Sign fabrication help required please.

[Martin Cole]

I can’t see a problem with that Hugh,

Just pretty expensive, are they up for paying for something like that, before you spend time finding quotes for frames etc.

Also does the sign need to go to the end, may look better finishing where the windows end, or is it me 😕

Always a difficult one when there’s a deep shutter box.

You can usually fit a standard tray/sign above and cover the box in the same material, but with the fascia being so shallow I don’t think you would see the sign other from across the road.

[Hugh Potter]

HI Martin,

I don’t imagine it does need to go to the end to be honest, not sure why I did that!

is there a better / cheaper way to do it? i’m no sure if they have a budget in mind, perhaps i should have asked, i’m guessing the last sign was cheap (10mm foamex letters, some sprayed red, small / few locators, fixed only to shutter cage).

my first thought would be to get the local scrap guys in to remove the shutter, then use the whole facia with a nice simlple flat clad composite face or pan sign, letters then attached.

I’m not certain my idea was the best, well, it’s solid and would look well finished but… ???????????????????

thanks,
Hugh

[Martin Cole]

I guess another way Hugh is to apply a plywood backing to the face of the box making it taller and running some brackets from the rear of this to the fascia behind and then use a frame and panel sign on the ply.

then paint the edge of the ply to match the frame.

The only problem I see is getting a good fix to the box frame..it doesn’t look the best structure I’ve seen.

something like rough pic below

then again as you mention if they don’t use the shutter tell them to get rid of it…..problem solved :thumbup2:

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[Hugh Potter]

i think i’ll o have a sneaky look under the shutter before i suggest getting rid, don’t want to open another can of worms!!!

thanks dude,
Hugh

[Peter Dee]

Nail bars make loads of money so I wouldn’t go cheap and at the same time make the job problematical.
I would remove the shutter completely and go with a full tray.
Most likely the white fascia goes to the bottom but allow in the quote for a bit of ply fabrication.

[Hugh Potter]

quote Martin Cole:

I guess another way Hugh is to apply a plywood backing to the face of the box making it taller and running some brackets from the rear of this to the fascia behind and then use a frame and panel sign on the ply.

then paint the edge of the ply to match the frame.

The only problem I see is getting a good fix to the box frame..it doesn’t look the best structure I’ve seen.

something like rough pic below

then again as you mention if they don’t use the shutter tell them to get rid of it…..problem solved :thumbup2:

thanks Martin,

Have been back for another measure up, the sign that was p was pretty much as you’ve shown but without the rear bracing from what another shopkeeper has told me. when this blew down it landed only a few feet from a woman with a shopping buggy thing, she simply shrugged and carried on!

apparently the sign firm that did the original only came and fitted a panel and letters to the panel that the shop tenants had put up for it, personally i’d have not fitted it if it looked likely to fall down, after all, who’s ultimately responsible for fitting it safely?

to be honest, i’m not bothered about this job, i’m gonna quote to do it properly, they do not want to take the non-working shutter away – i offered to do this as the scrap value is pretty good!- so it’s gonna have to be a frame and a big tray with 12" returns, at least i know it’ll look tidy and be very secure. i’d sooner not do it if it’s gonnna look untidy, it’s too close to home and in a prominent place so no way am i gonna do a ‘customer knows best’ job here!

my main concern now is making the frame, lightweight ally should be enough but i gotta fab it, it might pay to get my local place to knock on up but, at about £4 per metre, there’s about £120 of materials alone there! … stuff it, it gets done right or someone else can have it!

just need to find a reliable tray manufacturer now, any recommendations for something this big? 5.2m x 900mm with 305mm returns in composite??

cheers,
Hugh

Pete,
as above, they’re not taking the shutter down, as for loads of money, they might have done if another place didn’t open up just 75yrs up the road a few weeks back! madness.

Hugh

[Robert Kulawik]

Hi Hugh,

If it’s just a tray you need, without stencil cutting why not make it in house?
All you really need is a hand router, some straight edge, a good 45 degree Trend router bit and a rivet gun. If you don’t have the router yet it might be ca.£100-200 investment, but will pay for itself in no time, perhaps even after 1-2 jobs.

ACM 45 degree bit: http://www.mtmc.co.uk/Trend-ALU/01-Aluc … 40833.aspx

If I misunderstood, then pardon me, but it s 3am 😉
Robert

[Martin Cole]

why oh why they won’t take the shutter (THAT DOESN’T WORK) and looks a total eye saw down is beyond me. May be something to do with the lease 😕

Your right Hugh, quote to do it correctly and I would suggest getting a local fabricator to make the frame, seems pretty straight forward.

As for the tray, again pretty straight forward but I don’t know if you will get returns that deep in ally ….pretty sure Ashby’s returns are limited. I normally use appelec so poss worth a call.

They will also quote in composite which as Robert mentions may be a better and will be a cheaper option.
.

Good luck my man… let us know how it goes

[Hugh Potter]

HI Robert,

you are quite correct but, I simply don’t have the space to make something that size in house,

thanks for taking the time to post a reply.

Martin,
I was thinking the same, though looking at my thoughts again, I don’t even need the frame to be the whole depth of the tray, it could be a 300mm square frame really, it’s only there to support the tray really,

I would imagine a 3050 x 1500 comp panel would make 900 deep with 300mm returns,

i’ll try appelec as you suggest as my local supplier has caused me issues in the past with panel that don’t fit together properly or were routed too shallow – causing external surface cracks, too deep – causing weakness, and crap corners on a couple of them, a shame as the first tray i had was perfect!

thanks again guys,

Hugh

[Robert Kulawik]

Hugh, give Graeme [at] thesigngroup.co.uk/ a shout, as they make those as well. They’re very helpful and prompt.

[Hugh Potter]

i’ve decided to quote as per the pics attached,

i don’t need a box frame, just a top and front so have got a couple of local fabricators coming back with a price tomorrow hopefully.

just hope someone can make the tray!

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