Need tips for replace 30'W 3'H sign face and potential 50'

[Nick Nie]

Hi All:

One of our customers is asking us to replace a sign face 30' W x 3' H, we only have two installer, the sign cabinet is 8 ft above the ground, is it possible to pull and plug the sign face from the side? the longest sign face we have replaced is 22', i am wondering if it possible use the same way to replace it.

customer has other 2 sign cabinets use the flex face, one is 6' H and 60' long, the other is 5' H and 45' long, customers want to see if it is possible to change to poly-carbonate sign face, but i doubt about if making the sign that big, it will over the limitation of the structure ( the exterior wall is covered by metal slide, have no idea how they anchor the sign cabinet). anyone has done project with similar size ?is it possible to change the rigid sign face? any tips on installation?

thanks a lot!!

 

[Z SIGNS]

We have done this before. Remove the flex face with a sheet rock knife.Leave the retainers as is. Make the new sign face out polycarb. Make new retainers. Brake formed alum. Attach the top retainer to the face with rivets. "Drop" the face onto the cabinet. Install the rest of the new retainers.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

I'd use two buckets to lift and position something like that. I'd prefer to use two people per bucket, that way you have one operating the bucket, and the other holding and working the sign but I've also done it with one person per bucket...it's so much easier and faster with two.

The second bucket really helps if the panel gets stuck half-way through and you need to move over there. Usually I use two buckets to lift the sign up straight in the air, and then the one closest to the opening will guide the panel in while the "outside" bucket maneuvers closer to the cabinet as the sign goes in.

And like Z signs said, you can usually fit a poly in a flex-face cabinet.. I've done it a few times on signs that were not too large for poly. Not sure about 40-50 ft though!!!

 

[Nick Nie]

We have done this before. Remove the flex face with a sheet rock knife.Leave the retainers as is. Make the new sign face out polycarb. Make new retainers. Brake formed alum. Attach the top retainer to the face with rivets. "Drop" the face onto the cabinet. Install the rest of the new retainers.

thank you so much!

 

[Nick Nie]

I'd use two buckets to lift and position something like that. I'd prefer to use two people per bucket, that way you have one operating the bucket, and the other holding and working the sign but I've also done it with one person per bucket...it's so much easier and faster with two.

The second bucket really helps if the panel gets stuck half-way through and you need to move over there. Usually I use two buckets to lift the sign up straight in the air, and then the one closest to the opening will guide the panel in while the "outside" bucket maneuvers closer to the cabinet as the sign goes in.

And like Z signs said, you can usually fit a poly in a flex-face cabinet.. I've done it a few times on signs that were not too large for poly. Not sure about 40-50 ft though!!!

So far we only use one boom lift to install the sign face, we will try two boom lifts to do the work. thanks for the tips

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

You can rent them for $200-$250 a day... price it into your bid, make your customer pay for it and make life easier on yourself.

I'm done with the mindset of trying to save every penny at my expense. I'm no longer going to risk my signs, my safety and time to save a little $$ for the end user. They pay for what I need to safely get that thing up there.

 

[unclebun]

Around here it's more like $375-$450 a day and the construction companies and electricians have them reserved most of the time and you have to wait for one.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

Around here it's more like $375-$450 a day and the construction companies and electricians have them reserved most of the time and you have to wait for one.

Try small outfits and not the big national companies. I found the national companies to be around $400. Hell, even Home Depot is renting out those little 34' lifts. I don't use them but still..

 

[unclebun]

These are local/regional companies. I don't think we have any national rental companies. There are only 3 choices here.

 

[Nick Nie]

You can rent them for $200-$250 a day... price it into your bid, make your customer pay for it and make life easier on yourself.

I'm done with the mindset of trying to save every penny at my expense. I'm no longer going to risk my signs, my safety and time to save a little $$ for the end user. They pay for what I need to safely get that thing up there.

Lift is much harder in Canada, the boom lift itself only cost $300, but they charge for the delivery fee $400 round trip each time, sometimes i doubt about they making more money on transportation of the equipment, that's why i am a little headache to bring more equipment onsite, hopefully i could afford the bucket truck soon in future.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

Lift is much harder in Canada, the boom lift itself only cost $300, but they charge for the delivery fee $400 round trip each time, sometimes i doubt about they making more money on transportation of the equipment, that's why i am a little headache to bring more equipment onsite, hopefully i could afford the bucket truck soon in future.

I'm talking about a towable lift.. like JLG, Genie or NiftyTM50... not the large ones they have to put on a low-boy

 

[Boss Cat]

I usually don't put my 2 cents in but I've built a lot of signs and serviced many more. When I design a sign my main concern is for my service guys and the customer's maintenance costs. Polycarbonate in those sizes are going to be stupid heavy to begin with and would require a hanging bar so they don't fall out from the top. Every time you go to service these signs in the future will be a major headache and probably require two trucks unless it's a power supply and the sign has an access panel. Still the bulbs or LED's may go out or a connection could come loose or burn up. Adding a lot of cost to the customer. Polycarb also yellows pretty quickly at least in this area. Doesn't make much sense to me to make a sign less cost effective and harder to work on. I can't see what your customer would hope to be gaining from the switch.

 

[Nick Nie]

I usually don't put my 2 cents in but I've built a lot of signs and serviced many more. When I design a sign my main concern is for my service guys and the customer's maintenance costs. Polycarbonate in those sizes are going to be stupid heavy to begin with and would require a hanging bar so they don't fall out from the top. Every time you go to service these signs in the future will be a major headache and probably require two trucks unless it's a power supply and the sign has an access panel. Still the bulbs or LED's may go out or a connection could come loose or burn up. Adding a lot of cost to the customer. Polycarb also yellows pretty quickly at least in this area. Doesn't make much sense to me to make a sign less cost effective and harder to work on. I can't see what your customer would hope to be gaining from the switch.

I totally agree with you, so you mean you prefer flex face more than rigid face? we never did flex face sign before since we are still very new, but eager to learn how to make the flex sign face.

 

[Nick Nie]

I'm talking about a towable lift.. like JLG, Genie or NiftyTM50... not the large ones they have to put on a low-boy

Now i am searching to buy a towable boom lift, thanks for your suggestion.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

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