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How would you get rid of gaps in a lightbox fascia?
Today i installed a 16ft x 2ft light-box, everything was going well until sliding in the acrylic panels. The two panels butt up well at the top but then meander out by 5mm at the bottom. I tried packing the bottom of the panels to try to skew the thing up slightly but to no avail. The shop fascia is slightly warped and the light-box has taken the contours of the shop, this is the reason, I think, the panels will not butt up correctly.
What do you think?
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7 Replies
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Two preferred methods:
‘Panel Locks’ – various trade names. But they clip the two sections together & prevent separation / hold together slight gaps.
Or rebate the two sheets with a router (overlap joint) to lessen the effect.
Dave
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Are there hanging strips on the panels or do they just sit on the bottom of the frame? It would be difficult to warp a box whilst fitting I would have thought. Anyways, double check the panels are sitting in the box correctly, as sometimes they can get snagged on stuff like swarf sitting in the bottom.
Other than packing the panels a bit your only alternative is to refit the box. Be careful when using packing under panels as you don’t want them to be nearly coming out of the frame.
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Craig,
Do the panels have a hanging strip? and a rebated join?If fitted with a hanging strip it may be possible to adjust the centre of the lightbox top frame by placing a piece of timber under it and pushing up after loosening nearby fixing screws/bolts, then re-tightening.
Peter
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I would remove the panels and lay them down on a flat surface and butt them up together. Then look down the length of the edge and see if it is straight. Or pull a fishing line along the edge. It is so easy to miss cut the right angle.
You do not say if you used 3 or 5mm acrylic. If you are using 5mm you should also rebate the faces at the join. You should always use 5mm if there is a join in the panel not 3mm as you can’t rebate 3mm. A favorite mistake of the uninitiated. -
Is it a single section light box? If so, it is possible for the top to bow downwards at the centre, causing this problem.
Get a reel of cotton (or fishing line) and tape one end to the top corner then stretch across to the other corner. Check for the top being out of true.
Cure it by putting internal brackets to strain it back up.
If the top isn’t DEAD straight, you will get a gap at the bottom (assuming you hung the panels).
Also, if the panels are not sitting flat on the hanging strip they are likely to break at the corners.
If you force the gap closed with panel hooks something will break before too long.
This all assumes you have cut the panels ends dead square.
Always rebate the middle join to avoid the illumination showing through. -
Many thanks to you all for your suggestions.
The panels are rebated and have hanging strips, I am returning to site on Wednesday to finish off, I will put some of your ideas into practice
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quote David Glen:Is it a single section light box? If so, it is possible for the top to bow downwards at the centre, causing this problem.
Get a reel of cotton (or fishing line) and tape one end to the top corner then stretch across to the other corner. Check for the top being out of true.
Cure it by putting internal brackets to strain it back up.
If the top isn’t DEAD straight, you will get a gap at the bottom (assuming you hung the panels).
Also, if the panels are not sitting flat on the hanging strip they are likely to break at the corners.
If you force the gap closed with panel hooks something will break before too long.
This all assumes you have cut the panels ends dead square.
Always rebate the middle join to avoid the illumination showing through.exactly as said above, if the box isn’t square the panelss wont fit, there must be a bow in the centre of the lightbox.
Ian
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