MDF or Plywood for outdoor sign.
R D S
A guy I know can print us a banner, stick it to just about anything and then
laminate it.
I have MDF and plyboard at my disposal, which would be better for outdoor
use? It will be laminated but if weather could eventually get into it which
would be the better option?
Thanks!
Bob Minchin
> I am about to put a sign outside a shop but don't want to spend Ł100's
>
> A guy I know can print us a banner, stick it to just about anything and then
> laminate it.
>
> I have MDF and plyboard at my disposal, which would be better for outdoor
> use? It will be laminated but if weather could eventually get into it which
> would be the better option?
>
> Thanks!
>
>
>
Mdf can be got that is moisture resistant (greenish colour) but WPB ply
will be best.
Bob
The Natural Philosopher
> R D S wrote:
>>
>> A guy I know can print us a banner, stick it to just about anything
>> and then
>> laminate it.
>>
>> I have MDF and plyboard at my disposal, which would be better for outdoor
>> use? It will be laminated but if weather could eventually get into it
>> which
>> would be the better option?
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>>
>>
> Waterproof ply aka marine ply
> Mdf can be got that is moisture resistant (greenish colour) but WPB ply
> will be best.
> Bob
Mmm. I would steer clear of wood altogether.
Acrlyic, aluminium, steel..foam board even..
R D S
"The Natural Philosopher" <a@b.c> wrote in message
news:121001649...@proxy00.news.clara.net...
> Bob Minchin wrote:
>> R D S wrote:
>>>
>>> A guy I know can print us a banner, stick it to just about anything and
>>> then
>>> laminate it.
>>>
>>> I have MDF and plyboard at my disposal, which would be better for
>>> outdoor
>>> use? It will be laminated but if weather could eventually get into it
>>> which
>>> would be the better option?
>>>
>>> Thanks!
>>>
>>>
>>>
>> Waterproof ply aka marine ply
>> Mdf can be got that is moisture resistant (greenish colour) but WPB ply
>> will be best.
>> Bob
>
> Mmm. I would steer clear of wood altogether.
>
> Acrlyic, aluminium, steel..foam board even..
Fair enough, any recommendations of where to get the above from would be
appreciated while I go off and google.
Dave Liquorice
> I have MDF and plyboard at my disposal,
WBP or marine ply. They ain't the same stuff, marine has a higher price
tag but for your use WBP (water and boil prooof) will be fine. There are
some bits of 18 mm WBP that have been kicking about outside with not
treatment or protection, lent against a wall so one end (now) in the
ground and they haven't delaminated yet.
MDF will just fall apart if any damp gets into it.
--
Cheers
Dave.
Owain
> Bob Minchin wrote:
>> R D S wrote:
>>> I am about to put a sign outside a shop but don't want to spend £100's
>>> A guy I know can print us a banner, stick it to just about anything
>>> and then laminate it.
> Acrlyic, aluminium, steel..foam board even..
Agree; cut vinyl lettering on foamex, or even correx, board would look a
whole lot better than a 'laminated banner'
Owain
meow...@care2.com
MDF becomes a soft almost mushy material when wet through.
NT
George
"R D S" <rsa...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:6894coF...@mid.individual.net...
> I am about to put a sign outside a shop but don't want to spend Ł100's
>
> A guy I know can print us a banner, stick it to just about anything and
then
> laminate it.
>
> I have MDF and plyboard at my disposal, which would be better for outdoor
> use? It will be laminated but if weather could eventually get into it
which
> would be the better option?
>
> Thanks!
>
>
>
Ebay for a Plastic/Perspex material,there are more sellers than this...just
search perspex on ebay.
What size do you need? this material will be your best bet.
http://tinyurl.com/4m7nae
www.GymRatZ.co.uk
> Mmm. I would steer clear of wood altogether.
We had a Ply sign up for several years and only changed it when the shop
created enough money and our Logo changed.
the sign was cut in 2 peices from a sheet of 18mm marine ply IIRC.
Painted with regular silk vynal paint as used inside the shop then the
logo and letters were up-scaled and printed in reverse on A4 sheets on
an inkjet printer.
Pages were then turned face-side down on the board and traced through
leaving an outline of letters the right way round on the board for
filing in.
Whole lot was then given several coats of a clear varnish (might have
been marine or floor grade whichever was the clearest)
Job done.
Then we had a foamex/vynal board/letters which faded quickly and was a
bit crap all round but lasted for another 3 years or more until we
forked out for acrylic sign with light-box.
Quality of sign depends on funds avasilable at the time, but even a
basic ply sign will get the message across well.
Our Logo and sign design has changed significantly with each version so
no point forkig out big money for a fancy sign in the first years of
business when for a new business it will alomost certainly need revision
and re-design as the business evolves.
IMHO
Current sign reflects the fact that we are a significant entity on the
interweb these days. (top left image) http://www.gymratz.co.uk
Cheers
Pete
George
"www.GymRatZ.co.uk" <discount-fitn...@gym.shop.com> wrote in
message news:fvp4iu$109$1...@registered.motzarella.org...
Thing is if you'd have used a bit of logic first&formost you would ve saved
the penny's ie two 3mm thick perspex sheets drilled at 4 corners and cut to
size.
The Logo could have been printed out and laminated then sandwiched between
the two sheets of perspex and sign changed at any time during the course of
the buisness.
www.GymRatZ.co.uk
> Thing is if you'd have used a bit of logic first&formost you would ve saved
> the penny's ie two 3mm thick perspex sheets drilled at 4 corners and cut to
> size.
> The Logo could have been printed out and laminated then sandwiched between
> the two sheets of perspex and sign changed at any time during the course of
> the buisness.
Sounds like a bit of a nightmare.
Firstly you would have eater ingress between perspex & laminated sheet.
secondly, 2 x 3mm perspex sheets would need a lot of fixing points and
would be too easy to crack, whereas Ply was just dripp through @ Screw.
I would have no hesitation recommending Plywood again.
Actaully better than our foamex experiences bot Acrylic rules if funds
allow.
Pete C
> I have MDF and plyboard at my disposal, which would be better for outdoor
> use?
Try boiling an offcut of each to see which holds up.
Both MDF and ply come in different types, which may or may not be
suitable.
cheers,
Pete.
dennis@home
"George" <20X...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:4nUTj.20408$yD2...@text.news.virginmedia.com...
>
> "R D S" <rsa...@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:6894coF...@mid.individual.net...
>> I am about to put a sign outside a shop but don't want to spend £100's
>>
>> A guy I know can print us a banner, stick it to just about anything and
> then
>> laminate it.
>>
>> I have MDF and plyboard at my disposal, which would be better for outdoor
>> use? It will be laminated but if weather could eventually get into it
> which
>> would be the better option?
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>>
>>
>
> Ebay for a Plastic/Perspex material,there are more sellers than
> this...just
> search perspex on ebay.
> What size do you need? this material will be your best bet.
> http://tinyurl.com/4m7nae
>
>
I agree its good but it is cheaper in B&Q.
I have noticed this a lot lately, ebay is one of the expensive places to buy
especially with postage.
Steve Firth
> Thing is if you'd have used a bit of logic first&formost you would ve saved
> the penny's ie two 3mm thick perspex sheets drilled at 4 corners and cut to
> size.
You've never done that, have you?
> The Logo could have been printed out and laminated then sandwiched between
> the two sheets of perspex and sign changed at any time during the course of
> the buisness.
Uh huh, you've definitely never tried it. I have.
It's incredibly expensive because you have to buy a full sheet of
acrylic even if you only use an A3 sized piece. So unless you're making
several signs there's a lot of waste, which is going to cost a lot more
than plywood.
There's no weather proofing in what you suggest, water gets between the
sheets, and even if the laminating is better than usual, the moisture
condenses and makes the sign unreadable.
The use of only four fixing points at the corners is inadequate and the
probability is that the pressure of tightening up the fixings will cause
the acrylic to crack. Acrylic has a lot of internal stress and cracks
easily. Even if it does not crack while being worked it will crack over
time, and it will crack and yellow very quickly in sunlight.
It's slightly better to use an acrylic front and an aluminium back, but
mostly what you're suggesting is no better than simply using a laminated
sheet.
A better job can be had by using a WBP plywood panel given several coats
of exterior varnish. I've had good results printing onto photographic
paper and then glueing the sheet to a prepared plywood panel. Once the
adhesive sets give the panel several coats of an exterior varnish,
preferably two-pack "Crystal" polyurethane. I've a sign made this way
that has lasted for five years without water damage or fading.
LSR
mentions it's made for signs. Wikipedia
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medium_density_overlay) isn't quite so
enthusiastic.
Has anyone seen it here in the UK?
--
LSR