Hey all, where do you buy non-wood materials typically?
I was HDU for some personal signs, but I can only find large distributors selling 4x8 sheets of it for $300-$400. Is there any other durable, UV resistant, water proof, paintable materials you would suggest for signage? I was thinking of making the sign 8x12", so I would prefer to be able to buy smaller sizes of materials.
Thanks!
Might be worth checking with a sign shop nearby and see if they have a âscrapâ bin or something similar.
I know some people on the facebook group liked the foam core stuff (I canât recall the actual name).
Amazon has small batches of plastic, if you want to try out a few different things before buying a larger sheet.
We use HDU (high density urethane) for a bunch of signs, but we end up buying larger sheets. Itâs wonderfully easy to cut and paint. It holds up to weather and elements, although I have learned that children and mini golf putters are too much for it.
Lots of static in the dust collection system with that stuff though. Had to ground the inside of the hose.
Where do you buy it from?
Some people buy 4X8 sheets of solid PVC, Not Foam Core, at places like Menards, Home Depot and other building supplies. In my area they do not carry anything but foam core and that is not acceptable for making signs because the core of the PVC is a spongy foam that will deteriorate if exposed to the elements. They also sell solid PVC boards used for trim on houses.
For experimenting in HDPE and making some fixtures I bought a few of these for $13 each.
They are only 1/2â and already have a texture on them so probably not ideal for signs but good to test things in plastic.
Lots of larger/thicker options on Amazon but donât expect Prime on them. Most come with hefty shipping fees. I also ordered this:
It is 12x24 3/4â thick and only $21 but has a $13 shipping charge.
I am looking for a local supplier here. I wouldnât mind taking a large sheet but given its weight it would be nice if the supplier could cut it into manageable sizes.
Iâve bought HDPE cutting boards from a local restaurant supply shop â if you wait for a sale you can get them for about what plastic suppliers would charge for the same material.
There are also some shops which sell Delrin and similar off-cuts on eBay.
Thanks for that Cullen, thatâs a good idea. I realized I actually meant HDU, not HDPE.
Yeah, I kinda wondered about the idea of painting HDPE. Not sure thatâs doable. I have not worked with HDU but it looks to be lighter than HDPE which is a plus. I will have to check that out if I can find a reasonable supplier.
Grimco is where we got our HDU.
Depending on where you live, you may be able to find a local plastics distributor that supplies sign shops, fabricators, etc. They often sell off-cuts and scrap at a steeply discounted price.
For example, in the Denver area, Colorado Plastic Products sells remnants at 50% percent off their scrap price once a month. Iâll be prowling the stacks Friday morning. 
Has anyone tried using the Diamond Drag on Anodized Aluminum?
You might want to look here (lots of good info on plastics too).
Too bad I live at least a 17 hour drive from their nearest location. I will check it out though to see if the shipping is prohibitive.
I have used solid PVC sheets for golf course signs with good results. As mentioned above, you can find 4x8 sheets of this, but I generally just get the widest trim boards â usually listed as 12" x 1.25" (actual is 11.25" x 1"). Cost is around $10 sqft. I use the trim made by AZEK, but there are several brands that make the same stuff. PVC machines and paints well. The standard face has a wood grain pattern, but the sides and back are flat, so you can use either as the front-facing side.
Do you join them together when you need something larger than 12â?
Are the boards consistent through their depth?
I did the diamond, circle, square test in some boards I had left over from my deck rebuild. The product is called WearDeck and it was great to work with. It was the only composite I could find that worked with the 24â centers on my deck structure. Itâs a PVC coated fiberglass/resin mixture.
Machines great but the inner structure is filled with a million holes.
I am not sure there is a real use case for this but I discovered when flattening I could remove the wood grain and leave a nice flat PVC finish on the top.
The PVC material I use is consistent throughout, so I have no holes as seen in your photo. The depth is also consistent and warp free. If I need to create a sign with a height or width larger than 11.25", I just cut it out of a 4x8 sheet. I havenât tried joining.
I donât have a photo of a sign immediately after machining, but here is a recent demo sign I created for a customer using Azek PVC trim board. Disregard the bumpy black paint â I didnât use the correct roller.
Nice. I will have to check and see what our local stores have. I have not seen that at Loweâs but maybe it is there.
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