CUT METAL LETTERS
Cut Aluminum Letters, Numbers and Logos
Cut Aluminum is offered in sizes from 1" tall and up to 1" thick. Aluminum can come satin brushed, Polished, Painted or Anodized. Anodizing is a chemical process that hardens the micro thin top layer of the aluminum to leave it impervious to weather and the effects of oxidation. Anodized letters do not require clear coating to keep them from tarnishing outdoors or indoors. Polished aluminum achieves a near mirror finish for those of you that want your letters to shine brightly. Polishing can also be done on anodized finishes.
Cut Brass Letters, Numbers and Logos
Cut Brass, alloy C46400 plate, our solid brass letters are perfect for indoor or outdoor applications and provide that rich look of brass with crisp smooth edges, tight corners and clear coated for a lifetime of use in any environment. Cut Brass is offered in sizes from from 1" to 46" and up to 3/4" thick. Whether you choose the classicbrushed satin, the dark brown oxidized colors or the highly polished, mirror like Brass, you will be making a statement of quality first for your business.
Cut Bronze Letters, Numbers and Logos
Cut Bronze, alloy C220 plate, our solid bronze letters are perfect for indoor or outdoor applications and provide that rich look of bronze with crisp smooth edges, tight corners and clear coated for a lifetime of use in any environment. Cut Bronze is offered in sizes from from 1" and up to 1/2" thick.
Cut Copper Letters, Numbers and Logos
Cut Copper alloy C110 plate, our solid copper letters are perfect for indoor or outdoor applications and provide that rich look of copper with crisp smooth edges, tight corners and clear coated for a lifetime of use in any environment. Cut copper is offered in sizes from from 1" and up to 3/8" thick. Whether you choose the classic brushed satin, the dark brown oxidized colors or the highly polished, mirror like copper.
Cut Stainless Steel Letters, Numbers and Logos
Cut Stainless Steel is available in both alloy 304 commercial grade and alloy 316 marine grade and is long lasting and hard wearing both indoors and out. Precision cut Stainless Steel is offered in sizes from from 1" and up to 1/2" thick.
Cut Corten Rusting Steel Letters, Numbers and Logos
Corten Steel is less cost than Stainless and comes in 1/8 inch and 1/4 inch thicknesses. Corten steel comes to you as plain gray steel but will build a rich red surface rust over the years when exposed to the elements. To promote the rusting, try to keep the surface moist and you can also spray with a vinegar solution. There are also some metal aging solutions available from specialty shops and amazon.com that will produce a rusted appearance in short time.
Mounting Hardware
PLAIN MOUNT
The no-mount option is for when you want to glue letters directly to a flat surface using some kind of adhesive such as silicon caulk or liquid nails. The problem with this type of installation is that glue tends to squeeze out the edges and it can get very messy. Also, until your glue sets the letters can move around and for large letters that means you need to use long strips of masking tape to hold them in place.
WELDED STUD MOUNT
Only available on 1/8" material thickness. Welded studs are prone to failure and we recommend the 1/4" material option with drilled and tapped studs that are removable. A stud mount of one form or another is required when ordering Polished or Anodized letters because the manufacturing process cannot be done without them.
REMOVABLE STUD MOUNT
The most popular mount with cut metal letters is the stud mount. Aluminum letters and numbers with removable or screw in studs, have been drilled and tapped on the back of the letter to accept the stud. The stud then gets glued into your mounting surface with silicon caulk or epoxy and holds the letters firmly in place. All stud type mounts require a mounting pattern to properly locate where to drill for the studs. A stud mount of one form or another is required when ordering Polished, Anodized or Powdercoated aluminum letters because the manufacturing process cannot be done without them.
EDGE STUD MOUNT
The bottom stud (or top or both!) gives you tapped holes in the edge of the letters for mounting in a vertical configuration. Metal letters have to be at least 3/8" thick to drill the holes and the letters have a minimum height of 4" Round letters will have flat bottoms and the same applies to top drilled letters. Metal letters 8" or more must by code have tie backs when used outside. We do not supply tie backs.
BOTTOM/TOP RAIL MOUNT
Maximum length of rail is 8ft and not available for letters greater than 24" or less than 4". Metal letters are bolted through the rail into their edge and can be done either on the bottom, the top or both by request. This ordering form only provides a single rail on the bottom of the letters. For additional options please contact us for a quote.
BACK RAIL MOUNT
The double rail is mostly used for installation on metal corrugated buildings. It does detract from the look of the sign and is considered old school. In today's world a metal conduit raceway from home depot would look better to mount your letters on, and they come ready finished. Double rail mount has a maximum 8ft length and the rails are pre drilled to accept the letters ordered with screws that go through the rail into the letters. Assembly is required.
ANGLE BRACKET MOUNT
Angle bracket is mounted to a flat surface like a roof parapet and the letters are attached to the rail at the bottom only. This mount will require tie backs if outside and over 8" letter height.
Aluminum Finish Options
Polished, Anodized and Powdercoat Finishes
Bronze Finish Options
Brushed
Oxidized
Dark Oxidized
Polished
Patina Traditional
Patina Turquoise
Brass Finish Options
Brushed
Oxidized
Dark Oxidized
Polished
Copper Finish Options
Brushed
Oxidized
Dark Oxidized
Polished
Steel Finish Options
Brushed 304
Polished 304
Brushed 316
Polished 316
Corten Steel
What you need to know about Mounts and Mounting Patterns
The What
For cut metal letters the stud mount is by far the best and most popular choice. In terms of installation, it is a simple way to ensure perfect alignment and spacing of all the letters and words in your sign and it is the most secure way to prevent those letters from falling off or being stolen. A stud mount is essentially lengths of all threaded rod that screw into drilled and tapped holes in the back of the letters. You screw in the studs to the letters and then "glue" the studs into holes in your mounting surface using either silicon caulk, liquid nails, epoxy or mortar. While there are other types of mounts including double face tape (up to 6" tall) and specialty hardware for mounting to a variety of situations, the stud mount on metal letters is king
The Why
Just like any other tool, a mounting installation pattern or stencil guide is a tool that no sign professional would do without. For the average DIY person installing individual cut letters, having a mounting pattern to go by will be like hiring a professional sign installer, for a fraction of the labor cost. At first glance, a mounting pattern looks expensive and many customers forego it to save on costs but it is a false economy which will become apparent when they start to install their sign. Proper spacing and alignment of letters is not something you want to eyeball or guess at when installing a sign at your business. The human eye will easily pick up on any imperfection and if your sign looks bad, so will you.
The How
Before you begin, note that some patterns will have each character numbered. If so, you will find a corresponding number on the back of each metal letter and they MUST go in that position(1 to 1 and 2 to 2 etc), so sort and match first! While you are doing this go ahead and screw the metal threaded rods into each tapped hole. For welded studs (1/8" material only) skip this since they are already welded on and not removable. Now, take your pattern and tape it securely to the mounting surface. Using a heavy metal punch and hammer, mark each stud position through to the mounting surface. This avoids drilling through the pattern which may tear it. When all are marked, remove the pattern and drill holes 2" deep. Now coat each stud and fill each hole with adhesive and push the letter in to the wall. DONE!!!
Mounting patterns with stud locations cannot be made after the letters ship.
TIP: Whenever you are finished installing your letters, keep the install pattern in a safe place in case you ever need to move your sign!
