posted
i've got two 9' x 3' Dibond signs to mount on a buildng face. the trick to it, is the signs are going across some little windows. We want the signs to stand away from the face of the building about 6" or so (allowing a little light in through the windows).
so, what kind of bracket can I use. one shop has a brick facade, the other is plaster and wood. is there some Simpson metal bracket or something out of the box I can use? Like maybe a couple of joist hangers with a 2x6 going across the window panes?
it doesn't seem like a big problem, but i'm getting bogged down with more and more complex "solutions". i don't think the sign weighs all that much. i would have liked it to have a clean, "no bolts showing", attachment, if possible.
-------------------- :: Scooter Marriner :: :: Coyote Signs :: :: Oakland, CA :: :: still a beginner :: :: Posts: 1356 | From: Oakland (and San Francisco) | Registered: Mar 2001
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Bond aluminum channel to the backside of the signs with silicone. Use something like a 2x6 channel for mounting, and 2x3 tube to run along the length of the signs for stiffness.
Get some 1/2" wide VHB tape (very high bond double sided tape) and run that down the center of the 2" side of the tube/channel and assemble it to the signs. Then shoot silicone into the joints on both sides of the VHB tape. The tape just holds it together while the silicone cures, but the silicone is what will keep it together for life. Most off the shelf silicones have bonding strengths around 10 PSI, which means just one 9' aluminum brace will have enough silicone to support 800 pounds.
Easy breezy and no fasteners showing!
Silicone is what holds the windows together on skyscraper buildings, in fact they're assembled exactly how I just described. Below is a link to a project I'm working on right now - it's a skyscraper job going up in Manhattan. I designed and engineered this window system last winter, this year I "get" to create the fabrication drawings and parts lists to put all these things together. This image is basically a plan view of a section detail through the framing. The cyan lines are the vertical aluminum framing pieces, the blue lines towards the bottom represent the glass which is a dual 1/4" pane window with 1/2" of space between the panes. The glass is about 5 feet wide and 10 feet tall - held on with only silicone - so you know your signs will be OK assembled like this.
i'm still back in the days of "mechanical fasteners are best", so i kept thinking up progressively more complex mounting schemes.
i think the only change i'll make is to use machine screws to attach the 2x6 channel to the 2x3 channel -- that way the sign can be taken down when it needs to be (when they move, or sell the store). i'll try a few small pieces of the VHB tape to hold it in place while i drill and fix the screws.
-------------------- :: Scooter Marriner :: :: Coyote Signs :: :: Oakland, CA :: :: still a beginner :: :: Posts: 1356 | From: Oakland (and San Francisco) | Registered: Mar 2001
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