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What material is best for a 12 foot sign?

A

appstro

New Member
I am probably going to be doing a 12 foot wide x 4 foot tall sign for a local gym. They dont have a huge budget so they are just wanting a flat sign. Lighting will be provided by the building and will luminate the face of the sign with large lamps over it.

I looked into doing the sign with MDO but thats a custom order and its VERY heavy for a sign that size.
I looked at 3/16 in polycarbinate but that seems "cheap".
I looked at a custom sized metal sign .060 inch thick.
Are there any other alternatives?

Would you suggest doing this sign in two halfs?

What would be the best material? I am planning on simply printing the sign on my versacamm, laminating and then mounting the vinyl to the sign material.

The sign will be mounted on t-11 (wood siding). The building is in an area where they try to have an old town look.

I have only been doing signs for 2 years. I value everyones opinion here and I could really use your insight. What material would you use for this project and what other suggestions would you have for installation?
:thankyou:
 
Malkin

Malkin

New Member
For a budget option, use 3mm polymetal (2 pieces) and either mount to 2x4 PT stringers on the building or prebuild a frame and mount to the frame.
For a slighty better option use 6mm instead. This makes the sign more rigid.
 
SignManiac

SignManiac

New Member
Since you are on a tight budget, you won't be using a single 12' sheet of material. It's hard to come by and more expensive. I'd go with two 4'x8' sheets of polymetal. and cut 2' off at both ends so your seam is on a 6' center. It will look better than using and 8' panel and a 4' panel. Even though you're facing it with a print, unless you do a lot of finishing, the seam may show through under your print.

I'd recommend building a 1"x1" aluminum square tube frame to mount the polymetal to. You can even use 3M VHB tape and it will look very clean. It will be super light and I'd hang it on the wall using Z-Clipz.
 
2B

2B

Active Member
SignManiac said:
Since you are on a tight budget, you won't be using a single 12' sheet of material. It's hard to come by and more expensive. I'd go with two 4'x8' sheets of polymetal. and cut 2' off at both ends so your seam is on a 6' center. It will look better than using and 8' panel and a 4' panel. Even though you're facing it with a print, unless you do a lot of finishing, the seam may show through under your print.

I'd recommend building a 1"x1" aluminum square tube frame to mount the polymetal to. You can even use 3M VHB tape and it will look very clean. It will be super light and I'd hang it on the wall using Z-Clipz.
Click to expand...

:goodpost: Couldn't has said it better
 
A

appstro

New Member
Thanks everyone. I am so glad I asked!

SignManiac:
How do I mount the z-clips to the polymetal?
How do I mount the 1x1 to the sign?

-Do I use the 3m tape for mounting the 1x1 to the poly metal, then use screws to mount the z-clips to the wall and 1x1's? Will the tape hold up outdoors forever?

The sign will be about 10 feet up the building. I cant access the side of the building with my truck and a ladder seems to be insufficient. Should I rent a scissor lift? Is there a cheaper or better alternative?
Do you think the customer will be turned off by the seam in the middle??

Thanks again everyone. I still have ALOT to learn :):notworthy:
 
J Hill Designs

J Hill Designs

New Member
most seams are hardly noticeable.

2 ladders, 2 guys would be sufficient to install 10' up, and should take no more than an hour.

I would use mech fasteners for peace-of-mind
 
A

appstro

New Member
OK everyone. Thanks for your advice. I have now printed the sign, laminated it and mounted it on the polymetal. I also used L brackets and countersunk the screws to hide them from the front. Question, Do I have to seal the edges of this sign so that the vinyl and laminate do not come off?
 

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A

appstro

New Member
Can you recommend a brand? Its not the "pen sealer" I see everywhere is it?

The sign board is NUDO POLY-METAL
 
OldPaint

OldPaint

New Member
the sign woulda read better .........without the background, yellow letter on a yellow orange background???
 
visual800

visual800

Active Member
FS-Keith said:
.040 looks extremely tacky when it oil cans and bows where you put fasteners in at.
Click to expand...

If you cant install an aluminum sign on t-11 siding without "denting" it you are not installing correctly. We always drill out holes before install and make then slightly larger than the screws. And do not screw the hardware in all the way just hit the surface of the aluminum

Hitting only the high spots of the siding, maybe a a 1x1 square aluminum tubing would suffice as frame I was just trying to save you some seams
 
DizzyMarkus

DizzyMarkus

New Member
Washers on the backside also help in not to waffle the substrate without a frame :0) Just remember to drill low enough the washer wont show :thumb:

Markus
 
A

appstro

New Member
Well, that was the problem. I wanted to do a sign that would have no screws or seams and would look professional. Metal seemed to thin and "ripply", I wanted a nice flat surface. Sign board was too heavy. The end choice was the poly metal. 1/4 inch thick, light and not too expensive and easily obtained. I hate the seam in the middle and lining up all the prints was very difficult. I printed 4 separate parts and mounted them to the polymetal with a "Big Squeegee". I hid all the screws behind the work and purchased aluminum L brackets from HD for mounting to the siding. I don't care for the design but the gym has their own "designer". You can see pixels in alot of areas. I tried to warn them but, that's all I could do. It goes up soon. I will post pics. :)

Thanks again for everyone's advice and knowledge. I wouldn't have been able to plan this job without your help.:thankyou:
 
A

appstro

New Member
Hey everybody! The install went really smooth. I rented a scissor lift and had a friend help hold the sign while I made adjustments. The way the brackets worked out was cheap and looks great. The L metal at home depot was the ticket for sure. I bought 3/4 L metal that came in 8 foot lengths. I then cut it down to six feet. I bought 8 total. 4 for the signs and 4 for the wall. I measured everything off and then drilled and mounted the L metal to the wall with drywall 1.5 inch drywall screws. I double checked to make sure that the brackets were all level and made sure that it was centered. Then the sign literally just plopped right over the brackets. I then lined everything up, press the sign to the wall firmly and drove self tapping screws into the brackets from the tops and bottoms of the brackets. From the ground you cannot see the screws or the brackets as they are all painted flat black. The biggest challenge was lining up that stupid seam. Even the smallest gap looked terrible form the ground to me so I really worked on that until you could barely see it form the ground. I had to do the sign in two parts to keep costs low and be able to safely transport. Sorry I didnt take pics, but I was too overwhelmed to even think about it.

The sign brackets fit the wall brackets together like this
[]
Does that make any sense? It literally just slid right over the tops of the inner L brackets and completely hid them. The screws holding the bracket on the back of the sign were counter sunk into the sign and bondo'd over to hide them. The bondo wasnt really even needed. After I mounted the vinyl and laminate the screws were not even visible.

I think using the scissor lift was a good call. $169.00 rental is alot cheaper than a visit to the ER. It also made the job EASY.

:thankyou:
 
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