If you need affordable sturdy signs, professional in appearance, consider making signs using corrugated plastic as a base. Corrugated plastic is a very versatile low-cost material that is a great base for signs that can be displayed in factories, retail businesses, schools, and for a variety of short-term outdoor uses. Corrugated plastic is easy to work with, it’s easy to clean, it can be painted, and it is very sturdy. Corrugated plastic has embedded lines that make placing letters easy. Adhesive letters can be applied without the use of special sign-making tools or even the use of a straightedge.
Corrugated plastic for sign making purposes can be obtained through online retail companies or it can be obtained from businesses that receive products packed with corrugated plastic. Before purchasing corrugated plastic, contact local factories to find out if they receive this material as packing, and if they throw it away. They may be willing to sell their corrugated plastic sheeting for a reasonable price, or they may be willing to give it away.
Supplies Needed to Make Corrugated Plastic Signs
To make professional looking signs using corrugated plastic you will need sheets of corrugated plastic, a band saw or other tool for cutting plastic sheets, fusion paint that adheres to plastic, colored duct tape, a utility knife, a grommet tool and grommets, and adhesive lettering. Optional supplies are an angle iron and large vice clamps. These tools will make the cutting process easier if using a bandsaw.
Cutting and Preparing Corrugated Plastic for Signs
A bandsaw is by far the easiest way to cut corrugated plastic sheets. A master copy should be made in which to use for making subsequent signs of the same size. It can be traced around or saved for future reference.
If using a bandsaw to cut corrugated plastic sheets, consider using an angle iron and vice clamps as well. Set the corrugated plastic master copy on the bandsaw table, and line up the angle iron accordingly. Attach the angle iron to the table of the bandsaw using large vice clamps. This will eliminate the need to trace a master copy and cut along lines. Simply running the corrugate plastic sheet along the angle iron during the cutting process will create identical plastic sheets suitable for sign making.
Corrugated plastic can be painted without surface preparation. Fusion paint is specifically made for plastic, and it works wonderfully for painting corrugated plastic sheets. Despite the directions on the can, it takes approximately one can of fusion paint to paint both sides of one corrugated plastic sheet that is approximately 3 feet in width by 3 feet in length. Also, despite can directions, don’t attempt to paint over fusion paint that has had time to completely cure. The first coat of paint will blister and peel if you do. Give the corrugated sheets sufficient coats of paint within the first hour of the initial application for best results. In addition, lay corrugated plastic sheets on the ground instead of setting them on their edges before painting. The paint tends to run if sheets are painted in an upright position.
Edging Corrugated Plastic Signs
Corrugated plastic signs can be given a neat and professional appearance by edging them with colored duct tape. Colored duct tape is available in a variety of colors, it is sturdy, flexible, and it adheres very well to corrugated plastic.
There is no need to wrap the edges of corrugated plastic. The best appearance may be achieved by running colored duct tape along the edges of corrugated plastic signs, first horizontally, and then vertically. Start the vertical edging along the inside edge of the horizontal tape, and end it on the other inside edge. For the neatest appearance, don’t overlap the vertical and horizontal edging. From a distance the tape will look like a neatly painted edge.
Grommet Holes for Hanging Corrugated Plastic Signs
If corrugated plastic signs are to be hung, make holes with a grommet tool, and attach solid brass grommets for best results. A detailed diagram for using the grommet tool is located on grommet tool packaging. Brass grommets give corrugated plastic signs a neat and professional appearance, and corrugated plastic signs can be hung with confidence.
When shopping for grommets, pay careful attention to the depth of the grommets required. They are available in various depths as well as diameters, and grommets that aren’t deep enough won’t stay attached.
Lettering Corrugated Plastic Signs
As stated before, corrugated plastic signs have embedded lines that enable placement of letters without the use of straightedges. After making a sign or two, it will be easy to eyeball the lettering and center it as closely as possible without additional tools.
The best way to place letters on corrugated plastic is to locate the center number or letter of the word or phrase. Begin by placing the center letter or number, and place the rest around the center one. You will be amazed at the results you achieve and the professional appearance of signs that can be made with corrugated plastic sheets.
