a cleaner way to do it.

 

[White Haus]

I do this kind of thing a lot. one-man job if the sign can be held in one hand. I use square ali tubing, about 12-14mm and screw through the ACM into it. i hold it all in place with some small clamps.
Threading the tubing through and getting it in position is a little fiddly, but i haven't dropped one yet. I guess it would pay to have a recovery plan in place, maybe one of them 'grabbing sticks' the old folks have?
It's nothing revolutionary, but i made up this method because i was seeing the ugly zip tie method everywhere, and decided there must be a cleaner way to do it.

Funny you should mention clamps, I did bring some with me but didn't end up needing them thanks to the temporary zip ties. A grabbing stick or magnetic grabber thing would be handy to have for sure in case you drop things into the abyss. Ironically all I had to do was walk around about 10' of fence to get to the other side but some bored prick of an old man was already heckling me for putting a sign on the fence so I didn't want to get him going by stepping foot on the other property. All worked out well though in the end!

 

[2B]

Funny you should mention clamps, I did bring some with me but didn't end up needing them thanks to the temporary zip ties. A grabbing stick or magnetic grabber thing would be handy to have for sure in case you drop things into the abyss. Ironically all I had to do was walk around about 10' of fence to get to the other side but some bored ***** of an old man was already heckling me for putting a sign on the fence so I didn't want to get him going by stepping foot on the other property. All worked out well though in the end!

Glad it went well.

got to love the "gawkers", especially the entitled ones who are vocal.

Recently did a flush wall mounted sign on a leased building.
while installing the sign, the building owner showed up and started critiquing the method, to the point he went and bent a corner of the sign so he could pull better. To "prove" we didn't know what we were doing.
luckily the installers had already taken "completed" photos, so they let him finish, took photos of the damage and then tried to repair/re-attach the sign.
we told/sent the evidence to the person who bought the sign, they were NOT happy.

the best part is after all of this, he wanted them to go up and replace the burnt out bulbs (that he had already bought) on his pole sign, for free, since they were already on location with the tools/equipment and it would be the "common courtesy" thing to do.
they declined and drive off while he was ranting at them.........