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Hi Folks, a job has just landed upon us, needing acrylic letters, around 12" tall for the lowercase, and nearly 2 ft tall for the uppercase- and all to be about 3" thick, individually lit. Then there are some more, about 4" high, but that's easier, as they can be router-cut from solid acrylic.
The whole thing has to be weatherproof, too, and the face they'll be fixed to is dibond/alupanel, at a shopping centre. The whole front above the awning is 5' x 12' approx, and no separate light box as such. The letters have to project from this.
Have many here had much experience with fabricating hollow letters from acrylic-and can I pick your brains on any difficulties with it?
I'm thinking the face of the letters to be cut out maybe in 1/2" acrylic, and a 1/4" rebate 3/8" deep taken off the back, then 1/4" acrylic strip 3" long be heated and fitted/moulded into this rebate?
It's new to us, but I'm talking about 5 letters. I'm imagining LED lighting would be the way to go also, but this is guesswork.
Any ideas or tips would be appreciated!
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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posted
I understand those are pretty common in some other countries but they are difficult to make with UL standards here in the US. They are typically made from built up acrylic letters, probably 3/16" translucent bent as needed and glued to a translucent face and then assembled just like any other channel letter. The LEDs can work if you use the right LED with a wide angle and are careful with placement but neon is better since it provides a 360 deg light easily.
-------------------- Brian Stoddard Northwest Wholesale Signs
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Thanks, Brian. Actually I have not ever made up channel letters either. It's just that this is for an existing former/current good client, who's having a facelift to one shop, demanded by the Centre Maganement of the building they're in. Every 5 years they demand, via a clause in the contract, new and different signage to all shops in the centre...
What are the UL standards or problems in USA re these types of letters?
[ January 19, 2012, 10:10 PM: Message edited by: Ian Stewart-Koster ]
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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Most of the issues would be if you used neon since it would require a material that is approved as an electrical enclosure, there are some polycarb brands that are approved but they are not as reliable to glue up as acrylic.
If you remote mount the power supplies and use LEDs you could use the acrylic. I have never made one like that but I can see where LED's would be difficult to make work without having hot spots.
new signs every 5 years? bummer for the tenants, great for the sign biz! Of course, most of the shops seem to go away within 5 years anyway.
-------------------- Brian Stoddard Northwest Wholesale Signs
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Thanks, Brian. P.S. I did reply to your email, but it bounced back from the server as undeliverable.
Graham, Gemini is a North American company with no equivalent downunder.
There are acrylic fabrication businesses here, and other businesses who do this type of work. I was interested in any tips, in case it was/is worth doing it ourselves for this job for this client. I realise there will be a learning curve, it's just that the expereince might be worth it. (or not???)
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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