The roadside signs announcing my business need replacing...

With a huge laborious effort, I now have the sign as an AutoCAD file. My
next step is to have the lines burned/cut into a material so I can make a
stencil. There are a few sections in the sign where the stencil will be only
1/2" wide and a lot where the stencil will be 1" wide. The sign measures 48"
by 96" (4'x8').

So, what would be the best material to use? I can reinforce the very thin
sections mentioned above but not all the 1" wide sections. If I go with
plasma cut steel, I'm guessing I need to go all the way up to 1/8" thick
making the stencil weight a ton. I'm afraid thinner sections will warp and
make painting no fun at all.

Also, if anyone in Minnesota is looking for work, I'm looking for a CNC
plasma cutter or router.

Karl

I always just draw the pattern directly on the substrate then paint
with a brush. Thats the way the sign painters do it and it makes a
superior product.

wrote:

I always just draw the pattern directly on the substrate then paint
with a brush. Thats the way the sign painters do it and it makes a
superior product.

If he has it on computer already, he could just get his hands on a
projector, project the image onto the sign substrate and trace the
outlines.

Of course, instead of doing it this way, if he finds someone with CNC
plasma he could have them cut the characters from sheet metal, add some
weld studs, powder coat and then attach to the substrate and have
something that should last a long time.

Karl Townsend wrote:
The roadside signs announcing my business need replacing...

With a huge laborious effort, I now have the sign as an AutoCAD file. My
next step is to have the lines burned/cut into a material so I can make a
stencil. There are a few sections in the sign where the stencil will be only
1/2" wide and a lot where the stencil will be 1" wide. The sign measures 48"
by 96" (4'x8').

So, what would be the best material to use? I can reinforce the very thin
sections mentioned above but not all the 1" wide sections. If I go with
plasma cut steel, I'm guessing I need to go all the way up to 1/8" thick
making the stencil weight a ton. I'm afraid thinner sections will warp and
make painting no fun at all.

I did a 4' x 8' sign for a friends business a few years ago by plotting
the sign on ordinary plotter paper and then cut it out with an Exacto
knife. I painted the plywood the base color with exterior enamel and a
roller. Once it was well sealed for weather, I put the stencil on the
board and spray painted the signage with a rattle can. It took a few
coats with the rattle can. When it was done, it looked great from 10'
and held up for 5+ years in the New Mexico sun and mild winters.

The stencil only survived the one use, but would have been simple to
reproduce.

One of the things I did that helped was to spray the back side of the
stencil around the characters with artists mounting adhesive. It helped
the stencil stay tight on the board until it was completely done, but
came up cleanly with careful pulling.

Good Luck,
Bob

"Karl Townsend" wrote in
anews.com:

The roadside signs announcing my business need replacing...

With a huge laborious effort, I now have the sign as an AutoCAD file.
My next step is to have the lines burned/cut into a material so I can
make a stencil. There are a few sections in the sign where the stencil
will be only 1/2" wide and a lot where the stencil will be 1" wide.
The sign measures 48" by 96" (4'x8').

So, what would be the best material to use? I can reinforce the very
thin sections mentioned above but not all the 1" wide sections. If I
go with plasma cut steel, I'm guessing I need to go all the way up to
1/8" thick making the stencil weight a ton. I'm afraid thinner
sections will warp and make painting no fun at all.

Also, if anyone in Minnesota is looking for work, I'm looking for a
CNC plasma cutter or router.

Karl



Were it me, I'd have it laser cut out of 22-28 gauge aluminum sheet. Use
an easily removeable tack glue to hold it in place while working on it,
then roll it up and store it for when the signs need refreshing again.

--
Anthony

You can't 'idiot proof' anything....every time you try, they just make
better idiots.

Remove sp to reply via email

Easy way to create your signs-vinyl lettering and graphics are
relatively cheap at sign shops. Cad up your lettering and font/color
choices, and submit the disc. Then, you get to screw it up trying to
align the peel and stick letters. You only get one chance. A little
practice first...
The range of design possibilities is way larger than being locked to a
physical stencil.
JR
Dweller in the cellar
who has made many signs this way.

Karl Townsend wrote:
The roadside signs announcing my business need replacing...

With a huge laborious effort, I now have the sign as an AutoCAD file. My
next step is to have the lines burned/cut into a material so I can make a
stencil. There are a few sections in the sign where the stencil will be only
1/2" wide and a lot where the stencil will be 1" wide. The sign measures 48"
by 96" (4'x8').

So, what would be the best material to use? I can reinforce the very thin
sections mentioned above but not all the 1" wide sections. If I go with
plasma cut steel, I'm guessing I need to go all the way up to 1/8" thick
making the stencil weight a ton. I'm afraid thinner sections will warp and
make painting no fun at all.

Also, if anyone in Minnesota is looking for work, I'm looking for a CNC
plasma cutter or router.

Karl




--
--------------------------------------------------------------
Home Page: http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth
If you're not the lead dog, the view never changes
Doubt yourself, and the real world will eat you alive
The world doesn't revolve around you, it revolves around me
No skeletons in the closet; just decomposing corpses
--------------------------------------------------------------
Dependence is Vulnerability:
--------------------------------------------------------------
"Open the Pod Bay Doors please, Hal"
"I'm sorry, Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that.."

"Karl Townsend" wrote in message
anews.com...
The roadside signs announcing my business need replacing...

With a huge laborious effort, I now have the sign as an AutoCAD file. My
next step is to have the lines burned/cut into a material so I can make a
stencil. There are a few sections in the sign where the stencil will be
only 1/2" wide and a lot where the stencil will be 1" wide. The sign
measures 48" by 96" (4'x8').
snip

How about a piece of 1" 11-ply have a sign shop use your file to cut the
letters out of rubber sheet. Stick the rubber on the ply and sand-blast it
to 1/2" deep arounf the letters. Seal and paint the **** out of it or stain
and urathane it. It will last forever...with fresh paint or urathane once
in a while.

On Mon, 10 Dec 2007 04:08:19 GMT, "Tom Gardner"
wrote:


"Karl Townsend" wrote in message
tanews.com...
The roadside signs announcing my business need replacing...

With a huge laborious effort, I now have the sign as an AutoCAD file. My
next step is to have the lines burned/cut into a material so I can make a
stencil. There are a few sections in the sign where the stencil will be
only 1/2" wide and a lot where the stencil will be 1" wide. The sign
measures 48" by 96" (4'x8').
snip

How about a piece of 1" 11-ply have a sign shop use your file to cut the
letters out of rubber sheet. Stick the rubber on the ply and sand-blast it
to 1/2" deep arounf the letters. Seal and paint the **** out of it or stain
and urathane it. It will last forever...with fresh paint or urathane once
in a while.



Carve it into a handy tree?

BG

I would suggest either the cutting out of paper-3M-spraymount-rattle can
approach (used it for smaller stuff in one colour and it works) or the
commercial vehicle/sign shop vinyl approach.

Mark Rand
RTFM