Outdoor metal plate / plaque

[David Rust]

I have a client that wants a metal plate marked as a memorial mounted on a park bench near the ocean. I plan to use cermark. The problem is that I can't seem to find a source for pre-cut, pre-drilled metal plates. I am looking to find some choices that I can give my customer, like brass, stainless, copper and standard sizes, 2"x3", 3"x5", ect... I also need the corners pre-drilled so it can be screwed on to the bench back.

I looked at Laserbits, JDS, and haven't found much.

Also looking for a recommendation for the metal type that will hold up with cermark in the salty ocean atmosphere.

Thanks!

[Ernie Martinez]

PM me, I may be able to help.

[Dan Hintz]

McMaster-Carr... they have the majority of metal plates you'll want to use, though you'll have to trim to size and drill yourself. That's not a big deal, though, and drilling can be done with a hand drill.

[Mike Null]

I'm doing a similar job now with 16 gauge #316 stainless. You can have these made by a local SS distributor. Mine will have two .125" holes and radiused corners.

The supplier is punching these--even the holes--they will not be drilled.

[Joe Hillmann]

I have found that blank metal light switch covers work great for small out door plaques. They are cheap and when turned sideways and engraved people don't recognize what they originally were.

Although they have some type of varnish on them that you have to burn of with the laser before you spray it with cermark.

[matt aiken]

I order all of my stainless steel plates through these guys
www stainlesssupply com/order-metal-online/ (https://www.stainlesssupply.com/order-metal-online/)
but they are more industrial, the finish is not really what you would be looking for I dont think
otherwise ID Plates has nice brushed SS that comes in sheets you can cut with your standard hand sheer.
As far as the holes go you can use your normal hole punch that Johnson plastic sells but after about 2000 holes it wears the pin down

[Paul Phillips]

Also, you would have to have a protective clear coat over whatever you use, including SS, which will rust eventually in that environment. A high quality automotive grade clear should work. As an alternative, if your'e not comfortable doing it yourself, you could try someplace that specializes in outdoor memorial plaques such as Gemini and just order the plaque and install it and be done with it.
Paul

[Jim Beachler]

What about using corian?

[Wes Mitchell]

A DuraBlack plate might work well. It lasts a long time (forever) outdoors and looks quite nice when it's lasered.

http://www.johnsonplastics.com/durablack.html

245062

[Bill Cunningham]

I've done lots of them in the past.. I use Cermark on 16 ga. 316 brushed stainless. Holes are drilled on a drill press. If the bench is in a public place, you will need 4 holes, with truss head bolts, with the thread peened over the nuts. It also helps to put a good layer of silicone adh. on the back.. If it's in a public area, some moron attracted to bright shiny objects will try to remove it. This is Guaranteed..