I'm thinkin silicone but I'm worried that it might discolor.
Another option in clear VHB tape.
Any other ideas?
Posted by Duncan Wilkie (Member # 132) on :
We've used VHB tape with great success.
Posted by Laura Butler (Member # 1830) on :
I just did one a week ago. We just pop riveted the track on. The customer had bought an old sign that we had done for someone else that he had just bought as the company had gone out of business and left the sign behind. The old one was probably 5 years old and the track still looked great and was still so tight that I could even get anything thin under it to clean out the dirt that had accumulated.
Posted by Tony Vickio (Member # 2265) on :
VHB only!!!
works great!!!
Posted by Don Hulsey (Member # 128) on :
I have used pop rivets in the past, and they work well, but I prefer VHB for the ease of installing.
Posted by Gary Boros (Member # 8487) on :
Not that this is the right application for this but since you are talking about pop rivets, I'd just like to mention something pretty cool that I use occasionally and that is threaded rivets. You install them like pop-rivets but then the centers are threaded and you can use standard bolts in them. They are great for changeable panels on Dibond, Aluminum, Alumalite, PVC or placing a threaded hole on any thin sheet material.
Posted by jack wills (Member # 521) on :
VHB, when I used pop rivets in the past,the holes would be drilled oversized and a clear thin flex washer used to eliminate cracking.
Jack
Posted by Nevman (Member # 332) on :
Thanks for all of the replies. I'm gonna go with the VHB. The rivot idea was floating around in my mind but the letters that the client chose those cheap, flat letters and the letters would slip up under the gaps between the rivot.
Thanks again...
Posted by Jon Jantz (Member # 6137) on :
Pat, I usually silicone AND pop rivet them... I try to make my holes a little oversized to allow for some flex.
My problem has been that with our temperatures ranging from 15-103 degrees that my substrate must swell and shrink enough that it eventually pulls the silicone up and gaps between the rivets, allowing that problem you spoke of.... the letters to slip behind the tracks.
Hasn't happened every time, but enough to where I think I'll try the VHB tape the next time and see how that works.
Posted by Sheila Ferrell (Member # 3741) on :
Me too y'all . . . I HATE 'em anyway . . . on plex it's not so bad becuase you can use the MEK to 'melt' the track to the sub . . . If it has'nt already EVAPORATED on your shop shelf . . . but that's a minor peeve . . .
but attaching to aluminum and etc. It's just a HASSLE no matter HOW it's done . . .
. . .and euw', the tracs get full of dirt and trash . . . apparently no customer can decipher that accumulated dirt IS a CLUE to, HELLO- CLEAN them occasionaly . . . no - they just call me to 'come fix it'.
Changeable tracks are the second thing of the ONLY two things I hate in sign biz. The first of course being magnets.
*ahem*
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[ October 24, 2008, 11:07 AM: Message edited by: Sheila Ferrell ]
Posted by Brad Farha (Member # 931) on :
I have used aluminum rivets on 12" centers because I was afraid the VHB alone wouldn't hold up for years in the weather. What's the longest example of VHB in an outdoor application like this without failure that anyone can confirm? I would sure prefer it over rivets.
Posted by JD Iles (Member # 4066) on :
Many people don't know that Wagner Zip-Change makes an aluminum changeable letter track. You can paint it the background color of the sign, and it is 10 times easier than the plastic to work with
Thanx Tony. I'm e-mailing this to myself cause anything that can hold molding on cars and boats is OK in my book. Also, I look forward to possibly learning to, maybey even just kind'a 'like' these jobs if I think I can actually make a difference in performance.
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