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Thread: Wood looking Sign for Lake House Extira?

  1. #1
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    Wood looking Sign for Lake House Extira?

    My wife got me into a project, so does stand up well for a outside sign?
    https://miratecextira.com/extira-exterior-panels/

    I know its not PVC or the $350 a panel stuff that Pros use but it seems to be pretty tough stuff and says it carves or routs well. 5 Year Exterior Warranty. My local Menards store carries it in 3/4 inch thick sheets for about $80.
    Retired Guy- Central Iowa.HVAC/R , Cloudray Galvo Fiber , -Windows 10

  2. #2
    I started useing it years ago when it first became available. Holds up well ,good stuff for cornice end caps and such. It's
    real heavy ,and the dust is pretty dark and dirty. Georgia Pacific had same type stuff for a while. They stopped making it
    and denied they ever did make it. Strange people.
    Last edited by Mel Fulks; 07-29-2019 at 1:34 PM. Reason: non pertinent

  3. #3
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    I haven't used it for signs, but am about to use it for some architectural trim reproductions for a client. We chose it because of the exterior rating for these painted pieces and because it will cut well on the CNC. I suspect it will be fine for your application once finished...but yea...heavy.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Becker View Post
    I haven't used it for signs, but am about to use it for some architectural trim reproductions for a client. We chose it because of the exterior rating for these painted pieces and because it will cut well on the CNC. I suspect it will be fine for your application once finished...but yea...heavy.
    Yeah 99 Lbs for a 4x8x 3/4 inch sheet and must use oil based primer sealer. Wonder what happens if you do not paint does it look like just a dark wood? ... at least for a while anyway.
    Retired Guy- Central Iowa.HVAC/R , Cloudray Galvo Fiber , -Windows 10

  5. #5
    Unpainted it would quickly look like an old clip-board. You could paint some striations with a darker color , used to be
    seen often .

  6. #6
    I used acrylic primer . Don't remember reading about using oil base. Seems strange , I would call a rep

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mel Fulks View Post
    I used acrylic primer . Don't remember reading about using oil base. Seems strange , I would call a rep
    Its in a PDF file "Using Extira for Signs" states it pretty clearly. Even names approved manufacturers.
    Retired Guy- Central Iowa.HVAC/R , Cloudray Galvo Fiber , -Windows 10

  8. #8
    Bill, thanks for info. Just seems strange ,there are so many things that would be also used vertically . But they only call for
    it on signs. And most horizontal stuff takes more of a beating with sun and rain.
    I finally remembered the name of the Georgia Pacific product. Fiberstrate. They mailed info and a small piece of it to
    just about every shop in US. It was written up in the trade magazines. But they said they didn't make it and never heard
    of it. We did eventually buy two whole units. But it took a long time to get somebody who would pledge to "find it".

  9. #9
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    Bill, how big is your sign going to be ? what purpose will it serve ?
    in my very personal opinion, a "Lake House" stirs up images of a
    nice get-away in the woods on a lake. It should reflect the natural
    surroundings in any kind of identification or signage.
    which means, no plastics or manmade materials.
    all natural wood that has been handcrafted by the owners.
    jus my Dos Centavos

    .

    .
    -- I am a painter. That's what I do. I like to paint things --

  10. #10
    I don't know what size and shape you are planning on or what the mounting will be. I used it many years ago on a number of outdoor signs. I didn't find their claims to be accurate. Left untreated, it swells up just like MDF when it gets wet, and when mounting larger sheets, the sun would bow it pretty strongly. We used it on some 4' x 8' vertical signs so the posts were mounted 44" on center and on the 48" width, they would bow a good 2" when the sun hit them.

    I wasn't impressed with it.
    Lasers : Trotec Speedy 300 75W, Trotec Speedy 300 80W, Galvo Fiber Laser 20W
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    Real name Steve but that name was taken on the forum. Used Middle name. Call me Steve or Scott, doesn't matter.

  11. #11
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    The lake house owners are interested in one thing.... cheap. I offered to use some wood from their property and it was a no go. My wife bless her heart told them since they were friends with us, Bill would do for "free" so they jumped at that of course..... offering to pay a "fair price" for the wood. .

    Scott in all the reviews I have read on that product, yours is it first negative one. Are you sure your talking about the same thing? This is not exterior grade OSB.

    From the Website Made with the same proprietary TEC™ process used to make MiraTEC, Extira is a revolutionary product for exterior applications that performs better than wood or MDF. Extira panels may look like MDF, but they don’t perform like it. Different ingredients and a patented and proprietary manufacturing process lead to a superior performance.
    Extira is easy to work with; can be carved, routed and machined. Resists moisture, rot, and termites. Twice as strong as MDF, Extira is made to be used outside.
    Last edited by Bill George; 08-18-2019 at 12:23 PM.
    Retired Guy- Central Iowa.HVAC/R , Cloudray Galvo Fiber , -Windows 10

  12. #12
    Scott, good info on the Exterra. The smooth outside is obviously not the same as the inside. I do think that that finding
    the right primer or "coating" would hold it. As good as MDO is there is no warranty for edges left exposed to weather.
    I think a frame around it would keep it flat.

  13. #13
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    I am thinking that Extira is an offshoot of the old MEDEX.
    anyone that goes back that far can remember what a fiasco that was.

    if the homeowner wants cheap and free, I would give them just that.

    .

    .
    -- I am a painter. That's what I do. I like to paint things --

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Bill George View Post
    Scott in all the reviews I have read on that product, yours is it first negative one. Are you sure your talking about the same thing? This is not exterior grade OSB.

    From the Website Made with the same proprietary TEC™ process used to make MiraTEC, Extira is a revolutionary product for exterior applications that performs better than wood or MDF. Extira panels may look like MDF, but they don’t perform like it. Different ingredients and a patented and proprietary manufacturing process lead to a superior performance.
    Extira is easy to work with; can be carved, routed and machined. Resists moisture, rot, and termites. Twice as strong as MDF, Extira is made to be used outside.
    Bill, I'm 100% positive it was extira. I still have a couple of small signs I made with it somewhere around here. It was marketed to be the new best product for making signs. I left 1/2 a sheet of it sitting outside against our building for about a year. I can assure you that it was anything but happy with that treatment. All the edges swelled up like MDF. I think it was 3/4" thick and the edges probably swelled to 1". We made a number of signs with it. It's so heavy it's not funny and it's just MDF with waterproof glue (more or less) and that means it has no grain to hold any shape. Paint it a dark color and sit it in the sun and watch it pull it towards the sun. It's not a very stable product.

    It'll look great when you do it. You'll be happy with it. However, once it's installed, be prepared for it to move around.

    We stopped using it because of all the issues. I'm in the sign business, it's what I do for a living and I can honestly say that I've never talked to another sign company or been asked by another sign company to use it in the last 7-8 years, so I'm not sure who all these "sign makers" are that are thrilled with it or using it all the time but they aren't around here or on any sign forum I've ever been part of. I think that's the marketing team at work.

    Is it okay to make a free sign out of for a friend? Sure. Would I use it for a good customer? I wouldn't in my business.
    Lasers : Trotec Speedy 300 75W, Trotec Speedy 300 80W, Galvo Fiber Laser 20W
    Printers : Mimaki UJF-6042 UV Flatbed Printer , HP Designjet L26500 61" Wide Format Latex Printer, Summa S140-T 48" Vinyl Plotter
    Router : ShopBot 48" x 96" CNC Router Rotary Engravers : (2) Xenetech XOT 16 x 25 Rotary Engravers

    Real name Steve but that name was taken on the forum. Used Middle name. Call me Steve or Scott, doesn't matter.

  15. #15
    https://www.homedepot.com/p/Veranda-...WS13/206822526

    https://www.homedepot.com/p/Veranda-...4808/301950563

    It's got a bit lower density than the "premium" PVC, but it's not that different and the 3/4" price is very competitive.
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