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Rich Fennessey
05-26-2012, 11:32 AM
I want to hang some 1/4" and/or 1/2" corian signage from mailbox posts. I'm having a hard time finding a decent variety of chains and hooks for this. Does someone a good source for this? I looked through Home Depot and Lowes and did find some things that I can prototype with but I wasn't happy with what I could find. I also went into a craft shop (Michael's) and couldn't find anything close there.

I'm going to need to hook into a hole. I was a bit concerned that the stress points may crack so I was considering that a grommet of some sort might provide some strength and possibly add some decorative aspects. I'm sure a bunch of you on this forum have done this so I'd appreciate any advice you can provide. Another thought is to adhere an extra layer of corian on the back for 1/4" but that is a big extra step if I don't have to do it.

Another option I had considered was building a frame for just the top and gluing the sign in and then I could just screw the frame in but this limits me to having a straight edge on the top. I really want to have curves in the sign so this will limit me to hanging for two sided signs. I guess I could use some kind of metal bracket with some curved channels to hold a couple of points.

Keith Outten
07-31-2012, 11:14 PM
Rich,

There are a number of ways to hang Corian signs. Most of the traditional techniques will work but I often use steel rods to hang Corian signs from the top. You can drill a 1/4" to 5/16" hole in the top edge straight down into the sign blank then drill a 1/8" hole perpendicular to the large rod as a pin. I have often drilled and tapped Corian to install threaded rod or other style fasteners using an adhesive in the hole when you thread the rod into the Corian.

I recently installed a Fire Department Connection sign on a pipe manifold. I fabricated a steel pipe hanger and welded an angle iron drop on the bottom of the hanger. I used keyholes in the back of the Corian sign and stainless steel bolts/nuts to fasten the sign to the angle iron. You can use a similar technique to attach to a round or square post but a colonial style overhead hanger looks the best IMO. Eye-bolts work pretty good for the hanger, I try not to use chains.

Grizzly sells a set of three metal benders for wrought iron style bending that is a real bargain. The set will allow you to bend scrolls, twist and roll both flat, square and round bar. I have found it to be a real advantage being able to design and fabricate my own hangers, the payback for the bending tools was real quick.
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Rich Fennessey
08-03-2012, 1:41 AM
Thanks, that's a great idea. For now, I was able to find some hooks to hang a sign from the bottom of a mailbox post (the horizontal part). Works good if you make sure to have the holes close to the top - also it is 1/4", so the smaller hooks go through fine.

You have any ideas for hanging signs on trees? I have to put some corian signs on some trees for our high school. I plan on mounting some 1/2" treated wood directly to the tree and then put the 1/4" corian arrow sign on it. I also am hanging Azek signs on pine trees and will do something similar. I know the tree will grow over time and will split the sign, so want a sacrificial/replaceable backing. I'm getting adept at making signs but the mounting technique is a science all its own.

Ken Dolph
08-03-2012, 6:17 AM
For hanging 1/2" Corian signs from horizontal posts, I found stainless shackles to work well. The shackles have a straight pin that screws through a horse shoe shaped piece. This way you don't have the curve of a hook to deal with.

Keith Outten
08-03-2012, 6:57 AM
Shackles are a good idea and if you look hard enough you can find decorative style shackles. Tractor Supply also sells twisted shackles that change the orientation.

We had a couple signs attached to pine trees outside our office at CNU that I removed recently. They had scroll style hangers and the tree consumed the base of the hanger so I had to cut the exposed steel.
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Rich Fennessey
08-03-2012, 7:31 AM
The tree guy and or sawmill will appreciate that piece of steel if and when that tree is ever cut up. Ken, I hadn't considered shackles, that is a great idea. I hadn't used a shackle in a couple of years and that was to secure tire chains on my rear tractor tires.

Rich Fennessey
09-25-2012, 11:38 PM
Just a quick note to conclude this thread on how I attached my signs to trees. I basically pocketed out a 1.3" diameter hole to insert a 1/4" stainless steel lag bolt with a 1.25" washer on 3/4" treated lumber. This pocket allows the sign to be mounted flush to the board. For the Azek decking sign, I pre-drilled holes through the sign and the wood backing and just used deck screws. I used two lag bolts for the Big Rock Trail two slab sign. For the corian signs, I used keyholes to hang on this backing board. This method makes it easy to remove the sign in case you want to wash it or possibly loosen or tighten the lag bolt for maintenance.

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