Any idea how to make... THIS?

[Sven]

We need to re-create these for a local hospital.

They are about 46" x 12" x 2", hollow, very light weight. It's made of a type of hard cardboard material, but I was thinking of using two aluminum "pan-faces" riveted together. I'm just afraid the look won't be quite right. I can't imagine how these were made. Any ideas or suggestions?

- Eric

 

[Rick]

Don't rivet!

Make an aluminum frame, skin it with aluminum panel with Lords Adhesive....

 

[J Hill Designs]

if its lightweight and 'cardboardy' it might be formica laminate on (whatever) frame

 

[TammieH]

are you sure that is not Formica or similar? the edges have the brown phenolic look to them where they have been trimmed with a router.

 

[Sven]

It seems to be like that brown sheet material found at home depot that has a slightly smooth/shiny surface on one side and is rough on the other side. It's fairly soft and brittle, but stiff.

 

[J Hill Designs]

It seems to be like that brown sheet material found at home depot that has a slightly smooth/shiny surface on one side and is rough on the other side. It's fairly soft and brittle, but stiff.

melamine, but I have never seen it colored. Im sure there is such a beast out there, just have never seen it

 

[SchultIndustries]

You could probably make a wood frame like a 2" x 4". Paint some PVC the green color then apply white vinyl graphics. The use some construction glue to adhere the PVC to the wood frame.

 

[Billct2]

I'm with the formica option on a lightweight frame.
We just had to reuse some panels that were an insulation type foamboard core with a wood "nailer" on top for hanging.
The panels were contact cemented down.

 

[artbot]

i'd 45 the whole thing with 1/4 mdf then spray it with oil based green to match. you'll need a pin nailer. and some fast urethane glue.

 

[d fleming]

Honestly the best way to figure out how to copy something is to tear it apart. Do they have an old or damaged one down somewhere?

 

[visual800]

1x1 aluminum frame and lords adhesive aluminum skins on it. Lightweight and durable. These look to be formica which is common

 

[Rick]

I don't know if you are just replacing a sign or this is a remodel
of the area.

From my understanding of your state (and mine) is that wood
is a bad idea. you might be required to use fire rated materials
in a hospital.

 

[phototec]

Our local hospital uses very similar signage, and they are covered with Formica plastic laminate and then have white vinyl graphics applied to the surface. Looking close at the bottom corner of your photo, you can see the darker core of the plastic laminate which tells me it is plastic laminate (Formica).


The structure is made from a honeycomb core material much like an interior door, with a solid light weight wood perimeter frame, and then the plastic laminate (many colors to choose from), is then applied to the edges, trimmed with a router and a flush trim bit, then the front and back laminate is glued on with contact adhesive, and again trimmed with the flush trimming bit.


I have used flat panel hollow core doors to make similar signage for trade show booths, after I cut the doors to size, I rip some 1x pine and glue it inside between the two surface skins of the door panel, because after cutting them to size the edges have no support, just the exposed honeycomb core. Mine are not 2" thick, the hollow core doors are 1-3/4" thick, then the two pieces of 1/16" laminate, they end up about 1-7/8" thick. See the attached information.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGGWLJOfFRA


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5k08Vf7rF0


https://www.masonite.com/pdf/architecturalSpecs/FlushHC_ArchSpecs.pdf

 

[player]

Why not cut a piece of foam insulation to size, then glue the Formica to it?

 

[TXFB.INS]

Why not cut a piece of foam insulation to size, then glue the Formica to it?

I would do it this way, very easy and lightweight
you can use anchor screws into the material to hang it from the ceiling with.

 

[visual800]

Just contact a company that makes it and buy one from. By the time you waste resources creating this you could have just bought one