posted
Hey all just a question. I had a small job to do last night that involved appling some cut out letters on a wall for a mortgage company. Normally I tell people, " If I didn't make it, I don't install it!" But sometimes you have to break your own rules. We have a bid out for a large sandblasted sign for this company and will more than likely get the job as soon as the higher ups all get their act together.
Anyway, I show up and they have this box of router cut letters and a pattern. Now the letters are made of light weight material and have metal layer on top. Polished brass or something. The name of the material escapes me at the moment but you've all seen the type letters I am talking about. On the back of the letters are small peices of double backed foam tape. The application is peel and stick the letters to the wall.
Now here's where I need some input. The pattern was a pen plot not a pounce pattern. I didn't have a pounce wheel with me and in fact no longer have one in the shop. (Went to Texas with the old owner). It seemed to me a very stupid way of running a pattern. You get it on the wall and how are you suppose to peel and stick the letters through the paper? Am I missing something here? So I ended up taping up the pattern and carefully cutting out the letters with a sharp exatco as to not damage the wall(painted sheet rock). Mind you I did not cut out the entire letter only what I needed to get me registration for appling the letters.
We do alot of router cut letters in the shop that are applied to MDO panels and other substrates. I have used a pen plot many times but when we apply letters to MDO we usually drive small brads in and clip the head and push the letters on. Once all the letters are on, remove them and the paper pattern and apply silicon or adhesive of choice, and simply push them back on the panel using the same holes.
This is long winded I know but back to my orginal question. Was I missing something that would have made my job last night easier? Your thoughts? Thanks.
posted
Steve..... The next time this happens be sure that you have a white and a blue Stabilo in your kit as well as some Windex, Rapid Tac, or even plain water in a spray bottle. Tape the pounce pattern up backwards in a window so that you can see the marking on it. Trace the letters with your Stabilo. Figure out where your pattern will go. Tape a top hinge on the pattern, then tape it up so that it's hinged above where it will fall. Moisten the area with your spray bottle. Let the pattern fall into place. Quickly rub it with your hands to transfer the Stabilo. Remove the pattern. This will only work on a wall that is NOT flat-painted. But it is nice because there is no chalk mess. Buy a pounce wheel to keep just in case. Better to have it and not need it than vice-versa. Then you can go over the pounced lines with a charcoal stick rather than pounding the powder. Love...Jill
-------------------- That is like a Mr. Potato Head with all the pieces in the wrong place. -Russ McMullin Posts: 8834 | From: Butler, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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posted
Thanks Jilly, I actually had thought of that but found the the last person to use my kit in the shop didn't leave the stabillos in it. Not to mention that they didn't put a fresh roll of masking tape in and I barely had enough. Should have checked it my self but rushed out. Oh well enough complaining. Next time I will try that. Thanks again.
posted
Hiya Steve, In a situation like this, I would normally trim the pattern down leaving the top and/or bottom 1/4" of the letters on the pattern and use that as the guide. I used to get mounting patterns like that when I ordered foam letters that were mounted with d/f tape.
Havin' fun,
Checkers
-------------------- a.k.a. Brian Born www.CheckersCustom.com Harrisburg, Pa Work Smart, Play Hard Posts: 3775 | From: Harrisburg, Pa. U.S.A. | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
Just what Checkers said, take the full size pattern apply to wall or whatever make sure straight level all that jazz take your sizzors pocket knife whatever and cut it down leaving bottom or top and quicky sticky slap bam boom take that side job money and run for the hills and make sure you have something that says that you are not responsible if the letters delaminate fall off the building whatever as you didn't make them you didn't choose the adhesive tape whatever CHOW
-------------------- Dan Streicher Slidell, LA Posts: 445 | From: Slidell, LA | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
I'm not trying to be a smart-mouth here, but it seems you could have done a better job of checking out your "box of supplies" before leaving, especially masking tape. I know that I usually forget something on every job, but we have a few of those plastic bins with handles that carry an assortment of just about everything. They are checked before leaving the shop just to be sure. Nothing like a Monday Morning Quarerback, huh?
I know this is no help, but I've learned the hard way to try to leave the shop prepared for the unseen.
So, how's the new owner doing?
Not too long ago you showed a sign leaning up in the showroom and I recognized a photo of a sign on the bulletin board that I helped Mike Jackson complete when I was there back when he was the owner. Brought back a lot of memories.
-------------------- Chapman Sign Studio Temple, Texas chapmanstudio@sbcglobal.net Posts: 6306 | From: Temple, Texas, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
I have installed many thousands of letters using adding machine tape as a spacing pattern. Roll out the tape on the floor, lay the letters along the edge of the tape, eyeball and adjust the letter kerning, mark the bottoms of the letters, tape up the pattern level and start installing. I’ve done plenty of pin and clip mounted letters the same way as well. As a matter of fact, I prefer that to handling a large paper pattern, even for the pin and clip mounts.
A variant of that would be what Checkers stated, cut the pattern off just above the bottom of the line of copy.
[ July 16, 2004, 07:53 PM: Message edited by: David Harding ]
-------------------- David Harding A Sign of Excellence Carrollton, TX Posts: 5101 | From: Carrollton, TX, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. — Charles Mingus Posts: 6756 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
I followed the same advice from Dan Streicher a couple weeks ago, it was REAL cool. Worked great, I felt like Mr. Slick.
-------------------- James Donahue Donahue Sign Arts 1851 E. Union Valley Rd. Seymour TN. (865) 577-3365 brushman@nxs.net
Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what's for lunch, Benjamin Franklin Posts: 2057 | From: 1033 W. Union Valley Rd. | Registered: Feb 2003
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posted
Rick Sacks has it dead on... bottom inch is all you need.
I will often make my "pattern" by putting a line of masking tape on my long straightedge, then I mark the bottoms of the letters with a pencil. Bam! ready to go!
Dave
-------------------- -------------------- Dave Cox C2 Media Services (Formerly That Sign Guy) dave@c2mediaservices.com -------------------- Full Color Printing Posts: 295 | From: Sacramento CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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posted
Tape the pattern up. Trim the bottom of the pattern flush with the bottom of all the square letters. Run a tape line onto the wall along the baseline of the pattern. Make pencil marks on your tape line where each lettern begins or ends. Remove the paper pattern and leave the tape line. Mount the letters along your taped baseline at the appropriate marks. Remove the tape line.
-------------------- Bruce Evans Crown Graphics Chino, CA graphics@westcoach.net Posts: 913 | From: Chino, CA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Run a "chalk" base line. Tape pattern in place. Use "carbon" paper behind the pattern to mark small registration points ... say 4 corners of an "H" etc. Remove pattern and you are away laughing in no time.
We make our "carbon" paper outa brown wrapping paper and a block of charcoal or colored chalk. Either wipes of with a damp rag on any surface.
posted
This thread reminded me of a job I did a few years ago and it seems a good place to post it. CEO of a company had some favorite quote and wanted it mounted on his office wall. It was longer than the declaration of independence. He wanted it in routered 1/8" black acrylic letters (1" times bold ital, ulc), and was adamant about using silicon, not df tape. Wall was flat latex painted drywall. To do it, I cut the quote in hp vinyl with a .02" inline and applied it to the wall first, then applied the acrylic letters on top of the vinyl. Piece of cake.
-------------------- Jay Nichols ALPHABET SOUP
~the large print giveth and the small print taketh away~ Posts: 176 | From: SW Florida | Registered: Mar 2002
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