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Reflective Road Signs

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Bill McManes

New Member
I have always applied reflective white vinyl to engineer grade green aluminum blanks.
Is it possible to use translucent vinyl instead. A cost saving measure.
Having issues of the reflective material separating from the adhesive.
Tried many brands, same problem, and using dry app method.
Have approx 100 to do.
 
Bradley Signs

Bradley Signs

Bradley Signs
Most cities and towns and the state have a set of rules that must be followed, like what types and brands should be used, and which font. Of course I don't know if this applies to what your project.
 
printhog

printhog

New Member
3M and Oracal sell transparent overlay films designed just for this use. Oracal 5061 series. 3M series 1170. Both are like window tint or stained glass, they are optically clear but colored. They are usually used over high intensity (type III) or diamond grade (type VII to type XII) base white films. You cannot use glass bead engineer grade for municipal street signs in the US any more. Grimco sells the supplies for these types of signs as does Fellers. Grimco is better stocked for this type of media as they also sell blanks and work zone products in another division.

Regular translucent is not optically clear for the reflective film to work. At all.

for the specs of making road signs this is the rulebook: 2009 Edition with Revisions No. 1 and 2 Incorporated, dated May 2012 (PDF) - FHWA MUTCD

to identify the reflective film types this is the go-to: 2014 Traffic Sign Retroreflective Sheeting Identification Guide - Safety | Federal Highway Administration

how to make a sign woth the overlay films from 3M: http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/...t-film-series-1170.pdf?fn=PB 1170 25OCT16.pdf
 
B

Bill McManes

New Member
printhog said:
3M and Oracal sell transparent overlay films designed just for this use. Oracal 5061 series. 3M series 1170. Both are like window tint or stained glass, they are optically clear but colored. They are usually used over high intensity (type III) or diamond grade (type VII to type XII) base white films. You cannot use glass bead engineer grade for municipal street signs in the US any more. Grimco sells the supplies for these types of signs as does Fellers. Grimco is better stocked for this type of media as they also sell blanks and work zone products in another division.

Regular translucent is not optically clear for the reflective film to work. At all.

for the specs of making road signs this is the rulebook: 2009 Edition with Revisions No. 1 and 2 Incorporated, dated May 2012 (PDF) - FHWA MUTCD

to identify the reflective film types this is the go-to: 2014 Traffic Sign Retroreflective Sheeting Identification Guide - Safety | Federal Highway Administration

how to make a sign woth the overlay films from 3M: http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/7409O/pb-1170-3m-electrocut-film-series-1170.pdf?fn=PB 1170 25OCT16.pdf
Click to expand...
Thanks for your time
printhog said:
3M and Oracal sell transparent overlay films designed just for this use. Oracal 5061 series. 3M series 1170. Both are like window tint or stained glass, they are optically clear but colored. They are usually used over high intensity (type III) or diamond grade (type VII to type XII) base white films. You cannot use glass bead engineer grade for municipal street signs in the US any more. Grimco sells the supplies for these types of signs as does Fellers. Grimco is better stocked for this type of media as they also sell blanks and work zone products in another division.

Regular translucent is not optically clear for the reflective film to work. At all.

for the specs of making road signs this is the rulebook: 2009 Edition with Revisions No. 1 and 2 Incorporated, dated May 2012 (PDF) - FHWA MUTCD

to identify the reflective film types this is the go-to: 2014 Traffic Sign Retroreflective Sheeting Identification Guide - Safety | Federal Highway Administration

how to make a sign woth the overlay films from 3M: http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/7409O/pb-1170-3m-electrocut-film-series-1170.pdf?fn=PB 1170 25OCT16.pdf
Click to expand...
Thanks for your time, being this is for a rural gated community, not sure HI is required, but will check. Since fire, squad and police sometimes find a need to venture from the city and lend some services.
 
printhog

printhog

New Member
If you're making signs for truly private roads you can do what they wish, but be sure the community doesn't assign the roads to the local authority to have county maintain the roads, otherwise youre making signs to go on the right of way for traffic control purposes. You're best to follow the highest MUTCD/ANSI rules, or buy yourself a big insurance policy for 50 years. You could easily be embroiled in a law suit trying to prove that your signs were supposedly visible, and could even be held responsible for life safety delays from that. The standards are basically the roadsign version of building code. Stick to them and you have the rule to back you up. Blaze your own trail and you don't.

The 1170 3M film is a great media and price competitive to 2 mil vinyl. Grimco has street sign blanks with compliant reflective ready for 1170 overlay in common sizes and colors.

So long as the entire surface is reflective and has a minimum coefficient of reflectivity to meet standards, and has contrast for visibility, you're likely safe. Using common translucent vinyl will not meet that.


its only a freaking sign!
 
G

GaSouthpaw

Profane and profane accessories.
printhog said:
If you're making signs for truly private roads you can do what they wish, but be sure the community doesn't assign the roads to the local authority to have county maintain the roads, otherwise youre making signs to go on the right of way for traffic control purposes.
Click to expand...
Yes, yes, yes!
Typical argument with one of the multifamily residential customers about this, and how I tried to explain it (keeping it as simplistic as possible):
"But the road is all on our property..."
"Is it connected to a public thoroughfare?"
"Uh..."
"Does it 'touch' Main Street?"
"Well, yeah- it's the main intersection. They put in a traffic light and everything."
"Then it has to follow D.O.T. specs."
"But... it's on our property!"
 
C

Cynosure

New Member
I have had good luck using the oracal translucent green over white reflective blanks. The only issue you have to worry about is getting that material in a single piece size to cover the blank you have. I'm not sure of the oracal series number but it's in their colors guide with the reflective materials

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk
 
SignShopGal

SignShopGal

SignShopGal
Hi, you have surely finished this project by now but I just wanted to add my own expertise. I solely make road and traffic signs for the 3 surround states including the one I live it. Printhog said earlier that state-to-state and city-city/county-county standards and specifications are varied, this is correct absolutely.
Also, I can brag that our products have been superior compared to those surrounding us in other businesses who don't know how to use these types of materials: we use Electrocut film, all colors, on 3M DG, HIP and EGP sheeting, dry application. We finally got a 54" cold laminator roller, takes the pressure off my shoulder rotator cuff repetitive injury issue from using a 4" hand roller; I make roughly 200 signs a week out of our little 1.5 person ran sign shop here. Most everything is EC on Retro-reflective sheeting. I make a LOT of street signs, road signs, TTC signage, TTC for federal interstate applications, and they are picky! A good general rule is know what city or county boundaries the signs are going to be installed in and it never hurts to ask the roads/engineering department of that city or county entity what they prefer. Resources are at the tip of your fingers. I have a book of all the specs for surround cities etc. FHWA MUTCD has downloadble files with both EPS and PDF's for several signs. I almost always recommend to customers who order signs in private communities to follow the standards of the surrounding entity, or follow standards set by the MUTCD in which ever state DOT you're working within. An email asking is always generally welcome, they appreciate that you want to know and if you know the site will have an inspection, find out who is performing it and ask them. They have the final say. UDOT is different than ADOT, different from NDOT in types of materials that can be used. I almost always have to clear my materials list with the Mohave gov entity for ADOT, they are very picky also (inks vs films etc). I've been learning about these things and have connections with almost all city and county entities now for the past 2 years, they are your friends! (Beware, engineers NO OFFENSE TO ANY HERE, will change their mind about their construction plans at any given time so, be ready to jump).

Just wanted to add my two cents even though it has been a few months.

Thank you!!!
 
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IslandSignWorks

New Member
We make DOT-spec traffic signs in our shop and to meet State requirements we use Avery T-1500 engineering grade retroreflectives. They have a translucent film series designed to work with the basic background colors. This is good for oddball low quantity panels where it's not worth burning a screen
 
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