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Edge trim for light box
- Thread starter Fbermudez
- Start date
White Haus
Not a Newbie
Isn't that just an extruded frame, like EX7?
What the hell happened to that sign, it's an abomination. How could someone screw up a simple small signbox in that many ways?
What the hell happened to that sign, it's an abomination. How could someone screw up a simple small signbox in that many ways?
Grear idea didn't think about repainting them.
JBurton
Signtologist
It looks like folded sheet metal, just based on the way the edges don't appear crisp, and in the lower left corner, it appears the bottom piece is straight and the right piece is mitered and overlapped.
You'll likely need to repaint on site in the air, as it was custom to not actually fab trim for the top and bottom, just make the filler and the trim in one piece.
You'll likely need to repaint on site in the air, as it was custom to not actually fab trim for the top and bottom, just make the filler and the trim in one piece.
Ryze Signs
New Member
Sand and repaint like Gino said. I would have tried to sell them a full refurb. Remove the cabinet, repaint the box and retainers. Install new led modules (especially if it has florescents).
I'm a one man operation I just do this on the side, I'm getting quotes on getting them refurbished since the client wants to upgrade to led.
JBurton
Signtologist
I just refurbished a wallsign that I wished I'd just fabbed new. Sometimes one can get away with putting lipstick on a pig, but sometimes you instead realize it's an all steel build with a rusty back, 3 layers of rustoleum, plus a healthy coat of building paint on top, caked to the wall with the same paint, plus the two tubes of silicone someone thought it needed, along with every lamp that was ever swapped out was just left in the cabinet and shattered. By the end we just reskinned the whole thing, added angle trim, paint, led's, new back and face, and now it costs as much as a new sign but weighs 3x as much.
signbrad
New Member
You will not find a supplier for these retainers. This is not an extruded knock-down kit. The retainers, as well as the returns, were made in the shop with a sheet metal brake. I've made hundreds of these signs. In the old days, they were formed of 16-gauge Paint-Lok steel or sheet aluminum in a similar thickness, probably .040". We cut 45-degree angles on two of the four sides with snips, leaving the other two sides straight-cut. The angled cuts overlap the straight cuts for clean-looking corners.
If the retainers are held on with screws, remove all the retainers and bring them back to the shop for repainting. If there is any latex paint on the retainers, sand it all off. If the top and bottom retainers are riveted to the cabinet, sand and repaint them in place, as jburton said. You should be able to bend them back in shape by hand if needed. The corners should tightly overlap so they fit cleanly, and the tops and bottoms should mate up at the middles. The tops and bottoms probably overlap a little at the middles so there is no gap. Use extra screws as needed. Sometimes a screw through the face of the retainers at each corner keeps the corners held together. Use new screws. I prefer truss head screws for their low profile.
This job may not be worth braking up metal for new retainers.
Obviously, if you are remaking the sign and changing the lighting, bring the whole thing back to the shop to work on it, or have a new cabinet made. You will need two people to drop it to the ground.
There is probably a frame of 1-1/2 angle iron on the inside, with the returns riveted to the angle. That's how we made them. It's a cheap way to make a lighted sign, but we made hundreds of them this way and we made them fast. A cabinet made of an extruded aluminum knock-down kit will look nicer.
And I'm sure your layout will look far better than the crowded, amateurish layout on this sign. It's an eyesore.
Brad in Kansas City.
If the retainers are held on with screws, remove all the retainers and bring them back to the shop for repainting. If there is any latex paint on the retainers, sand it all off. If the top and bottom retainers are riveted to the cabinet, sand and repaint them in place, as jburton said. You should be able to bend them back in shape by hand if needed. The corners should tightly overlap so they fit cleanly, and the tops and bottoms should mate up at the middles. The tops and bottoms probably overlap a little at the middles so there is no gap. Use extra screws as needed. Sometimes a screw through the face of the retainers at each corner keeps the corners held together. Use new screws. I prefer truss head screws for their low profile.
This job may not be worth braking up metal for new retainers.
Obviously, if you are remaking the sign and changing the lighting, bring the whole thing back to the shop to work on it, or have a new cabinet made. You will need two people to drop it to the ground.
There is probably a frame of 1-1/2 angle iron on the inside, with the returns riveted to the angle. That's how we made them. It's a cheap way to make a lighted sign, but we made hundreds of them this way and we made them fast. A cabinet made of an extruded aluminum knock-down kit will look nicer.
And I'm sure your layout will look far better than the crowded, amateurish layout on this sign. It's an eyesore.
Brad in Kansas City.
Texas_Signmaker
Very Active Signmaker
I don't like the sheet metal retainers. They bend and can be a pain in the ass when changing out a face or one blows out. When I'm building a cabinet I use 1/8" aluminum angle.