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Does anyone know of a supplier of chalkboards? I understand the process of making the boards, but my local frame shop charges lots for a decent wooden frame.
I am needing to make several menu boards and I thought that buying a couple of 2'x3' chalkboards will look nicer than me attempting to "build" them from scratch. My biggest concern is not being able to put together a decent looking frame. Thanks, Steve
-------------------- Steve Eason Admiral Signs Juneau, AK Posts: 62 | From: Juneau | Registered: Jan 2003
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You don't need an actual slate chalkboard do you? It's gonna be heavy. if you can find it.
I've made them using MDO and/or "showerwall" masonite and painted them using flat black paint. The local Lowes has Krylon brand chalkboard paint, enamel based in spray cans and water based in quarts.
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Creating the "blackboard" seems to be pretty straight forward (with the exception of not being set-up to spray). I have been trying to avoid the expense and time of having my local frame maker create a simple wood frame.
My hope was to find a supplier that has a chalkboard (~2'x3') with a nice wood frame. Going the picture frame route is over $150/per plus a 3week wait. Thanks for the replies! - Steve
-------------------- Steve Eason Admiral Signs Juneau, AK Posts: 62 | From: Juneau | Registered: Jan 2003
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i love chalk art and the board it'self was the easiest part once we got it worked out
blackboard paint is a tad more expensive that flat black paint but the real differance i found was in the 'key' that the paint left, the surface texture is very important when you are trying for a nice bright end result
down here we have a product brand called white knight... don't know if you have that up-over, but i have found it to be the best of the less expensive brands of blackboard paint it doesn't go off in the can as quickly as the more expensive brands and, it comes in pressurepack cans for little areas and touch ups or whole signs if you don't have the means to spray any other way
regardless of what substrate I used the procedure was the same, paint the board, do the chalkart, matt clear the artwork and then glue (and sumtimes tack) a moulding on the face of the board, around the edge, to give the look of a framed picture, without the framing expense
mouldings come in so many varied forms, you get whatever look you want
for mouldings read... timber edgings, plaster cornace, plastic edging etc.
i had need to make some very lightweight menu boards for placement in an awkward spot once and found that gaterfoam with blackboard vinyl was the best way to go
for the moulding i found a plastic self adhesive one from a craft shop that was easy to cut with a stanley knife
the whole thing was put up using double sided tape... it weighed next to nothing
i've used alluminium showerscreen extrusion to frame other lightweight chalk menues which had to be hung from beams over head, you can get that sort of extrusion in all sizes, and those ones needed to be light so the backgrounds were done using 3mm acrylic sheet
i even had to turn some existing glass pannels into chalk art once, it was a hertitage listed building and they were not allowed to build or attach anything new to the walls
so it was back to the blackboard vinyl over the glass and glueing on some gyprock (i think you lot call it drywall) moulding painted to look like old timber frames
it all comes down to the illusion your trying to create
I understand that just buying in a sign blank can be convieniant sometimes, but the money you save making your own really does mean more profit at the end of the day
anyhoo thats just my take on things good luck in your search
cheers gail
-------------------- Gail & Dave Hervey Bay Qld Australia
gail@roadwarriorproducts.com.au
sumtimes ya just gota! Posts: 794 | From: 552 O'Regans Creek Rd Toogoom Qld 4655 Australia | Registered: Nov 1998
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