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| Photo by Andrey Bayda / Shutterstock.com |
In
many cases it is impractical to refurbish an old acrylic sign. When you
consider all of the labor in travelling to and from the job site, as well as
the time to remove the sign face, refurbishment cost and the expense to reinstall
the sign, the investment in a new sign may be a more practical and financially
justifiable alternative.
If
you are insistent in removing old paint and repainting, use the paint remover
recommended by the paint manufacturer. Many experienced sign painters will use
xylene for paint removal. In using any
solvents, try to minimize the exposure of the sheet to these chemicals. After
cleaning the sheet with a paint remover, wash it with a mild solution of
detergent and water shortly thereafter to lessen any damage to the plastic.
Then rinse the sheet with clean water and dry the surface with a chamois to
prevent water spotting.
“Removing
old paint is messy and time-consuming work,” says veteran sign painter and Chicago
Brushmaster, Ron Jelinek. “The solvents also subject the plastic to chemical
stresses. Old acrylic is brittle to begin with. Cleaning with strong solvents
only weakens the sheet even more.”
The
chemical stresses in removing old paint, coupled with mechanical stresses, are
cumulative making the sheet more susceptible to breakage.
In
repainting an old acrylic sign, Jelinek advises that graphics should be sprayed,
not hand lettered. “Any color other than black will show brush strokes,” he
says.
See my post on Painting Acrylic Signs.
When
you compare the costs associated in refurbishing an old sign versus the cost of
a new sign face, refurbishment is often not worth the effort or the expense. The
best advice is to buy a new sheet of acrylic and start from scratch.
©
2014 Jim Hingst
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