Quick Plastic Survey for sign faces

[Erik Sine]

I'd like to get as many responses as possible. My main plastic supplier who I mainly buy from is making a grave mistake IMO. I won't be buying their purchasers preference of what they will be stocking now, which means I will buying most of my electric sign face stuff from someone else.

Here is my experience, I like Plexiglas MC material, it's proven for my use. I have signs that have been out there for 16+ years and for whites and reds, the MC Plexiglas seems to last a VERY long time where other whites faded and went yellow.

I'm not a fan of Chemcast, it's cheap in price I know, but I wouldn't use this stuff other than for signs that are indoor or cheap signs being sold for temp purposes.

Just my own personal opinion mixed in with my case history on sign fabrication and installation

[ssigns]

Eric, whats your beef with chemcast GP? I was a tried and true Acrylite SG customer for years but have switched to the less expensive Chemcast GP for basic faces (I still use SG on any channel cabinets). I haven't had any issues yet with the chemcast but would would like to know what problems you have had. I have 4 sheets here ready to go on a job-

[alltex]

I've tried all of it over the years. We mainly use plexiglas. In TX., the sun is our enemy. Any sign facing South or West fades 50% faster IMO. Most of our letters we fab have a vinyl overlay for color. We use 3M vinyl only. We even get some yellowing after a 5 years on Panaflex. Of course Lexan turns yellow quicker than anything. Just my 2 cents.

[Erik Sine]

Eric, whats your beef with chemcast GP? I was a tried and true Acrylite SG customer for years but have switched to the less expensive Chemcast GP for basic faces (I still use SG on any channel cabinets). I haven't had any issues yet with the chemcast but would would like to know what problems you have had. I have 4 sheets here ready to go on a job-

I've used Chemcast in very projects, mostly indoor stuff. It's considered an import or was not sure about now. Had a few friends sign sections discolor on them after a few years, this is years ago. Maybe it's changed since but I have no desire to change from what I know works.

I dont buy certain products based on price but buy certain products based on colors from plexiglas, Cyro, and Plaskolite.

I also never buy products based on sign suppliers word of mouth but on fellow sign shops.

From what I have heard from a few, backlighting extruded vs cast there is a consistency difference which favors extruded. Something we may have to test on the SS

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[LiteGirl]

We try and buy as much plexiglas from sabic as we can. I think Glantz ia a big supplier of chemcast which we don't use all that often

[Cantech]

Plaskolite Optix is a great proven product and has been specified in a number of large electric sign programs throughout the US and Canada.

[Erik Sine]

I agree, their white 2447 and 2283 is the best on the market.

Their white 2793 is lacking though. But only problem here in the US, the 2283 is very hard to come by at least on the west coast unless you want to pay high $$$. The only thing selling for suppliers is the cheaper Chemcast, making it possible to stock quality almost impossible.

[dennytime]

"Something we may have to test on the SS" Yes, please consider doing this type of test on Acrylic sheets. With Cyro cell cast now being sourced offshore it seems like an opportunity that should not be missed. 015/7328 White, 211/2283 Red, 278/2793 Red just for starters. What a great chance to see if past experience (positive or negative) is still justified by current inventory at the Distributor level.

[Erik Sine]

I have a lot of their old cast or G grade stuff. Would even be more interesting to compare that. Do you have their new G stuff, that's now offshore?

[dennytime]

No, with some of the extended delays since the move to offshore we had to source elsewhere. All Cyro GP has been gone for some time now. Good product, they just did not plan the changeover very well - IMO.

[Erik Sine]

I guess we shouldn't even get into their EXCELLENT personable & PR Dept. relations that they have with all distributors & Suppliers. In fact, I doubt any of them even know what their local rep looks like. At least not until the their about to get the hatchet, only then do they show up with branch managers not even knowing who they are and spending hours on the branch managers time/office trying to play catch up leaving the thought in their head on how to throw the cyro rep out