reusable stencils for skips, advice please?

[David Stevenson]

Funny we were asked for something similar but it was for pallets. My thinking on it is you’d have to use some type of stencil font or else you’d have problems with the centre of certain letters eg: a, b, d, e, g, o, p, q. Mdp offer a cutting service which would allow you to get the stencil made from dibond so it could be used multiple times as required.

[Hugh Potter]

been through this a number of times…

magnetic just get ripped to shreds in no time.

solid composite, ali or steel that are fret / routered / plsma or waterjet cut don’t conform to the very soon bashed up skips that are repainted, resulting in overspray / blow-through,

cut vinyl stickers A, don’t last very long and B, scare them to death with the cost…

I’m still none the wiser!!

[James Martin]

Thanks guys

The routerer if there is such a word recons that acm is best but i’ll ask the customer how flat he thinks the substrate will remain and lay the options out.

Jim

[NeilRoss]

I’ve made them in both magnetic sheet and composite. Both have been successful for each customer. I’d agree with Hugh that the magnetic ones are fairly fragile, but I have customers who are careful with them and they last them years. The composite ones I’ve made seem to satisfy the customer too as they have been back a number of times for additional (different ones). Much depends on how you apply the spray over the composite. Best done with a number of fairly dry coats to dust the paint on rather than flood it on.

Neil

[Kevin Mahoney]

Done more than a few in acm for a skip company, used a stencil font & they work fine if they are careful with them

[David Hammond]

There was a company at the sign show a few years ago who laser cut them from an acetate like film… they’d do all the stenciling from artwork supplied so bits falling off were not a problem.

But… I cant remember their name!

[Colin Crabb]

Mylar is the material – we have them laser cut out of 350micron, works well.

[Robert Lambie]

Cut scrap vinyl in a "stencil" font, or cut it in an easy font to cut and add your stencil join/support lines in by pen.
or pen plot onto the magnetic panel itself.

The trick to prevent magnetic tearing is the supports and obviously how it is handled by the user.
be clear when handing it over it must be kept flat stuck to a metal panel/wall or whatever.
when creating it, dont use big letters or intricate designs.
when creating it, try use curves at corners rather than right angles that would possibly tear.

i have done lots of skip companies over the years. i have given them Routered MDF, Composite, aluminium etc but they prefer the magnetic. I was in one of the companies about 2 weeks ago and they have the same mag stencils we made them stuck to the side of a filing cabinet covered in an array of paint colours, but still perfectly in tact. i recon its about 5+ years old at least.

skips may look pretty flat, but they are far from. so a flexible substrate that holds itself free, is definitely the preferred choice. as long as you tell them to treat it with kid gloves, there isnt a problem, if there is, you get sale number 2, number 3 and so on till they learn. 😉

[David Stevenson]

"till they learn"! Love that quote Robert. We do graphics / stone guard for a rally car. They keep crashing, we keep fixing! Great customer lol

[Shelley Evans]

Hi, Just searching for trade suppliers that would cut stencils out of Mylar and noticed this thread. Does anyone know of a supplier who would create stencils out of Mylar or similar please? Customer doesn’t want any other alternative like ACM etc (I have tried). Thanks

[Denise Goodfellow]

We’ve bought kits on line, or done magnets on the cutter ( only just ok)

Last one we got a local engineer who had a plasma cutter. Cost £80

Sorry, didn’t realise it’s an old thread