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Illuminated swing sign – any ideas ?
Hi people 🙂
I have got to quote on a one off hanging swing sign for a local hotel. Size is about 900x700mm portrait doublesided. They have asked for a price on a version which has an switchable illuminated “vacancies” or “no vacancies” section 😕
Any suggestions as to a possible construction would be most welcome….
Nigel
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8 Replies
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Neon?
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Try the new night and day acrylic “secret message” its also called. Or try LED`s
Arnie
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We have been asked for this so many times, and it is such a pain to do and i can’t honestly say we’ve achieved a satisfactory result.
You could always integrate a moving message led sign.
keep us posted, if you come up with a brainwave.
Craig
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Thanks for the ideas – neon is not an option as the council won’t allow exposed tube signs in that area. I was trying to think of a way to use LEDs and maybe construct the sign using a double sided aluminium pan with a section routed out for the display. Its tough to try and think of a method that will still be visible during the daytime too though.
I can see me going back to using a separate little hanging “vacancies” panel underneath that they can swap over and an over head light – its an easier way out 🙂
If I think of any great breakthroughs I’ll post it – Any other ideas let me know !!
Nigel
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I’ll try to describe what I have in mind but I can’t guarantee that it wont sound like gibberish!
Can you: section off within the box an area that corresponds with the word “NO”? You would have to have a seperate, switchable light in this area. Then apply a solid block of colour over this area on the panel. Over this apply a negatively weeded (?) block with the word “NO” in black to prevent illumination of the background and then apply the same in the colour used before. When unlit you would see a block of colour, when the light is on the word “NO” should appear.
It is a bit hard to describe, but I have done this and it worked pretty well.
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fibre optics
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Yeh, I think I understand your idea big g, sort of like the “secret ’til lit” panels on a car dash ? but using a colour instead of black.
I guess i’d router out the lettering from 2mm aluminium pans to give the light blocking effect then maybe flood coat the rear of a sheet of thin (250mic ?) textured polycarb with white translucent vinyl and fix it over the aluminium with vhb tape. I am trying to think of a way of making the lit panel area blend in with the rest of the sign, but maybe I should just make a feature of it and put a border round it or something. I think I would have to do the whole “NO VACANCIES” text to make the “look” and colour of the two words match eachother. Then on the inside of the ali pans make up a “light box” behind each word out of black acrylic or similar and mount a light behind each. What sort of light ? Mains or low voltage and where to put the transformer if lv used ? details I’d have to sort out !
Simon, nice idea to use fibre optics, its something I know nothing about sourcing and would guess a one off could be rather costly to make up ??
Thanks for the ideas anyway,
Nigel
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Not too expensive.. But a lot of work drilling holes and cutting the fibres etc.
Basically you would have two low voltage halogen bulbs (switched individually) Gather up all the fibre ends (two bunches one for “NO” and one for “VACANCIES” and clamp together, polish the ends and put in front of lamps.
Or buy two fibre optic lamps ..around ten pounds each and put new fibre optic cable in.
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