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Directory System - Anyone recognize this?

Signsforwhile

New Member
Good customer is asking us to replace one strip in this board. Nothing we've ever seen before.

Any help is appreciated. Letters are screened on FYI!

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visual800

Active Member
WOW! Talk about permanent signage.

If you insist to proceed I would contact a few of these guys

http://www.apcosigns.com

http://innerfacesign.com/products/interior/
Innerface has done lots of those old slats back in the day

IMO, as I have run into this before, they need to do away with the whole "slat system" and make it more user friendly. Might I suggest taking all slats out, wet sanding each one and repainting bronze. Slide them back into the wall mount and add a touch of silicone to each slat as it will not be removed again

Your basically making what you have permanent. As the sign does looks decent.
 

Marlene

New Member
WOW! Talk about permanent signage.

If you insist to proceed I would contact a few of these guys

http://www.apcosigns.com

http://innerfacesign.com/products/interior/
Innerface has done lots of those old slats back in the day

IMO, as I have run into this before, they need to do away with the whole "slat system" and make it more user friendly. Might I suggest taking all slats out, wet sanding each one and repainting bronze. Slide them back into the wall mount and add a touch of silicone to each slat as it will not be removed again

Your basically making what you have permanent. As the sign does looks decent.

why on earth would you silicone the slats in place so they can't be removed???? the whole point is they can be. we service a bank that has this system and they are always changing what floor an office is located on and it would be a nighmare not to be able to move the slats around
 

Gino

Premium Subscriber
Not quite sure I understand your point visual ?? The two companies you posted also have interchangeable panel systems, which they promote. What's the difference ?? Your idea seems to make it a nightmare as already pointed out.

As for the OP, that is not a Slatz System as earlier mentioned. Probably need to do some more research and contact as many of these companies for samples. Other than that, you might hafta explain to them, you can't do it and propose a complete replacement package.
 

visual800

Active Member
to explain my plan to you guys IF the owner of sign wants to change something you are going to have to go there anyway, would you rather take a strip of vinyl or remove slat?

Makes sense to me to just remove and add vinyl lettering to whatever the change is. Sure, Dr Adams may be on third floor and now he is going to 4th, but one day a new doc will come in and others will leave. Tenants are always moving, changing, leaving and coming. For me, easier to cut vinyl and bring to jobsite

as far as siliconing, the one hospital here we did that for, slats would come up missing, if its an old board you are screwed. PLUS if you noticed the existing letters are screen printed, thats not good for changing out names
 

Gino

Premium Subscriber
That might work in some instances, but for the most part, practically all of our customers will call us about whatever name changes are gonna take place. We prepare the files, cut, weed and tape what needs to be done, they bring the panels to us, we do it within a few hours and they come back and put the panels back in. No one wants to pay our wages for us to go in anywhere and do all that monkey labor nonsense. I have four separate jobs going on right now for this very kinda deal. Only one, do I hafta go in and do the work as it's gold leaf on glass. All of the doctors names must be moved around to make room for the new guy. That's a biggie out-of-pocket for them.
 

visual800

Active Member
That might work in some instances, but for the most part, practically all of our customers will call us about whatever name changes are gonna take place. We prepare the files, cut, weed and tape what needs to be done, they bring the panels to us, we do it within a few hours and they come back and put the panels back in. No one wants to pay our wages for us to go in anywhere and do all that monkey labor nonsense. I have four separate jobs going on right now for this very kinda deal. Only one, do I hafta go in and do the work as it's gold leaf on glass. All of the doctors names must be moved around to make room for the new guy. That's a biggie out-of-pocket for them.


ok lets say this doc bring you a slat with a screenprinted name on it and wants it removed and replaced. ususally you start removing a screenprint you are going to have to repaint the slat. I bet $400 you wont match that paint and pretty soon you have a board with 4 or 5 different shades on it....do you now see my point?
 

Marlene

New Member
we send soemone to pick up the strips and that way we are in and out without getting in the way. all the removing of old copy and application of new happens in shop. one of the directories I service is behind a mosaic covered cow, yep a freaking cow. getting to it isn't easy and I am so glad these strips pop off as doing this at site would be a nightmare.
 

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Gino

Premium Subscriber
ok lets say this doc bring you a slat with a screenprinted name on it and wants it removed and replaced. ususally you start removing a screenprint you are going to have to repaint the slat. I bet $400 you wont match that paint and pretty soon you have a board with 4 or 5 different shades on it....do you now see my point?


No.

We just had that happen last Autumn. Not a doctor's office, but a professional [with some medical offices in as well] building and the owner wanted a few names added and some replaced and moved around. I simply made her an offer on re-vamping the entire building. She hemmed and hawed and when she first said no, I said, Okay, but nothing will match and as you can already see, you have about 6 different renditions already going on in these buildings. Nothing says 'Professional Building' like 8 different styles, colors and whatnot. I said to her, look, I'll knock another $500 off and let's have at it. The total job was already bid out at around $7,500 and for us to replace everything.... our out-a-pocket cost was around $600, plus our going over there and pulling them old ones out and putting the new ones in, which took about 4 or 5 hours. $500 off, sealed the bid and now we control the complete building and everything mst go through us and no other sign shop is allowed in by orders of the building owners.

So, not only does it put you in control of what goers in and out, but you'll never hafta guess if you talk owners into re-vamping things, unless you just wanna do a lotta extra monkey time and not get paid for it.

I would venture to say, we've used this approach in the last 10 years [when we couldn't replace the existing system] maybe 25 or 30 times with about a 90% return.


The largest one was a few years ago, when we re-vamped and entire building to the tune of around $27,000. They had a nice system already in place, but it had so many varying fonts, colors, we just re-did it all and now it's a piece of cake to change out. We're doing one right now for around $800.00.
 

Signsforwhile

New Member
No.

I would venture to say, we've used this approach in the last 10 years [when we couldn't replace the existing system] maybe 25 or 30 times with about a 90% return.

This was our initial approach as we've recently converted 6 of their properties to digital directories. They just purchased this directory 6 months ago and can't justify throwing it out.

Just had a meeting with them. They may end up tossing this one lol!
 

visual800

Active Member
while I respect your "revamping" of the whole building can we stay on topic with this ONE SIGN? and how is your revamping method different than my suggestion of revamping this one sign for all slats to match?....sometimes I think you just like to post and be aggravating
 

Gino

Premium Subscriber
while I respect your "revamping" of the whole building can we stay on topic with this ONE SIGN? and how is your revamping method different than my suggestion of revamping this one sign for all slats to match?....sometimes I think you just like to post and be aggravating


I stayed completely on topic. In fact, the OP said he had tried the very same approach without any success. While I stayed on topic, you strayed by showing your infinite wisdom of making a replaceable directory permanent. No sense to that whatsoever.

Contrary to what you think or do, I do not try to be aggravating. I stay on topic and answer generally what is in question, which happens to be most of your responses. Do I call you out, such as you just did to me ?? Nope.


As far as revamping vs. your gluing a temporary thing in place..... not remotely alike in any sense. No idea how you come up with that idea, either.
 

Gino

Premium Subscriber
This was our initial approach as we've recently converted 6 of their properties to digital directories. They just purchased this directory 6 months ago and can't justify throwing it out.

Just had a meeting with them. They may end up tossing this one lol!



Good luck. What makes more of a case on your part, is to just be willing to walk away from it, rather then waste time on a problem situation. If ya can't solve it relatively quickly or easily, go to what makes money for ya.
 

Signsforwhile

New Member
Good luck. What makes more of a case on your part, is to just be willing to walk away from it, rather then waste time on a problem situation. If ya can't solve it relatively quickly or easily, go to what makes money for ya.

What helps our case even more is whoever installed those used the standard indoor foam tape and they are literally coming off the wall haha! What is wrong with people!!!
 

Gino

Premium Subscriber
What helps our case even more is whoever installed those used the standard indoor foam tape and they are literally coming off the wall haha! What is wrong with people!!!


Nothing surprises me anymore after some of the techniques and methods people around here suggest using. I have no idea what these people have against using physical fasteners ?? Everyone wants a non-seeable installation. Egads, but these same people are selling crap with authority, so their customers believe in them, til the sh!t starts falling off, like you said did, in your case.
 
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