Corian Directional and Stairwell Signs

[Keith Outten]

The first picture is typical of the signs we install in every stairwell. The Area of Refuge sign has raised tactile text and braille, they are installed over the call button. The map is laser engraved then paint filled.

The second picture is a Corian directional sign that we installed on a wall opposite from the elevators. The logo at the top of the sign was dye-sublimated, the text and arrows were CNC machined with a Vbit.

All of our Corian signs have two keyholes machined on the back, we use Loc-tight adhesive when we install every sign in a residence hall so the signs don't become souvenirs. Should they be damaged we can repair them in place.

We just completed installation of the signs in this new residence hall.
The total was about 350 signs.

[Rich Fennessey]

I really like the idea of getting color on like that. Do you do the dye sub first and then paint? I would suspect you would do that first since I don't know if a heat press would affect your paint. Do you heat the whole plaque or did you just do that top section?

I bought a whole bunch of smaller pieces of 1/4" glacier white corian and have been cutting pockets on the back and epoxy in metal key hole hangers. I'm thinking of doing some ADA signage with that material for those places where you don't want the thickness.

[Keith Outten]

Rich,

Yep, I dye-sublimated the logo first then painted and sanded the plaque being careful not to touch the logo. I used wet micro mesh to polish the logo after sanding the rest of the plaque.
I placed the entire sign blank into the heat press, otherwise the blank might get a bend in it if you don't keep it perfectly flat. Note that you cannot use tape to hold the paper on the blank surface as it will leave an outline of the tape in the blank. I make my paper prints larger than the blank and tape them to small blocks on the edge of the blank. In a perfect world your paper would always be larger than the blank as the paper edge can also leave an impression on the blanks surface.
.

[AL Ursich]

A bunch of GREAT TIPS HERE.... Thanks !!!!

AL

[Ernie Martinez]

Keith,

May I ask what you charged for the 2nd sign?

[Keith Outten]

Ernie,

I work in the sign shop at CNU so these signs were an in-house project and there was no billing. If I had made the dye-sub directional sign in my shop the price would most likely have been about $250.00 each. This is assuming that these were part of a large project. I estimate that the sign package for this building was probably in the range of 65 to 70 thousand dollars and it is one of the three new buildings we made signs for since January. We produced about 850 door signs and 400 of these specialty signs, its been a very busy year
.

[Mick A Martin]

Keith provided me all the information on how to create ADA signs (he has helped many people) my signs cost $75 per sign for the basic ADA door sign. A lot of my projects have around 200 signs and I try to do 3 or 4 projects a year (part time) there is a lot of money to be made doing this type of work.

[Larry Folk]

Mick,

What size is your standard door sign and can you post any pictures?

Thanks

[Keith Outten]

These are 6 5/8" wide and 8" tall window style ADA signs.

Here are a few more pictures

[Mick A Martin]

Larry,
i see Keith bet me to it, I use the same design and size as Keith.

[John Bion]

All of our Corian signs have two keyholes machined on the back

Hi Keith,
I know this is an old thread, but wondered what type of bit you use for the keyholes in your corian signs? I assume that the corian you are using this bit on is 12mm / 0.5”?
Thanks for showing so many samples of your work, it is a great help.
Kind Regards, John

[Dan Hintz]

Hi Keith,
I know this is an old thread, but wondered what type of bit you use for the keyholes in your corian signs? I assume that the corian you are using this bit on is 12mm / 0.5”?
Thanks for showing so many samples of your work, it is a great help.
Kind Regards, John

"Keyhole bit"... that's the name of it. If your process supports the extra step, use a bit the size of the main slot to cut it first, then go back in with the keyhole bit to do the undercut. Saves a little wear and tear on the keyhole bit and gives chips more places to go for relief. I'm a fan of Onsrud bits.

[John Bion]

Thanks Dan,
It was the "Onsrud bits” bit I was looking for. The Keyhole bit I have would be a bit big on 12mm substrate with engraving on the other side.
I had also thought to drill holes in each corner (for house signs) but thought it would detract from the sign.
Kind regards, John

[John Bion]

Perhaps another question would be to ask how much 'meat' needs to be left in the Corian between the wall and the key hole? Did I make sense there? What thickness of Corian needs to be left in order for the screw head not to "snap it’s mooring"?
Thanks again

[Keith Outten]

I use a Whiteside #3051 Keyhole router bit which makes a 5/16" round hole for the screw head.
I machine my 1/2" thick Corian sign blanks to 5/16" deep which leaves 3/16" for the engraving which is plenty of material.
The shoulder (Meat) that is left in the hole for the screw head is very close to 1/8" thick which is plenty strong for small signs. For larger signs multiple keyholes are required to spread the weight out over several screws.

Now - When you are installing Corian door signs on a masonry wall with 2 screws it pays to use a 1/4" diameter router bit in your CNC machine to rough the holes for the screw heads and make the diameter 3/8" so you will have a little more working room to get the sign on the screw heads. It is difficult enough to drill into masonry but its more of a challenge to get two holes drilled perfectly on center so if you were a little bit off the sign will still install easily. You cannot force a Corian sign onto screws that don't match the machined distance between the holes.....it will break. When you lay off the holes on the wall you drill the first hole then mark the second hole to be drilled, this way you can only be off on one hole.

ADA door signs are really profitable work, my price per installed sign varies between 85 to 150 dollars here in Virginia. The cost to produce these signs is about $8.11 per sign and that includes Corian, paint, router bits, sand paper, plastic for the raised letters, etc.

I can take some pictures if you would like.
.