We sandblast both western red cedar and urethane signs on a daily basis. The cedar is 1 3/4" thick and the urethane is from 1" to 2" typically. I have a customer that wants 3/4" sandblasted sign panels and I am not comfortable blasting 3/4" urethane. These panels would be mounted on either side of a constructed box frame for under canopy signage in a local strip mall (covered from the weather). We have blasted 3/4" redwood in the past as well as 3/4" oak for interior signs. Both flat grain, of course. I'm looking for a more durable substrate that I can readily purchase that would make a nice sandblasted sign panel. Someone has already suggested MDF as a possible substrate. I have never worked with it and don't know how it would perform. Any other suggestions out there?
Posted by Rene Giroux (Member # 4980) on :
HDU comes in 3/4" or try ExTira depending on desired final look and result.
Posted by John Arnott (Member # 215) on :
Out here on the left coast we just use redwood.
Posted by Phil Renfroe (Member # 2903) on :
Thanks Rene. How does the extira blast? Is it more difficult to blast because of it's composition? I do know that it is heavy.
And John, you guys on the left side must be hoarding all the redwood. Is there still good wood to be had? The last redwood we purchased (years ago) was fast growth, wide grained boards that did not make pretty signs.
Posted by Sam Staffan (Member # 4552) on :
You don't mention the size of these signs, but if they are going to be flat mounted to a full surface than 18 pound 3/4 would be fine.
In the shop I would use a temp. backer on it do all my blasting and painting and then remove to install.
As long as the sign does not need to have any stress on it a full flat mount is fine.
You can still give it a good deep blast.
Extira has been used here too. Blasted and painted and the backgroung will look like a granite texture.
Posted by Amos O Werner (Member # 9858) on :
Hey Phil,
We blast Cedar, HDU, MDF and Extira here all the time. MDf and Extira blast very clean, and create a stone like texture. Here's an example of MDF:
![[Cool]](cool.gif)
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