silva trim for channel letters.. tools?

[nashvillesigns]

glad you clicked on this. you do know what silvatrim is.. ( old stuff that was a plastic bag o' fun installing on acrylic letters. P.I.A.!!) my question is, where can i get the tool that cuts the "notch" off of the trim that is used to help "bend" the trim around channel letters... i am doing a retrofit with white letters and the old trim moulding crumbled off... any ideas? i have no idea what to call it, so, i can't even google it...
thanks!
Chris

 

[J Hill Designs]

I just use the corner of a square file - you are talking trimcap, no?

 

[Westcoast Sign Guy]

Silvatrim is no more, but never heard of a tool to notch, unless you mean a hand notcher used for sheet metal and alum commonly used for notching returns of channel letters. I've never use that for trim cap, I've always used a drywall type knife to notch.

But PLASCO is back now *COUGH*, similar "J"trim, trim cap.

 

[cgsigns_jamie]

We have and I don't know where we got it...

But a quick Google search resulted in this:

http://www.montroy.com/catalog/main/itemdetail.app?item_no=JNICKER

 

[Gino]

I think Glantz still sells them.

I think it's called 'Nicker'.

 

[signcrafters london]

Gino is right on both counts.

 

[Westcoast Sign Guy]

That's funny, I guess they make a tool for everything.

 

[John L]

I'll back that up. It's called a nicker.

A nicker, you will find, is actually a dollar store quality pruning shear with a little 90 degree metal anvil welded to the tip and a little plastic flat bolted to the other tip to support the silvatrim and to bring the anvil down upon.

If you do a little edgetrim work, you will discover that for 90 degree turns around a letter edge, a 90 degree cut like the nicker provides is too wide an angle. To counter this, we used to always set the plastic flat of the tool for a sloppy fit so that the anvil would only slice about half of the face leg of the trim. You should always undercut the angle slightly and the corners will be tighter. Utility knife is all we use nowadays.

 

[MikePro]

I have a Nicker and only cut thru half of the ridge, heat gun, and the warm plastic turns the corner like a dream, pinching itself closed and looking like a welded corner

 

[Westcoast Sign Guy]

Sounds like maybe using the wrong trim cap for a particular letter. I like Jewellite too, but only on large letters over 30"+, anything smaller PLASCO Trim Cap. Much easier and faster to fabricate with, won't split on the corners, easier to notch, etc. I have signs that are 16/18 years old that still hang and the trim cap hasn't aged very bad.

 

[miguelon.lizarraga]

Silva is my last name.

 

[nashvillesigns]

DAMN!! This info is SO GOOD. Once it hits your LIPS!!!!!! BEER IS SOO GOOODDDD!!!!!
thanks all....
got it!!

 

[skyhigh]

I bought some linoleum style blades for my utility cutter. These work great for removing the old trim from around the letter. For notching, I use a straight blade or a mini pair of wire snips.

 

[petrosgraphics]

i have always used a small square file, aprox.1/4" wide, has worked great for years...

you can even nick the back edge of the trim.... makes for a little less resistance

when bending your angle......never liked the nicker, it always made to big a cut...