Hello, I am looking for a material something like Corian or Avonite but lighter and less expensive, about 1/2" thick and suitable for carving outdoor signs. I am looking for something other than HDU.
I saw a product called “Messina” vinyl tile in Lowes. Neat looking stuff but I’m not sure how it would weather.
Any suggestions?
Thanks!
Don
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There’s “foamed” PVC that comes in 3mm up to 13 mm thick sheets that’s used in the sign biz. The “foam” is quite microscopic in size. It has about a 7 year outdoor lifespan. A 4’ x 8’ of the thickest size sheet in my part of the world (BC, Canada) costs $130 + tax. It mills and carves easily and takes paint well. If you’re lucky you can find it in a small range of colours but white is the most common. You can glue it with solvent PVC plumbing pipe cement or other PVC solvents.
Komatex is one brand name, Sintra is another. There’s another called Komacel that goes up to 19mm thick … it’s about $150 a sheet. You may be able to get a sign shop near you to supply some, perhaps just a smaller piece to try for a start.
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This sounds perfect… THANK YOU!
I don’t know that I’d ever need it, but have you ever laminated two sheets together to double the thickness?
Don
I’ve never tried to glue whole sheets together but I have made a number of things with it, some 4 layers thick. It can also be bent (with heat) to fairly sharp angles (the thinner material) and could also be v-routed most of the way through, glued and bent to get sharper corners. I’ve cut lots of letters out of it then glued those to the substrate piece.
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Sounds great, I’m looking for a vendor now.