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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
-------------------- Nicholas Parish, In Design Signs 3045 Aerotech Pkwy Suite 3 Montrose, Colorado 81401 970-249-SIGN indesign@gwe.net Posts: 24 | From: Montrose, Colorado | Registered: Mar 2002
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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.
-------------------- Mark Kottwitz Kottwitz Graphics Ridgely, MD www.SeeMySignWork.com -------------------------- Imagination is more important than knowledge. -- Albert Einstein Posts: 746 | From: Ridgely, MD | Registered: Oct 2000
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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 Ferguson See More Signs 7931 Wornall Rd Kansas City, MO 64111 signbrad@yahoo.com 816-739-7316 Posts: 1230 | From: Kansas City, MO, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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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.
-------------------- 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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