I'm preparing to quote a few lit faces (someone else is making the cabinets). The customer has asked for a white face (illuminated) with transluscent colored letters, but he wants something nicer than vinyl letters, something with dimension. What I'm wanting to do is use polycarbonate for the background (it needs to be cut to a weird shape, and it's pretty big) and glue on clear acrylic letters (with Weld-On?) that have been sheeted with transluscent vinyl. I'm concerned with the expansion ratio difference between acrylic and polycarbonate. Does anyone have any experience with this? Remember, it must have a lit background, lit letters, and dimension. Advice appreciated. Thanks! Nicholas
Posted by Mark M. Kottwitz (Member # 1764) on :
If your customer is looking for a sign face with "dimension", sounds to me like want he wants is an embossed face.
I would be worried about weld-on letters coming off at an inopportune time (like in a high wind).
I would call a face manufacturer and have them quote out pan face, embossed sign faces. It may not be feasible for 1 or 2, considering that they will want to charge for a die charge.
Posted by Brad Ferguson (Member # 33) on :
Nicholas,
Flat cut-out acrylic glued to flat acrylic faces used to be fairly common. We used Weld-On #3 to adhere the letters. Capillary action caused the water-thin glue to spread behind the letters evenly so that there was no splotchiness caused by the glue. And you had to take care that you didn't get the glue anywhere it wasn't suppose to be. A red 1/8" acrylic letter on a flat white face lasted a long time without fading, longer than a back-sprayed letter or a translucent vinyl letter.
Of course, we cut the letters out with band saws back then. Today, a flat-bed router would make this a not unattractive option.
I would not try gluing an acrylic letter to polycarbonate. The Weld-on glue needed for an acrylic/polycarbonate bond is #55, I think, and I'm sure it would show when back-lit.
Regarding the three-dimensional look: a 3/16" FCO letter glued to a flat white face does not look much like a raised letter. It looks very much like a painted letter till you get close to it. It might be different with a very thick letter, half-inch or more. But I've never tried it.
Brad in Kansas City
[ March 17, 2006, 08:42 PM: Message edited by: Brad Ferguson ]
Posted by Michael R. Bendel (Member # 5847) on :
You may want to look into embossing the letters.
Contact the local company used to make pan faces & they will be able to emboss the letters to your exact eps file.
Just cut the vinyl letters & apply to the front of the embossed faces.
You can easily get a 3/4" raised letter this way.
I agree that Plex mounted to lexan could fail & you would need 3/4" plex letters to make it noticeable.
Good luck! Posted by James Donahue (Member # 3624) on :
Years ago, we used to make a really nice looking 3D letters on illuminated signs by cutting the letters out of colored acrylic, then putting trim cap around the edges, and glueing each assembled letter onto the face. Problem again being the glue type, but hey maybe the #55 that brad suggested would be OK if used around the edges only.
Trim cap is the metal looking trim that goes around the face of channel letters.
Posted by Carl Wood (Member # 1223) on :
I use #33 clear-thickened acrylic cement - werks great - I think craftics out of Chi Town makes it. . . . .
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