Anyone ever make a portable 4' W x 8' H A-frame/sandwich board?

[White Haus]

We have a project that involves some 4'W x 8'H coroplast signs for a street party coming up this weekend. (Canada Day, eh!)

Customer is on a tight budget but we've offered to help/sponsor as much as we can.

That being said - we need to come up with something that will accommodate (2) 4'W x 8'H coroplast signs back to back with the conditions that it needs to be freestanding, portable, and easy to set up/break down.

Has anyone ever done anything like this?

I've attached my half-a$$ concept that I think will work, but thought I'd bounce it off you guys in case someone has done this before. I would use 2x4's and still need to come up with something for the hinges while keeping it cheap. Ideally it would fold flat for storage and moving around, with the feet having the ability to be locked together to throw sandbags/water bags on it to secure it.

Edited to add: Please ignore the obviously flawed perspective of my drawing. Just quickly sketched it out to see if it made sense more than anything.

 

[Billct2]

I have done similar. 2x4 frame with thru bolted strap hinges.
If you plan on weighting it all you need is chain to limit the spread

 

[Stacey K]

I slapped this together with 1x3's last summer for some craft shows my mom and I did. It was light weight yet sturdy enough for the weight of the wood. Hinges worked great. Maybe a chain or strap would be better for you vs. twine LOL

 

[White Haus]

I slapped this together with 1x3's last summer for some craft shows my mom and I did. It was light weight yet sturdy enough for the weight of the wood. Hinges worked great. Maybe a chain or strap would be better for you vs. twine LOL

Thanks Stacey, that gives me some good ideas! That's a really cool rustic looking frame!

 

[Stacey K]

Thanks Stacey, that gives me some good ideas! That's a really cool rustic looking frame!

Thank you, I should add that if it's windy, you might want to have a couple of cement weights tied to rope underneath by the hinges to hold the sandwich board down. We use those at the craft fairs on each corner of the tent if its windy.

 

[unclebun]

You can get piano hinges at the hardware store. Use chains and eyescrews to hold the legs. If you mount them low, you can put sandbags on the chains.

 

[Gino]

It must be 'A' frame week......... had 2 different people come in yesterday for some. Not 4x8, but custom made.

So, ya want cheap.....??​

Get two 4x8's of roof sheathing, hinge together at the top and cut little legs outta the bottom, so it doesn't sit the entire width on the ground. Either tie a rope or a chain from the back to the other side to keep from falling apart and if you need weight, I'd run a small 2x3 runner and sandbag it. Staple or screw your Cor-X fast and you're outta it for less than $150, your cost.

 

[MikePro]

cheap, portable, ....does it have to be freestanding?
my quickest/cheapest fix would be to just make banners with pole pockets and run a strap through it.... and string it between posts/fence/trees you have available in the area.

else, if freestanding is needed, I'd just build an A-frame from lumber with long "feet" to resist tipping and secure with sandbags.

 

[Johnny Best]

10mm coro with slots cut 10mm wide on cross pieces. I sheet double faced. Use weights at bottom if windy. by making 4x8

 

[Gino]

I think they want the 8' up & down.......................

 

[Johnny Best]

Just cut the slots on the 4' side of the 4x8, no problem, thanks Gino for catching that. Thats why they pay you the big bucks!

 

[eahicks]

It must be 'A' frame week......... had 2 different people come in yesterday for some. Not 4x8, but custom made.

So, ya want cheap.....??​

Get two 4x8's of roof sheathing, hinge together at the top and cut little legs outta the bottom, so it doesn't sit the entire width on the ground. Either tie a rope or a chain from the back to the other side to keep from falling apart and if you need weight, I'd run a small 2x3 runner and sandbag it. Staple or screw your Cor-X fast and you're outta it for less than $150, your cost.

We've done something similar...with 10mm Coro though. Hinge the top, chain the bottoms together.