I’ve volunteered to build a couple of portable sign boards (like those fold-up sandwich boards that reators use for open houses) for a local non-profit. They’ll use them to advertise events and direct people to parking.
I know that several people here have touted MDO for signs. But since these will be portable, often moved by older folks, I’m worried about weigth and durability. Are my worries appropriate?
Instead of MDO I’m thinking about 1/4″ hardboard for the signs (with 2×2 legs). Does that sound like a reasonable material? Any better options out there? Any tips about painting hardboard? Seems like it might need special prep.
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I built a Sandwich board type sign for a nearby restaurant out of 1/2" ply. It is heavy but it still gets blown over. Maybe theirs won't take the same kind of abuse, but 1/4" seems fairly flimsy to me.
Excellent point! I was more concerned about being able to move it, but now that you mention it, I do see a lot of those realtor signs down on a windy day!
Don't know the proper name for it.
I've seen white plastic panels that look just like corrugated cardboard. 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" thick.
They're very strong, light, and waterproof...buic
That might be a good idea. You could always add weight to the base once it was in place to make it more stable.
Surfers driving by on their way up the coast swerved onto the shoulder, hit mine and destroyed it.
Legs are probably the way to go. I'd probably use 1x3 uprights with "X" bracing of 1x2, and a cheap butt hinge at the top. Then, it's down to what ever best scrap deal you get from a local sign shop, for the "board."
How big are these signs to be?
You are sometimes better off getting a metal sign frame, and using the pvc corrugated sheet. This is good for "common" signage, like "Parking" and such, as the corrugated sheet can ge pop riveted to the metal frame (which also allows changing the signs middling easily, too).
Check with the local sign shops, too. Some can do you a very decent deal on a material much like a self-adhesive vinyl shelf paper, which you can then laminate on the sheet stock of your signs. This can help you if you have different "things" at the same event, or if parking for one thing is $2 and $5 for another.
I built a smallish one last year to put out in front of a restaurant . . . made it out of Azek for the frame, pocket screwed and Azek glue, then removed the screws and routed a rabbit around where the panel would go.
They (the restaurant) wanted to use a dry erase surface for the panel. I found some dry erase material on line but the owner bought a dry erase board at Walmart for maybe $10.00 which I cut down to fit in the rabbit. It's some kind of enameled steel . . . flimsy but it has worked great.
I was worried about it rusting but so far it still looks good and because it is ferrous I sometimes see magnetic letters on it mingled with the hand written dry erase marker.