Working with letters on standoff locators
STEP ONE:
First, start with your flat-cut letters. These could be cut by hand if large enough using a template or sourced from a local company that has a CNC router or laser.
My letters are small so I have cut them from 3mm acrylic using my laser machine shown here.
STEP TWO:
Next, select your fixing type. There are various types of fixing available, a sample of some are shown here.
1,2 & 3 are your standard Small, Medium & Large male/female snap-together fixings made from acrylic and polythene. There is a tendency for the polythene cup part to become brittle because of sunlight and
pollution over the years, and this is a common failure on some makes.
4 & 5 are brass screw-together fixings suited to metal or wooden letters, these are more time-consuming to fix and more expensive to buy, but last forever. 6 is a nylon version of the brass fixings and has a reasonable life span, but is not as strong.
7 is a similar fixing to 1,2 & 3 but does not require a screw fixing through the base cup, so they are slightly quicker
to fit.
STEP THREE:
You are going to need some acrylic adhesive, I am using 1 part Fusion 500 which has an excellent bond strength and sets really fast. It works by “melting” the two plastic surfaces together as the solvent evaporates and has a reasonable gap-filling capability too. It is very prone to evaporation and so it’s best kept in a sealed tin and dispensed from a squeezy bottle like the one shown.
4) Remove the film from the back of your letters and lay them face down with the poly film still on the front to protect them. Then position the male locators on each letter to give support in the best way. Be careful with letters like “i” and “l”, these normally need at least three in staggered positions to prevent them from wobbling too much. Dots and full stops are better with two or more if large enough, but sometimes you have only space for a single fixing. Be careful not to leave the letter “legs” too unsupported like the letter “E” shown here. You can at this stage use a little emery paper to rough up the spot where your locators are going if you want to give the adhesive an extra bit, I find that Fusion500 does a really good job without bothering with this as long as the surface is clean and grease free.
5) Apply the adhesive to the locator so there is a small pool on the head, not too much or it will spill over
and may go where you don’t want it! Then press it firmly in place on the letter and give it a little wiggle back and forth to spread the adhesive and expel any air. They will be handleable in about 5-10 minutes
6) The next job is to plot out your template as per your design. This is a straightforward job and just involves switching your knife holder for a pen, and vinyl for paper of course!
7) Lay out all your letters on the template carefully so you don’t mark the paper template with the locator
points yet, make sure they are all there and in the right places paying particular attention to letters which
could be mixed up like “n” and “u”, “0” and “O”!
8) Turn over each letter and number it with a marker pen on the back and on the paper. Mark letters which can be put on upside down with an arrow to indicate the top.
9) Line the letter up with the template and carefully press the area where the locators are to mark the
template. To do this you need a surface which has a little “give” in it, these cutting mats are ideal. Don’t use too soft a surface like carpet as the marks will get inaccurate and too hard a surface will mean you can’t see the marks at all.
10) Move the letter and using a thin pen or pencil put a cross accurately over the indentation made by the locators on each letter. Continue this process with all the letters.
11) Install your finished template on site, securing it carefully with tape so it lays flat and is not wrinkled or flapping in the wind.
12) Screw your female cups through the template exactly where your marks are but DON’T tighten them fully yet. If you are fixing to brickwork, you will have to drill wall plug holes first and you will need to be careful the drill does not skip sideways if you are half on/off a mortar joint. If this happens, try and correct it by drilling at a slight angle. If you are fixing to corrugated cladding this is more complicated and you may need a cladding template before you position your letter locators.
13) Tear back the paper making sure you get the last bits from under the plastic locators (if you tightened
them too much in step 12 then you will end up with loads of little bits of paper left trapped!)
14) Offer up your letters one at a time and gently push the locators home until they click in place. When they are all up and you are happy with the layout, remove the face protection and that’s it! Job Well Done. In case you were wondering, that’s not my finished sign, it’s just for the demo
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