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Found a solution for vinyl letters on brightwork!
And what an interesting process it was. The two vendors I contacted
looked at me like I was out of my mind while I explained what was
needed. (Many people consider me out of my mind- but most have more
reason to reach that conclusion then either of these vendors had). In
both cases I knew just exactly when the "Aha!" moment occurred and the
two disconnected suppliers realized how one simple step would solve a
problem that has long afflicted owners of boats with bright transoms
and quarterboards.The problem: Boaters applying vinyl letters to quarterboards ("name
boards" in some circles) and other brightwork find it very difficult to
maintain the finish on the brightwork without screwing up the vinly
letters as the years go by. It's good pactice to do at least a
scuff-down sand even on brightwork in sound condition and add a couple
of coats of varnish each year.
Applying varnish over the top of existing vinyl letters tends to "lift"
the edges and that will lead to failure within a few seasons. Masking
off the letters and sanding the spaces in between can be ridiculously
tedious, particularly with a complex font. The solution: Apply the vinyl letters to a very thin sheet of
transparent plastic, cut to the shape of the quarterboard, and then
fasten the plastic sheet to the quarterboard. The wood finish below
shows through. When the board needs varnish, the plastic sheet with the
letters can be unscrewed, set aside, and then reinstalled when the
varnish has set. Under normal circumstances, the vinyl letters will
last about 10 years (maybe less in a climate where they are subjected
to intense UV exposure), but there is no way to get that sort of life
from the letters if trying to refinish around them every year. The cost: $7.50 for two pieces of plastic at Tap Plastics, plus the
labor to shape the plastic to match the curve of the quarterboard.
(Could probably have done this myself with a jigsaw and the proper
blade, but labor to shape both was only another $22 so I saved the time
and bother). When I showed up, (plastic in hand). at the firm that does the vast
majority of boat graphics in the area, they didn't initially understand
the concept. They thought I was going to apply the new letters directly
to the teak, and then cover the letters with the clear plastic to
protect the wood.
One comment was, "The letters might not be quite as readable as you
want if they're under a sheet of plastic." No, no......the letters go
on the plastic and then the plastic goes on the wood.
"OH! That's a great idea! I can't remember anybody doing it like that
before!" My transom lettering will go onto the new paint, so no plastic overlay
needed there. There won't be a need to renew the paint every year like
there's a need to renew the varnish. However, the same concept would
likely work very well with vinyl lettering on a bright transom. |
chuckgould.chu...
Jun 13
2006
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| >it is important to sand between coats and that brings you back around
>full circle to the difficulty of sanding around lettering. I agree that sanding the first 3 or 4 coats is a pain but the more you
build it up, the easier it becomes. |
Wayne.B
Jun 14
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| With the beautiful work you are doing on your boat, have you considered
having the quarterboards engraved rather than using vinyl letters? RCE www.eisboch.com |
RCE
Jun 13
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| chuckgould.chuck@gmail.com writes: > And what an interesting process it was. Consider have the signmaker cut you a sandblast mask instead of vinyl
lettering. Then you can sand carve the letters into your brightwork, and
refinish the wood from time to time to your heart's content. |
Richard
Jun 14
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| If you're going to varnish over the vinyl, why bother putting it on a
plastic sheet? Why not just stick the vinyl letters to the wood and
varnish the whole thing? |
Keith
Jun 14
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| Chuck,
I have seen this done with White Plastic Boards and then hang the boards
from the railing or attaching them to the quarterboard, but that would
not look as nice as your plan. With all the work you have done on the
boat did you consider having your letters carved into a teak board using
a router, and then attaching to board to the boat, either screwing it
into the quarterboard or any appropriate place. |
Reginald
Jun 14
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| I prefer the vinyl letters, personally. They are more legible than
letters routed in. To read routed letters at all you really need to
paint them, and that introduces additional work and maintenance. We
letter the quarterboards, the port and starboard life rings, and the
transom, and we use the same green that we use in the whale stripe and
boot stripe as the basic letter, shadowed by gold for additional
contrast and legibility. Picking up the stripe color in the graphics is
a nice, decorative touch, and maintaining a consistency with the
letters on the life rings and on the quarterboards enhances the overall
appearance, (IMO). |
chuckgould.chu...
Jun 14
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| >plastic sheet? Why not just stick the vinyl letters to the wood and
>varnish the whole thing? That was my point. Chuck is the one experimenting with the plastic
sheeting, not me. It will be interesting to see how it works out, may
turn out to be OK in the Pacific North Wet but doubt that it would
hold up here in the sunny south. |
Wayne.B
Jun 14
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| Varnishing over the vinyl tints the lettering, and the edges of the
letters want to "lift" after the first coat. To build up the varnish,
it is important to sand between coats and that brings you back around
full circle to the difficulty of sanding around lettering. For obvious
reasons, you would not want to sand the vinyl lettering. |
chuckgould.chu...
Jun 14
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| Great idea Chuck! --Mike <chuckgould.chuck@gmail.com> wrote in message |
MGG
Jun 14
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| Yeah, but what about that clear plastic? It's very likely going to craze,
cloud up or otherwise show signs of considerable aging as well. |
Bill
Jun 13
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| Probably true. My solution is to put lots of coats of varnish over
the graphics, sanding lightly between coats. Gradually the surface
begins to level out to the point where you can varnish and sand
without worrying about what is underneath. |
Wayne.B
Jun 13
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