The Letterville BullBoard: Lighted Sign Faces

This is topic Lighted Sign Faces in forum Old Archives at The Letterville BullBoard.

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Posted by Wayne Webb (Member # 1124) on :

We have a client who has moved into a new building which has an existing 10'x6' double faced lighted sign by the highway, and a 24'x6' already on the building. They can't swing the price of new pan faces on the 24'x6' right now, so what would be a less expensive alternative for facing that size cabinet? I would think that flat acrylic sheets or pvc would be mighty flimsy. Would some alumalite work to cover the whole thing and just apply graphics to part of it? They want something that would last about a year, and then they will try for the pan faces. What would you do?

Thanks for the help.

------------------
"The most beautiful
thing we can experience
is the mysterious. It is
the source of all true
art and all science. He
to whom this emotion is
a stranger, who can no
longer pause to wonder
and stand rapt in awe,
is as good as dead: his
eyes are closed."

Albert Einstein

Failure to advertise is a lot like blinking in the dark. Nobody, but you, knows what you're doing.

Wayne Webb
Webb Sign Studio
Chipley, FL
850.638.9329
webbsignstudio@digitalexp.com

Posted by Tim Whitcher (Member # 685) on :

If they don't care about having the face lit and the signs are to be replaced in a year, I would use coroplast and intermediate vinyl, then attach them using self tapping scews and fender washers. Obviously, the existing faces would not be reusable.

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Tim Whitcher
Quality Signs & Design
107 E Adrian St
Blissfield, MI 49228
qualitysigns@cass.net

Posted by Wayne Webb (Member # 1124) on :

Tim,

Only problem is the prior business took the faces with them, so there is nothing there to screw the coroplast to.

Thanks

Wayne

Failure to advertise is a lot like blinking in the dark. Nobody, but you, knows what you're doing.

Wayne Webb
Webb Sign Studio
Chipley, FL
850.638.9329
webbsignstudio@digitalexp.com

Posted by Rob Larkham (Member # 2105) on :

I have seen a lot of businesses lately wrapping a banner around old light boxes. It actually looks pretty decent. Order the banner a little bigger than the box and secure with self tappers and fender washers. In a year when the have the dough install new faces. when you remove the banner you can plug the screw holes.(probably with the same screws) Just a thought!

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Rob Larkham
RL Graphic D-Sign
Chester, MA
rldsigns@aol.com

Posted by David Fisher (Member # 107) on :

Flex face?

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David Fisher
D.A. & P.M. Fisher Services
Brisbane Australia
da_pmf@yahoo.com

Posted by David Fisher (Member # 107) on :

Oops, that'd be a single click on the submit button right?

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David Fisher
D.A. & P.M. Fisher Services
Brisbane Australia
da_pmf@yahoo.com

[This message has been edited by David Fisher (edited July 31, 2001).]

Posted by Tim Whitcher (Member # 685) on :

I think Rob has the right idea, since this is just a temporary fix. You may even be able to secure an oversized banner using bungie cords, if you'd rather not screw into the cabinet.

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Tim Whitcher
Quality Signs & Design
107 E Adrian St
Blissfield, MI 49228
qualitysigns@cass.net

Posted by Wayne Webb (Member # 1124) on :

Thanks Tim, David, Rob.

We had checked into getting one of those "banner bags" for their 10'x6' cabinet and yes, they do look very presentable. One that size was gonna set 'em back about 900 bucks. I hate to see what the 24'x6' will be but I'll check in the morning.

David, what is a flex face?
Is it a sheet of flat acrylic or polycarbonate? What would you use to connect them where they butt together?

Thanks

Failure to advertise is a lot like blinking in the dark. Nobody, but you, knows what you're doing.

Wayne Webb
Webb Sign Studio
Chipley, FL
850.638.9329
webbsignstudio@digitalexp.com

Posted by Mark Perkins (Member # 296) on :

I changed out some pan faces on a 4' x 40' electric sign a couple of years ago, I used Alumalite for the faces as the customer did not want the sign lit any more, it just slid right in the tracks where the pan faces were...wish they were all that easy

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Mark Perkins
Performance Signs & Graphics
Eunice, Louisiana
"The heart of Cajun Country"

Posted by Glenn S. Harris (Member # 2190) on :

Flex Face is definitely the way to go.... but they still may not wan't to pay for that. Talk to an awning guy & sub it out to him since you don't have any experience with Flex Face.... I hear it's the future of illuminated signage... it's a banner like material... it's like how they use digitally printed banners to cover billboards now.. you can print on Flex Face and have a digitally prited electric sign.... or just use that awning material that you can eradicate the lettering off of... an awning guy could tell you about that. I think it's the same thing as Flex Face ... not sure though

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Glenn S. Harris
Lorio Design
Baton Rouge, LA
allorio@bellsouth.net

Posted by Bob Darnell (Member # 27) on :

For a face that size, I would agree that fle-face is the way to go. If you didn't break an acrylic sheet that high putting the face in, the wind would break it for you later I would think. I can't recall the company I work for using even 6' high Lexan on anything over maybe 12 - 15 feet. Below is a detail of the flex-face system we use most of the time. I'm sure there are different systems, but basically, it's just stretching the flex-face material over a frame by using wedges and clips.

You would need some special tools, but nothing too exotic. If it's a one time deal, you may want to sub it out.

You can use eradicable material as suggested above, but I believe it is pretty expensive. We usually use translucent vinyl for flex-faces, but if it's a coloured background, there is a small visible seam where the vinyl overlaps. (usually barely noticeable - especially if it's non-illuminated as in this case) We usually only use eradicable material on formed awnings.

I'm not involved in pricing or anything like that, but I believe flex-face isn't cheap either. It does sound like with a temporary banner of that size mounted over it would be fairly expensive anyway, so I would try to convince them to do it properly with flex face the first time, since it's basically the same thing.

I should mention that I am NOT an expert at this stuff. I just basically do the drawings... I'm just trying to help out based on what I've learned and observed.

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Bob Darnell
London, Ontario, Canada

Portfolio: www.members.home.net/bob.darnell
Where I work: Excellent Signs and Displays Inc.

Posted by Wayne Webb (Member # 1124) on :

Thanks Mark, Glenn and Bob for the excellent info.
Bob, thanks very much for that nice illustration. I agree, the flex face might be out of their budget too.
I'll let y'all know how it goes!

Failure to advertise is a lot like blinking in the dark. Nobody, but you, knows what you're doing.

Wayne Webb
Webb Sign Studio
Chipley, FL
850.638.9329
webbsignstudio@digitalexp.com

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