posted
I know we have talked MDO to death on this board, mostly the bad side.
What I wanted to post about is the versatility of MDO.
This is still a big substrate in my shop. After all the influx of the "new" substrates, I still find MDO to be one of the best substrates for us.
a lot of the newer substrates have the strength but not the thickness. The water proofness but not the strength. Some have all 3 but cost a small fortune. Another has all 3 cost effective but a pain to paint. unless you design in the offered colors.
after switching to Simpson MDO we have had no edge failures, I can still create in any shape imagineable with strength throughout and able to paint whatever my eyes see fit. Not to mention very cost effective.
Not the best substrate to make square signs but then again. if I never make another square sign in my life I will NOT shed a tear.
Ok I'm done babbling, back to work.
[ September 07, 2002, 12:16 PM: Message edited by: Bob Rochon ]
-------------------- Bob Rochon Creative Signworks Millbury, MA 508-865-7330
"Life is Like an Echo, what you put out, comes back to you." Posts: 5149 | From: Millbury, Mass. U.S. | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
i've slowly come around to the "new" substrates, but i still like MDO for:
-- sandwich board signs (because of the extra weight, to keep the wind from blowing it over)
-- anything at or below eye level (vandalism is a big problem in my 'hood, and MDO can take abuse, and get patched/fixed). you can't pull a dent out of Dibond, and PVC doesn't look good after a bored kid messes with it.
-- small or medium signs the customer is going to install themselves (less likely to be damaged, and more likely they'll know how and what to use to install it).
all that said, i don't consider MDO to be an "inexpensive" material. i figure the price on MDO to be excactly the same as Dibond or acrylic -- MDO costs less for the material, but more for the labor. i buy the sheets already primed and resin backed (or even painted and backed), which pops the cost of a 4x8 from $35 up to $55 or so, and then I still have to put an hour into routing, sanding, sealing and edge painting, which makes that sheet "cost" MORE than a piece of DiBond ($98).
-------------------- :: Scooter Marriner :: :: Coyote Signs :: :: Oakland, CA :: :: still a beginner :: :: Posts: 1356 | From: Oakland (and San Francisco) | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
Bob, I still use it exclusively as my main substrate. I really work hard on the edge sealing to get a smooth, watertight seal, and have had no failures for many years. I've used alumalite and alumacor at times, but the versatility of mdo is hard to compete with. Long as it keeps working for me, I'll keep using it.
-------------------- Maker of fine signs and other creative stuff. Located at 109 N. Cumberland ave. Harlan, Ky. 40831 606-837-0242 Posts: 4172 | From: Ages-Brookside, Ky. Up the Holler... | Registered: Jul 1999
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posted
Amen, Bob. I would venture a guess that a lot of the delamination failures we hear about are from using cheaper grades of MDO, or not taking time to properly seal the edges. That said, I'm using more di-bond than ever... but MDO still has it's place.
-------------------- "A wise man concerns himself with the truth, not with what people believe." - Aristotle
Cam Bortz Finest Kind Signs Pondside Iron works 256 S. Broad St. Pawcatuck, Ct. 06379 "Award winning Signs since 1988" Posts: 3051 | From: Pawcatuck,Connecticut USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
Yes the higher grade MDO is still great for cutting out shapes in signs. Also I get the lumber yard to cut mine....so they know which direction to cut on the 4x8 sheet with the least amount of bowing to occur.
Posts: 3729 | From: Seattle | Registered: Sep 1999
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