The Versatility of Aluminum Composite Signs

May 14, 2019 By Mark Hackley

A large Aluminum Composite Panel being lettered in the shop, with a stack of smaller ACM signs seen in the background. This customer ordered over 100 signs in one order for 9 regional sites in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.

PLETHORA OF OPTIONS

Back when I first began making signs, aluminum composite panels were not in common usage in the sign industry. Maybe they are a by-product of the space age, and were still in development back then! The only choice for aluminum sign panels used to be solid aluminum of various thicknesses. These heavier, solid aluminum sign options are still here, but along with them is now a plethora of composite options.

ACM is a lightweight alternative to solid metal for traffic and site safety signs.

BUDGET-FRIENDLY MATERIAL

Aluminum composite material (ACM) is generally less expensive, easier to cut and handle, and typically comes pre-finished. ACM panels are manufactured with a thin veneer of aluminum on both sides of an inner non-aluminum core. I most often use the panels with solid plastic cores. They are very stable outdoors and are very rigid and flat for great-looking, durable signs!

ACM sign panels are great for cut vinyl graphics or digitally printed vinyl. The panels are very versatile and are used for free-standing signs as well as wall signs, and can be used for both interior and exterior applications. They make great signs in various wayfinding sign systems. I’ve used them for both the interior and exterior signage at many local churches. I also have a private university customer that utilizes ACM for kiosk maps, building identification and directional signs, parking signs, and other types of uses around campus.

ACM is easily machined into various shapes and makes a great base for digital graphics. The panels are also perfect for spanning corrugated metal walls with no need for framing or cross- supports.

VERY VERSATILE

Here is a partial list of various situations in which I’ve used ACM panels so far to date: Industrial Safety Signs, Retail Shop Signs, Signs for Medical and Dental Offices, Sign for Law Offices, Signs for Schools, Church Signage, Government Signs.

Framed ACM panel with reflective graphics for 24-hour visibility

The panels come in various thicknesses and overall sizes with 1/8″ and 1/4″ being the standards for thickness, and 4′ X 8′, 4′ X 10′, and 5′ X 10′ being the standard overall panel sizes.

How I’ve Morphed from Oils to Acrylics for Non-Blasted Sign Backgrounds

March 5, 2019 By Mark Hackley

I still prefer oil-based stains for sandblasted sign backgrounds. Although I loosely use the term “oil-based” I am referring to mostly alkyd-based paints, that use modified polyester-based resins. These types of stains and primers soak in deep and are more thoroughly absorbed into the pores of the wood surface than water-based varieties.

So here’s what I have found works best when coating raw cedar, redwood, and mahogany that will be used for outdoor signs: If the sign’s background is flush with either carved-in or painted-on letters, I recommend a quality oil-based primer for the first coat, (Zinsser is what I like best). Then I’d recommend a high-quality latex for the top coat, using a paint with a high-gloss or at least semi-gloss sheen. I used to always prefer oil-based top coats, like bulletin enamels, but have found through my extended experience that these tend to produce very hard- but eventually more brittle- films, that over time crack and peel at a much greater and much earlier rate than the more flexible acrylic coatings. Plus, if pigmented in reds or some blues, the oil-based colors fade faster than acrylics.

When coating a sandblasted sign background, I highly recommend using an oil-based stain, one or two coats depending on the wood type, condition and porosity. No primer is needed as the stain acts as the primer and finish coat. So in these instances, the old-fashioned oil-based paints are still my preference.

If you’re in the market for quality hand-painted signage, please give me a call at 540-943-9818. I’ve been making high-performance wood signs for many decades!

Mark Hackley owns and operates Augusta Sign Company serving Staunton, Waynesboro, and surrounding areas of Virginia. You can e-mail him at mark@augustasigncompany.com.

Custom Wood Signs for Central Virginia

October 21, 2018 By Mark Hackley

CUSTOM WOOD SIGNS FOR CENTRAL VIRGINIA

LARGE SERVICE AREA

Based in Staunton, VA, Augusta Sign Company serves customers within a hundred miles of the shop with custom wood signs!

This large geographic service area includes the following areas:

Staunton, Waynesboro, Harrisonburg, Covington, Clifton Forge, Lexington, Lynchburg, Roanoke, Salem, Charlottesville, Richmond, Elkton, Grottoes, Verona, Weyers Cave, Stuarts Draft, Crimora, Amherst, Lovingston, Nellysford, Wintergreen, Afton, Crozet, Massanutten, Middlebrook, Goshen, Clifton Forge, Mount Sydney, Mount Crawford, Dayton, Broadway, Timberville, New Market, Stanley, Luray, Front Royal, Woodstock, Mount Jackson, Edinburg, Strasburg, Stephens City, Kernstown, Winchester, Fairfield, Natural Bridge, Fincastle, Troutville, Buchanan, Vinton, Rocky Mount, Ferrum, to mention a few!

TYPICAL CUSTOMER BASE

Customers we serve generally fall into these categories:

Churches, Medical Offices including Dental, Optical, and Veterinary, Professional Offices, Parks and Recreation, Public Works, Downtown Retailers, Specialty Shops, Hospitality, Private Farms and Residences, Industrial, Specialty Services, Schools, Libraries, and Museums.

TYPICAL SIGN TYPES

The typical types of custom wood signs we produce include:

Post and panel type signs where the wood sign is one or two-sided, mounted between two poles, or hung from a single post. Posts can be supplied by the customer, or we can fabricate or provide posts made of wood or aluminum. We can also provide standard iron scroll brackets for single-pole or wall mount signs.

Entry monument signage where the customer usually has a masonry contractor construct a brick or stone base designed for a custom wood sign. Augusta Sign Company is a licensed contractor and can subcontract sign base construction, or build certain types of stucco or custom wood sign monuments in-house.

Contact:

Mark Hackley

540-943-9818

OTHER SIGN SERVICES

In addition to custom wood signs, Augusta Sign Company can also help customers with Directional Signage and Wayfinding, 3-Dimensional Letters, Hand-Painted Specialty Signs, Gold Leaf, Vehicle and Window Graphics, Banners, Bronze Plaques, Industrial Safety and Parking Lot Signage.

Augusta Sign Company began as Tree Street Signs in 1990, changed its name in 2000 and began operating full-time as Augusta Sign Company in 2015. The shop is located in Augusta County, Virginia.

HOURS OF OPERATION

Mon-Fri 9:00AM-5:00PM, Closed Weekends and Holidays

5 Easy Ways to Market Church Events

July 4, 2018 By Mark Hackley

5 Easy Ways to Market Church Events

5 Easy Ways to Market Church Events:

1- Make a Banner: Banners are inexpensive ways to promote an event at your church. I make lots of banners for area churches of all denominations and many times I will donate my time to install them if they are reasonably close to my shop in Staunton, Virginia. I make simple banners in my shop using pre-cut and hemmed rolled one-sided banner stock material, a white 13 oz. material that has a glossy sheen. I design the banner layouts on my computer design software and use a vinyl-cutting machine to cut the graphics that I later apply to the blank, white banner. The banners come with pre-spaced grommets that allow for hanging on poles with hooks or attaching to walls and other flat surfaces with screws and fender washers. For more detailed banners or ones with more than one or two colors, I send them off for digital printing. In my small shop, banners may take longer to complete than some of the other shops in my area. If people are in a big hurry, I usually suggest they contact “All Phase Graphics” in Staunton, or “Viking Forge Design” in Waynesboro. Both these shops have in-house digital printers and may produce banners faster than what I can do. If you plan ahead, it takes about 1-2 weeks to get a banner order out during normal production levels at my shop.

2- Use a Marquee Sign: I often sell church signs that have a marquee sign component. A manual marquee is a sign that has tracks for changeable letters and churches can create and display custom messages advertising upcoming events to the public. The proper letter heights for your site can be calculated by considering viewing distance and speed limit. Most letters are in the 3″-8″ range for the church marquees I have made, and the letters are typically black on a white background. A church situated on a high-traffic highway may be more inclined to invest in an electronic marquee which has many advantages over the manual marquee signs that I can produce in my shop. I recommend churches interested in electronic signs contact “Holiday Signs” in Chester, VA.

3- Use Memorial Bricks to Fund a Comprehensive Marketing Campaign: I sold a sign to a Baptist church a few years ago by recommending they conduct a fundraising campaign first by selling memorial bricks. These are engraved bricks that can honor living or deceased church members and friends and are set in a foundation at the base of the church sign, or anywhere on the church campus where people can appreciate the memorialized members. The church raised enough money to purchase a new sign and they had a friend lay the brick at its base. Money raised this way could also be used for a comprehensive marketing campaign for a church event or events.

4- Make a Yard Sign: Churches can use the yard-type signs used by realtors and contractors to post information about upcoming events. These signs are generally smaller than banners, so they would be most effective for churches in residential areas versus those on main highways. I would suggest investing in a metal sign with a metal frame and utilize rider panels to gain more space for the message. If you’re on a tight budget, you can also use corrugated plastic material for the signs and these can be installed in the ground using inexpensive wire stakes. But remember this important rule: you get what you pay for!

5- Use a “Burma Shave” Series of Signs: If you have enough road space, you might consider designing a message that you can write over a series of yard signs. This type of set-up is always more effective in grabbing attention to your event!

Contact Mark Hackley, Augusta Sign Company, 540-943-9818

Applying Gold Leaf to Carved Signs

May 21, 2018 By Mark Hackley

Applying Gold Leaf to Carved Signs

ATTENTION-GETTER NEEDED

Applying gold leaf to carved signs is a great way to garner attention and give your signage a look of elegance and help add a look of sophistication to your home, office or entrance. I was recently hired to make a small carved wood sign for a horse farm that would replace the existing entrance sign. The original sign was in the same size range but was made of painted plywood and had a white background with black lettering. The old sign’s shape was rectangular but the customer wanted an oval shape that matched a wood sign system she had seen in Charlottesville, Virginia.

There are many commercial sign shops in the Shenandoah Valley area of Virginia where Augusta Sign Company is located, but there are few who can create durable signs in carved wood.

GO FOR THE GOLD

The customer wanted to know the cost of adding gold leaf letters instead of just plain, painted letters, and after I presented my proposal, she elected to go for the gold! Gold leaf is an ancient art form. “The Temple of Solomon was profusely gilt,” says Homer in his early writings. Gold leaf was widely used in old Roman art, architecture, furniture, and carved lettering. Gold leaf is actual gold that is beaten down to a fine sheet and applied to surfaces with “size”, a special type of “glue” that the thin metal sheets stick to. To make the sign for the horse farm, I first ordered the cedar panel and had the letters and borders CNC-routed from my customer-approved design. Once the letters and borders were carved, I sanded them with fine-grit sandpaper to smooth out any course grain in the lettering. Once sanded, I cleaned and primed the entire two-sided sign with a quality oil-based primer that seals the wood and provides an adequate base for the finish coat, which in this case was a brush-painted Hunter Green sign enamel. It helps to tint your primer to the shade of your finish coat, so I added some black tint to make a gray primer coat. I use the 2-2-2 method in my finishing of wood signs: 2 coats primer, 2 coats background finish, and 2 coats for the graphics, which for this project meant two passes of gilding to catch any missed areas and pinholes.

WAXING GLOW

Once the gold was applied and cured for several days, I burnished it with a cotton ball and completely waxed the entire sign using Nu-Finish synthetic auto wax, available in most auto parts stores. The post was constructed from a 6″ X 6″ X 13′ long Southern Yellow Pine column with a beefed-up area at the bottom of the post, suggested by my customer’s architect. The sign post was colored black to match the black iron scroll bracket, which was a stock item from my supplier. I used stainless steel eye-bolts and quick links to attach the sign to the bracket. The sign was planted in a 3 foot deep hole and surrounded with fast set concrete.

I appreciate opportunities to make signs with gold leaf, and have done my share of them over the years. I learned this specialized art during my career as a sign painter at Andrews Air Force Base in the early 1980’s, and received extra training in the early 1990’s from a sign carving workshop led by expert sign carver, Jay Cooke of Stowe, Vermont. Applying gold leaf to carved signs is a specialty thing that I especially enjoy. It adds substantial cost to your project, but it provides a level of attention not doable by other sign media. If you’re interested in purchasing signs with or without gold leaf for your farm, store, or office, give me a call anytime and I’d be happy to take a look at what you have in mind.

Mark Hackley is owner of Augusta Sign Company in Staunton, Virginia. 540-943-9818