A customer has a homemade changeable letter sign. The tracks are made of wood moulding of some sort but the tracke are also spaced too far apart and the letters, which fit loosely, are blowing out.
The signs are made of 2x4 pressure treated frame and plywood. He wants simililarly-made new ones built but with a transparent cover over the message board part. Any suggestions about how to build this or would a pre-made one be better. What would be the best way to build these "vandal covers" so that the whole thing doesn't look tacky? Wouldn't properly fitting letters work sufficiently without vandal covers to keep them in? Thanks
Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
maybe you could make the tracks run past the lettering area to the frame. If the guy wants changable he must want to change them, & a full transparent sheet that is also vandal resistent makes changing sound like a chore. Have one side of the frame hinged at the top & padlocked at the bottom. Add an extra track at one end so the letters can only change out from the end that is being blocked by the frame.
Well thats my idea, I have no idea if I explained it well enough, or even if I understood your needs...
but I did bump up your post anyway Posted by Wayne Webb (Member # 1124) on :
Thanks Doug, Those are some good ideas.
Posted by Bill Cosharek (Member # 1274) on :
That would depend on where the sign is mounted. If its up high enough that vandals can't easily reach it, then the cover might not be necessary. Even if the track & letters used fit perfectly that won't stop conniving minds from changing messages if they can reach them. That's why they're called vandal covers.
What Doug explains sounds like a plan. Most changeable message boards aren't constructed that way as explained in the charts for setting up the tracks for whichever maker of letters suggest. They usually allow a slight gap between the tracks to allow letters to go into the track & stay there, provided you don't have the track upside-down. If you're in a high wind area, then Doug's method might be best anyway.
The vandal cover helps keep things where they were placed & also keep it clean. Those tracks get dirty & ugly fast! As Doug mentioned the hinge, The cover could also be hinged.
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