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I have to install cut-out letters on an interior wall tomorrow. They will be flush mounted (no studs). I am using VHB tape to hold them up and maybe silicon adhesive but I can't for the life of me figure out how to line them up and get them spaced properly. I can't pounce on the wall because it is white and the black leaves a stain.
I thought about drawing a straight line with a level or something but that doesn't help with the spacing problem.
HELP!!
Thanks
[ March 07, 2002, 10:23 PM: Message edited by: Amy Brown ]
-------------------- Amy Brown Life Skills 101 Private Address Posts: 3502 | From: Lake Helen, FL, USA | Registered: Feb 2001
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-------------------- Pierre St.Marie Stmariegraphics Kalispell,Mt www.stmariegraphics.com ------------------ Plan on knowing everything before I die and time's running out! Posts: 4223 | From: Kalispell,Mt 59903 | Registered: Mar 2000
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posted
Easy. Run an ink drawing on your computer in a mirror image. Place the letters face down on the pattern with rubber cement on the faces to hold them in place. Put plenty of VHB on the backs, carefully remove all of the VHB backing, two of you hold it up in place, (aligning with your masking tape registration points) pull the paper tight and press the letters to the wall. You can easily pull the pattern back on itself and the rubber cement will release leaving the copy in place. VIOLETS!!
-------------------- Pierre St.Marie Stmariegraphics Kalispell,Mt www.stmariegraphics.com ------------------ Plan on knowing everything before I die and time's running out! Posts: 4223 | From: Kalispell,Mt 59903 | Registered: Mar 2000
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Something I've done is make a paper pattern, drawn mirrored down. Cut the paper straight down the baseline. Tape the pattern to the wall, baseline where it needs to be, and line up the letters above along the baseline.
-------------------- Joe Endicott NEXCOM (Navy Exchange Service Command) Signing Programs Specialist Virginia Beach, VA jeendicott@msn.com
"I want to be Stereotyped....I want to be Classified." Posts: 681 | From: Virginia Beach, VA USA | Registered: Mar 1999
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Yep. If you apply the rubber cement, place the letter face down, pull it back up and allow both surfaces to sit for 3 minute, reapply the letter face down and it will stick plenty tight enough. They all go up together. We use this method every time with lots of small copy.
-------------------- Pierre St.Marie Stmariegraphics Kalispell,Mt www.stmariegraphics.com ------------------ Plan on knowing everything before I die and time's running out! Posts: 4223 | From: Kalispell,Mt 59903 | Registered: Mar 2000
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More often than not you'd be surprised that charcoal dust will clean off all right. I make a full sized pattern, just perforate the bottom of the letters and pounce lightly. Some slaps on the wall with a flexible yardstick will usually get the dust to jump off without smearing.
However, there have been situations where I don't want to trust the mess either. Here I've just brought the pattern out with me with center marked on it. Then marked some faint guidelines on the wall ... center, base line and perhaps outter margin edges. Then just eyeballed it, using my pattern as a reference and starting from the center out.
Geeez, ... hope i made some sense here. Janette
-------------------- "When Love and Skill Work Together ... Expect a Masterpiece"
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Joe, that method works, but with VHB you only get one chance to make sure the vertical strokes are truly vertical........then........goodbye sheetrock.
-------------------- Pierre St.Marie Stmariegraphics Kalispell,Mt www.stmariegraphics.com ------------------ Plan on knowing everything before I die and time's running out! Posts: 4223 | From: Kalispell,Mt 59903 | Registered: Mar 2000
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For something like this, I take a roll of paper and lay the letters out above it. Then I put tick marks on the paper to show the letter kerning.
Then I tape the paper to the wall and use it to help position the lettering.
[ July 03, 2003, 10:38 PM: Message edited by: Ron Helliar ]
-------------------- Ron Helliar Marysville Sign 11807 51st Ave. NE Marysville, WA 98271 (360) 659-4856 Posts: 263 | From: Marysville, WA USA | Registered: Feb 1999
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Thanks for the quick responses guys! Pierre, I like your idea for small stuff but the line of words is almost 10 ft across. I don't think we could do that straight!
Joe, with your method do you eyeball the rounded letters like O's and S's?
Janette, made sense to me. I'm kinda chicken about eye balling! HE HE!
-------------------- Amy Brown Life Skills 101 Private Address Posts: 3502 | From: Lake Helen, FL, USA | Registered: Feb 2001
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Amy, Usually I mount the square letters first. That makes eyeballing the round letters easier because you have the surrounding letters to reference by.
-------------------- Joe Endicott NEXCOM (Navy Exchange Service Command) Signing Programs Specialist Virginia Beach, VA jeendicott@msn.com
"I want to be Stereotyped....I want to be Classified." Posts: 681 | From: Virginia Beach, VA USA | Registered: Mar 1999
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Make a cut through the paper every 3 feet and it works anyway.
-------------------- Pierre St.Marie Stmariegraphics Kalispell,Mt www.stmariegraphics.com ------------------ Plan on knowing everything before I die and time's running out! Posts: 4223 | From: Kalispell,Mt 59903 | Registered: Mar 2000
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BTW.........THIS, this is what Letterville is about.
-------------------- Pierre St.Marie Stmariegraphics Kalispell,Mt www.stmariegraphics.com ------------------ Plan on knowing everything before I die and time's running out! Posts: 4223 | From: Kalispell,Mt 59903 | Registered: Mar 2000
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Cast my vote for Glenn's method - did a similar job yesterday - 'cept I was mounting 3" caps & lc script - routed from 3/16" black acrylic - how would ya'll mount them on sheetrock - interior? Oh by the way; they have to be "free-standing", 'bout 1" off the face of the wall - I had thought about clear plastic studs, but dunno - if anybody here has a good suggestion I would much appreciate it - Carl
P.S. Who can guess the hardware I eventually used? Could not find clear acrylic round stock - needed to be 'bout 3/16" diameter......
[ March 07, 2002, 11:48 PM: Message edited by: Carl Wood ]
-------------------- Carl Wood Olive Branch, Ms Posts: 1392 | From: Olive Branch,MS USA | Registered: Nov 1999
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Pounce powder should come right off. Just squirt it with Windex, don't wipe until it looks like it's gone, then paper towel dry. I use the blue chalk or even mix it with white.
-------------------- Chuck Peterson Designs San Diego, CA Posts: 1072 | From: San Diego, CA USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Glenn Taylor's pattern style is close to what I've used but with one alteration if I may. Measure down about 3/4's to an inch or so, & draw a line parallel with top of paper all the way across from left to right (or the other way). Then bring the letters down to the line & trace the bottoms. This way you can compensate for O's & S's & such. This shouldn't interfere with double-sided tape placements. With this method the job should go rather quickly. The hardest part of a job like this is peeling the backing from the tape.
Good Luck,
Since the letters are only 4", only a half inch or less should work ok. You just need to recognizably catch the bottoms of the letters. When you trace the letters mark what they are so you dont get confused later. Use your best judgement in placing vertical. The job will go rather fast if you have a helper who could peel tape for you.
[ March 08, 2002, 08:25 AM: Message edited by: Bill Cosharek ]
-------------------- Bill Cosharek Bill Cosharek Signs N.Huntingdon,Pa
bcosharek@juno.com Posts: 704 | From: N.Huntingdon, Pa, USA | Registered: Dec 1999
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Amy, I've always done it the way Joe said, which is similar to Glenn's idea too. I print a pattern (right reading) cut off all but a sliver above the base line leaving the equivilent of Glenn's ticks, but also the pattern of bottom of O's & s's etc. Then unless double face tape is on the very bottom sliver of your O's, you can line up everything just fine. As for straight verticals, you could hold a small square (or your clipboard, or sheet of paper)on the baseline near as possible, but not under letter & go for it.
I would probably bring the whole pattern, pounced, if that's more familiar to you, then try the dust removal methods mentioned above first (in a out of the way place on same wall material)
As a last resort you could still cut it down (or apply rubber cement to the back) and try one of the other methods.
BTW I got your shirt artwork OK. I'll print a sample transfer & send out with a quote on transfers only, & one for completed shirts. Can you find a heat press to use with a somewhat accurate temp. gauge.
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