Sign Changes For Customer

[BIG EASY DOES IT]

Hopefully I posted in the right area. I don't think so though. I have a customer with the black sign in the picture. Right now whenever a company in this complex moves they scrape the vinyl off the sign and add a new company on. He's looking for something a little more removable so he doesn't have to scrape the face of the sign everytime he wants to change the vinyl. All I could really think of, without fully replacing the sign. Is to do a stand off acrylic off the original sign that is there and cover the whole area where he wants to put the leasees names and then do standoffs off of that of small individual acrylic pieces for each of the companys. Sort of like the other picture I put there. The only problem with this is I'm not sure if the existing sheet of acrylic will be able to hold the new additions I'm talking about. Please take a look and let me know what you think. Also any other ideas on a way I could make this possible for him.

 

[BIG EASY DOES IT]

Wouldn't let me post this second picture for some reason. This is what I was thinking Black is the original sign. The big white block is the new stand off attached straight to the original one. And then all the little ones with stand offs attached to the new white block.

 

[J Hill Designs]

i wouldnt do standoffs, but why not just individual panels attached with screws?

 

[BIG EASY DOES IT]

We Thought about that my only problem is the customer says that the people in his complex come and go frequently. I thought taking that if I was going to be taking the screws in and out pretty often the acrylic of the original black backing would quickly become stripped out.

 

[2B]

assuming it is a 1 sided sign, instead of screws use bolts that go through the sign to the back side.

other option, do a "sticker" on opaque backing and cover the previous tenant with the new tenant.

 

[TwoNine]

Yeah, I would NOT go the route of cover up after cover up....Think 5 tenants out....It would look terrible. I think Jhill's idea is good, so is yours - to make acrylic panels.

Otherwise, I think I'd just let him know that vinyl IS the easy way.....

My 0.02

 

[anotherdog]

if people are moving that often maybe a Dry-Erase board.

 

[2B]

the cover up route is purely bottom dollar option, if the turn over rate is high, then the cost to make new acrylic name plate or peeling the vinyl off and re-sticking is going to become old real fast.

if the layering of the vinyl is frowned upon, remove said vinyl and stick new to the sign. a solid piece of vinyl is MUCH easy to remove than the individual cut letters.


the individual name plates are ideal, but will the big solid piece be needed? cover the tenants with black vinyl then do the individual name plates. removes one layer

 

[BIG EASY DOES IT]

The back of the sign does have a some text " Thank you for visiting" at the top of it. So drilling straight through wasn't an option. Also just covering with name plates would be ok except for all the bolts or holes coming out the other side. What I thought was the new sheet of acrylic would only take 4 to 6 sandwhich style standoffs to hold it in. So on the back side you would have 4 small finished coins on the back the all the new plates would mount to that instead of all of them going throught the original sign to the back. Also just covering up everybodys name everytime they change is going to look horrible. That's the whole reason we are changing the sign is because the customer doesn't like the hazy scratched look that the razors do to the black finish. Also I really like the dry erase idea if it were that easy.

 

[CanuckSigns]

The back of the sign does have a some text " Thank you for visiting" at the top of it. So drilling straight through wasn't an option. Also just covering with name plates would be ok except for all the bolts or holes coming out the other side. What I thought was the new sheet of acrylic would only take 4 to 6 sandwhich style standoffs to hold it in. So on the back side you would have 4 small finished coins on the back the all the new plates would mount to that instead of all of them going throught the original sign to the back. Also just covering up everybodys name everytime they change is going to look horrible. That's the whole reason we are changing the sign is because the customer doesn't like the hazy scratched look that the razors do to the black finish. Also I really like the dry erase idea if it were that easy.

i think the dry erase idea was a joke... If you are concerned with the acrylic getting worn out using screws, why not use a threaded insert and 2 bolts to hold the acrylic sign on?

 

[Locals Find!]

Why not run tracks on the sign where you could simply slide the name plates in and out??

 

[BIG EASY DOES IT]

Why not run tracks on the sign where you could simply slide the name plates in and out??

Do you have a picture or supplier of the tracks your talking about.

 

[TwoNine]

I'm really not trying to be a 'mean guy' - But why use razors on the vinyl at all. I've done a hundred signs like this throughout the years. And we have always used vinyl - then just pick it off (or even use a plastic chisel (RARELY)), use Rapid Remover for the adhesive, and re-letter.

So - I must be missing something. I'll just be a spectator to this thread at this point....

Hope it all works out well for you!

-Chad

 

[TammieH]

Like Jill said ..use T-Nuts on the back if the sign is single sided, the problem with stand-offs outside is all of the dirt collecting on the back side of acrylic. Also you might think about using Clark Systems "Slatz" they are meant for interior, but we have had luck with them here in the NW, possible because of lack of extreme temps...oh yeah and that shiny orb in the sky.

 

[Locals Find!]

Do you have a picture or supplier of the tracks your talking about.

This is what I am talking about. You could make the panels yourself then using a variety of materials. http://signletterdepot.com/texas-track-for-030-sign-letters.html just cut the tracks to fit your needs.

I have done these for a bar to put up who was playing at different times.

 

[Gino]

That track is far too small to hold anything of the size he needs without blowing away or vandalism.

The best idea is the screwing panels to the main sign. If they come and go quickly, he'd have to ante up and get bigger screws if they eventually stripe themselves out.

 

[Malkin]

I would probably use 3M Dual Lock for attaching small removeable panels. It's basically a heavy duty exterior velcro, with a VHB adhesive. (Fellers sells it by the yard)

We've used it on many similar kinds of signs over the years and never a problem.

 

[SignProPlus-Chip]

We Thought about that my only problem is the customer says that the people in his complex come and go frequently. I thought taking that if I was going to be taking the screws in and out pretty often the acrylic of the original black backing would quickly become stripped out.

Over drill the holes and install (epoxy) threaded inserts for machine screws. Then they can be screwed and unscrewed for forever and a day.

 

[visual800]

I literally cannot stand these signs. No one reads all that junk on them. The easiest way I would handle this is to redo the sign put an automotive clearcoat on it and place tents on top of that. down the road they are removable without destroying the background

no tracks no small panels no drilling and velcro all that crap- just a large clean sign with all vinyl on it I know you said you didnt wanna redo it but lets think about how big of a PITA changing those panels are gonna be. Ive been down this road and this method is the absolute best I have found for these "over populated" signs