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Frosting plexiglas


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punkbastard 
Copper - Posts: 137
Copper spacespace
Joined: May 25, 2006
Location: United States
Posted: September 24, 2006 at 12:44 AM / IP Logged  
Hey guys, quick question.  I am building a display sign for my shop that will be made out of plexiglass and vinyl wrapped mdf.  I have a 42" by 13" pieve of 1/4" plexi, on top of that I have a 41 5/16" by 12 5/16" piece of vinyl wrapped mdf with the letters for the logo cut out of it, set in to these cutouts is letters cut out of plexi.  The final product is basicly that the letters are flush with the vinyl and there is a 1/4 " plexi border along the outside of the sign.  My plan is to shine light through the back sheet of plexi and into the plexi letters that are sunk into the vinyl panel.  Now I want the light to disperse to give me the frosted effect on the letters and the 1/4" border.  Basicly the letters and border will glow a nice smooth blue up against the black vinyl.  What I need to know is do I frost the back or front of the letters?  My thought would be the front because that would enforce the the fluch mounted look whereas if i frosted the back of the3 letters it would appear as though you are just looking thr4ough the vinyl panel to a plexiglas window and that there are not actually plexi letters flushed into the panel.  Also, what is the best and most reasonable way to frost?  I have heard sanding and some kind of spray you can get from walmart?  I cant get a sandblaster and dont have time to order frost sheets.  Thanks sincerely for your help and if you need a picture of the project thus far, I can post one.  
Ctoh 
Copper - Posts: 123
Copper spacespace
Joined: June 15, 2005
Posted: September 24, 2006 at 9:11 AM / IP Logged  
If you have a sandblaster and can have a place to make a mess I would do that, to me it gives a more consistent look.  Post up a pic because as far as what side to frost it depends on what it looks like and exactly how they are being placed...v
punkbastard 
Copper - Posts: 137
Copper spacespace
Joined: May 25, 2006
Location: United States
Posted: September 24, 2006 at 10:18 AM / IP Logged  

Frosting plexiglas -- posted image.

Thats what it looks like now before frosting.  On the surface, the letters are flush with the vinyl.  My girlfriend used to work at michaels and told me there is this stuff called frosted glass by krylon that will do what i want.

killer sonata 
Silver - Posts: 718
Silver spacespace
Joined: May 17, 2006
Posted: September 24, 2006 at 10:44 AM / IP Logged  
It sounds like the piece you are "frosting" you wont have to worry about manuevering around areas you dont want frosted. is that right? If so, just use a palm sander and some coarse grit. Be sure not to concentrate in one area for too long or it will start to melt.
punkbastard 
Copper - Posts: 137
Copper spacespace
Joined: May 25, 2006
Location: United States
Posted: September 24, 2006 at 12:35 PM / IP Logged  

half true.  I do not have to worry about any other areas when I am doing the letters so yes on that but on the 1/4 " strip, I want to only frost that 1/4 " and nothing else.  On the letters, do I want to frost the front (surface) of the letters or the back (atached to other piece of plexi)?

turbomike455 
Member - Posts: 1
Member spacespace
Joined: September 08, 2006
Location: United States
Posted: September 25, 2006 at 1:12 PM / IP Logged  
personally i would frost the back behind the letters. this way youll still have a smooth surface on top.  also, id stick with sanding... dont use a walmart spray to do the frosting.
Mike
'97 Acura 3.0CL
7" Touchscreen/CarPC
BBY 455 W. Nyack NY
punkbastard 
Copper - Posts: 137
Copper spacespace
Joined: May 25, 2006
Location: United States
Posted: September 25, 2006 at 2:47 PM / IP Logged  

well i got to experience both the good and bad side of spray frosting.  I went to michaels and got a can of krylon frosted glass spray and it worked like a charm

Frosting plexiglas -- posted image.

Frosting plexiglas -- posted image.

Pretty nice right?  Well, when I was attaching the letters to the clear piece of plexi a drop of the weld-on 3 got on the I in diamond and smudged the frosting, so naturally I had to fix it.  Michaels was closed by this time so i went to walmart.  Got frosted spray, still by krylon but in a different looking container.  It had some weird kind of reaction with the other stuff and gave a old weatheRED / cracked look.  So, I had to sand it all off and go buy another can from michaels to fix it.

Sanding, in my opinion doesn't give as good results.  I guess I could've have gone as high as 1000 grit wet sanded but even at 600 I still had small scratches.  With the frosting spray, there is none of that.  I found that spraying the front side worked best because when I sparyaed the back of a test piece, it made the piece look embossed which was not what I was going for.

killer sonata 
Silver - Posts: 718
Silver spacespace
Joined: May 17, 2006
Posted: September 25, 2006 at 3:07 PM / IP Logged  
for sanding plexi I usually work my way up to 1000 grit then hit it with a butane torch. gets all the scratches right out.
05honda 
Copper - Posts: 100
Copper spacespace
Joined: May 27, 2005
Location: United States
Posted: September 25, 2006 at 5:24 PM / IP Logged  
Hey, looking very clean...I was wondering what section you found that spray in at the Micheals....Thanks in advance
punkbastard 
Copper - Posts: 137
Copper spacespace
Joined: May 25, 2006
Location: United States
Posted: September 25, 2006 at 6:08 PM / IP Logged  
I found it near all the other krylon paints.  If you are walking down the isle toward the wall, the krylon paints are on the right and straight ahead, up against the wall will be the frosted glass.  It comes in white or gray.  There is also this stuff called looking glass that i think im gonna have to try that makes it look like a mirror
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