Monday, January 22, 2007

Using Tyvek


Received this from a gentleman in New Hampshire who's posted almost 200 signs using Tyvek, a weatherproof plastic material used for home insulation:

I use mostly painted Tyvek. I use Rustoleum Flat Black, the gloss is hard to read due to reflection. Letters should be 16" high if the sign is to be on an overpass. Short messages are best as viewing time at 65 mph is short. The Dollar Store has been selling 6 packs of crappy bungee cords for $1.

I make the signs 7 feet long so that they fit between two uprights on the chain link fencing. I made a reel holder against the wall in my garage with two vertical strips of wood so that the last sign can be cut off while the paint is still wet and dried horizontally as the paint will run if it is left up there. Cutting off with scissors works best. You don't actually need to squeeze the handles together but just move it up through the material. I put a couple of binder clips from Staples along the top as the Tyvek moves if you paint fast. I've found that fonts with serifs are too hard and now use Arial Rounded Bold and make that bold so the letters are made with 1" lines. I use a sign brush about one inch wide.

I use an overhead projecter on a rolling cart, and change the size by moving the cart back and forth. Apart from fencing, I also hang signs stapled to wooden strips over soundbarriers provided they're set back a bit from the roadway. which are along many highways with residences on the other side. There's usually a road right behind the barrier where you can park and be hidden behind your truck while putting up the ladder (16') and placing the sign over the top.

Pretty much everyone here is armed and red. On the one hand I think they need the message, on the other hand, I no longer want to deliver it personally. When we posted yard signs I had people drive up my driveway and scream swear words at my wife, throw glass jars of paint in my driveway etc.. I've come to see that freewayblogging's a lot safer, and it reaches a Hell of a lot more people.
Yours In Southern New Hampshire

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

How absolutely cool! A friend in Seattle uses Tyvek also. It's indestructable to be sure. Thank you, New Hampshire guy. We love ya!

Psychomikeo said...

Great work!!! & thanx for the info