First of all....... happy holidays to all! I'm looking for some ideas for products or methods. The fire department loves the sample graphic I did in SignGold! I have to say that the SignGold is far prettier than I had dreamed of. Great stuff! The fire dept says each element must be covered with a laminate over-hanging by about 1/8th inch. I did the explaining that SignGold already has a laminate, but they want another. They want prices for us to just create the graphics with the laminate and they would install, and then prices for us to install. I just don't want to install and then apply a laminate and get a bubble and ruin the whole thing. Pre-applying the laminate and creating a 'ready-to-apply' decal without bubbles seems like a real challenge too. Any ideas? Has anyone done this before? Thanks!
Posted by Harris Kohen (Member # 2139) on :
Pat I seriously recommend you contact Brian Briskie from Signgold on their tech support line.
I dont think that will work as they requested, but Biran would be able to give you good answers on their product.
There is one Large firetruck manufacturer from Wisconsin that does real gold leaf the way you described. It is a mylar that the gold leaf is applied to then attached to the truck. I can only tell you that there are plenty of trucks here in NJ that have been regilded because of failure in the application of siad gold leafing.
It does work but there are limitations just as there are with any method of lettering on a firetruck.
Usage of the signgold as recommended by the manufacturer will work just fine and probably outlast the mylar covered gold leaf.
I have plenty of knowledge when it comes to firetrucks and would be glad to help you however I can.
Posted by Stephen Faulkner (Member # 2511) on :
What Harris said! Educate youself then try to educate the fire nuts... if they don't like your method then you are missing out on nothing. By sticking to your standards they should respect your input.... if not, then so be it..... that says enough to me. Everytime I have this discusion with a fire hosehead I get my way... real gold leaf, applied with traditional methods and at my price.
Posted by BrianTheBrush (Member # 1298) on :
Pat... Happy Holidays to you and yours as well.
DO NOT overlaminate the SignGold. THis is of course, assuming your using our regular cutting materials. If you're using products from our Thermal Printable line, that's a different story, but I'd have to difer that inquiry to Larry Hoppe, our Thermal Printable/Reverse Gild Tech.
Chances are, your Fire Department contacts are used to traditional gilds, or one of a few other products that have been released over the years. They all required the use of clear coating and over laminating. Not only does the SignGold not require such protection, it will, more than likely, reject any top-coating or overlaminates. Tedlar, the base material on which SignGold is built, is a grafitti-proof PVF, vs the PVC materials that most vinyls are made of. Nothing stays stuck to it. That in fact, is one of the beauties of SignGold, and our sister-line, DomeGold; they are virtually self-cleaning.
Please feel free to call me at 585-415-7496. I'll be available at that number,(our complimentary SignGold technical assistance line)until 12 noon today (Christmas Eve day), and won't be back on until Monday, December 29th (back to our standard hours, 8am - 5:30 pm)
Let's go over the process, and try to fail-safe your installation. That way your job will look great AND last a decade or longer!
Keep on Keepin'on and ho ho ho
Brian Briskie
Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :
Since Brian hasn't replied yet I have a suggestion that might work. You could cut the graphic using the "Edge" printable signgold, apply a 1/8" contour and then cut their clear tedlar. Apply the signgold then apply the clear tedlar over that.
I have never tried it, since regular SignGold does everything I need it to do, but it might fulfill the customers demands and allow you to do the job in a manner that is sure to work.
edited to say "Opppps, Brian beat me to it!"
[ December 24, 2003, 08:44 AM: Message edited by: Dave Grundy ]
Posted by Bob Rochon (Member # 30) on :
I didn't see any mention of edge sealing,
You must edge seal your sign gold or it will delaminate just like the others that this fire house most likely has seen.
Ask me how I know. lol Posted by Bill Cosharek (Member # 1274) on :
And if an 1/8 inch overhang must show, then the edge sealer will provide that look.
Posted by BrianTheBrush (Member # 1298) on :
I didn't mention edge sealing...because:
A: I asked that Pat contact me, when I would have covered that step.
B: That's covered pretty thouroughly in the instructions, which I plead with everyone to read.
But yes Pat, you'll also want to edge seal that SignGold with 1Shot 4005.
Thanks all
Brian
Posted by Bob Rochon (Member # 30) on :
Sorry Brian I wasnt trying to bust ya, I just learned the hard way or maybe I should say I got lazy and learned that you MUST edge seal or be faced with an unhappy customer.
I cut corners once and it came back to haunt me, then agian what doesnt when you cut corners. Posted by Jackie B (Member # 186) on :
Just a thought here . . . What the fire dept. might be worried about is extreme heat affecting the logo. If the normal Signgold method can withstand heat, there shouldn't be a problem. Bomba-Dear
Posted by Harris Kohen (Member # 2139) on :
Bomba, I am confident that the heat is not the issue, there are plenty of other items (lenses and controls) on the vehicle that would melt prior to the gold leaf
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