stencil

[fisheye48]

have a customer that is wanting a stencil made with their logo that is re-usable...the logo is going to be painted on boats, jetskis, and other applications where is in water most of the time...they do not want to go with a vinyl so that there is no chance of it coming off...is there something i can throw in the vinyl cutter that will hold up to repeated painting??

 

[J Hill Designs]

not really - I would use 2mil sintra

 

[sinetist]

I've had a few of these done for customers. I had a shop with a laser machine cut them out of styrene sheet. They weren't very expensive to have done and worked well.

 

[weaselboogie]

The problem with this is that it LOOKS like a stencil. You'll need to make bridges for the insides of the A, O, D, etc. If its really a paint issue instead of a money issue, suggest removable vinyl that could be applied as a stencil, painted and then removed. They'll get a CRISP edge and no bridges. It will look infinitely better.

 

[Sticky Signs]

Tell them to stop being cheap and buy the vinyl. Do they really think a boat or jetsky is gonna look good with a sprayed on stencil?

 

[hatmanok]

You could use paint mask vinyl.. It does a great job and the paint looks great...

 

[J Hill Designs]

not reuseable tho...

 

[iSign]

I have a client I made one time use stencils for, with cut vinyl mask (the removable low tack kind Weasel mentioned) and we cut his letters the standard way without bridges...

anyway, he just came back & in addition to having me logo up a few more trucks, he showed me one of my stencils he used 20 times or more, and then ordered some more. Every time he painted it, it got thicker & more durable to remove & re-use. Gradually it lost it's adhesive, but it seemed to be in amazing condition. In fact, all the middles of letters is what wore out first... the outside piece looks like a little spray adhesive will give him another 20 uses easily...

So I made him more, but I also gave him several extra of the letter middles.

 

[ABPGraphics]

GRIMCO has custom made reusable stencil

 

[J Hill Designs]

good to know, isign

 

[Mosh]

+ on grimco, had a few stencils made there.

 

[Craig Sjoquist]

I hand letter.. this type of stuff ...when you want it to last, not peel off after 3-5 years or look like garbage with cracks and chips and color fades...
vinyl is great for the market cause it does not last well and ya get to do new after a few years not like 10 to 20 years like hand lettering

 

[V-ENGRAVE]

Laser cut mylar sheet in 0.010" thickness would be good option. Some guys have also laser cut stencils out of clear films used for overhead projectors.

 

[Erikka@Rainier]

We did one using roll styrene on our Zund cutter. It had bridges for the insides of the letters, looked stupid IMO, but I think it will work for the customer. I don't know how they stuck it to the surface of their vehicles though. I didn't have any suggestions for them on that one.

 

[Salmoneye]

Craig, I would say that depends on the type of vinyl. I have seen some very long lasting vinyl when people want to pay for the good stuff.

 

[G-Artist]

Here is where a Gerber or Summa shines.

I had a fellow sign shop make me a boat name with graphics on a Gerber Edge and no lamination. It has been on at least 5 years and looks great.

I plod along in saltwater and when it sits on the trailer in the Florida sun the decal on the transom isn't covered so it gets the afternoon west sun.