joe
12-12-2004, 11:31 AM
Howdy Botters,
Hope my note finds you all in good routing spirits.
I'm posting this note to assist newby's who are not familiar with these two products.
Medex came to the market a few years ago an Exterior Fiber Board. It was smooth, heavy, and glued and cut much like MDF. It didn't stand the moisture test however and many sign company's got hurt real bad. Our included. That was our fauld for not testing better. Although we left Medex behind, I will probably start using it again as we could waterproof it outselver.
The hard surface of Medex and chrip routed edges made it a dream to finish.
Now comes Extira: We are using it and think it has real possiblities. We have finished a dozen or so, large carved signs.
However there are problems.
First of all Extira is a SOFT cardboard pulp product which has been soked in a good adhesive water resistant solution, not unlike Resourcinol and or Phenolic Resin. Probably an Isomer, like Catecin, Any way it is much more water resistant than Medex and is real, real heavy. 4'X8'X .75" weighs a helty 120lbs.
The dust left behind the roter is oily. This is clue #1.
Water based glue doesn't soak in very well to oil. Remember this is a water repellant product. So all you guys that are interested in deep penetration, Titebond 111 or Plastic Resin Glue or any other waste based adhesive should be looked at with suspecion. Also water based primers aren't the best either. WE KNOW by several failures. O yes, we've followed Extira's Officical Specifications Sheet, and grouched them out pretty good too for not doing the prelimenary tests. A Good company any way as they are buying back some of the faileres. Acorn Graphics is in that process of re-embursment for latex primers and paint coming of the surface.
There is a fuzzy and hard side. The fuzzy one is the one we have had the best results with. Surface stregnth is where we concentrated. If you put a knife under a corner and lift, you will see how soft Extira is, so it seems important to stregnthen the surface. To do this we have been applying epoxy cut with acetone as a surface wash. Then follow up with another epoxy coat, then prime and paint.
There must be many solutions for glueing and painting Extira, but I'm frustrated with SB posters who give unqualified recommendation. I beg you guys don't, give un tested suggestion about products and proceedures you haven't even tried.
I will be posting a photo or two of my glue board showing the results of different adhesives on Extira.
Hope to save someone the mistakes we have made.
j
www.normansignco.com (http://www.normansignco.com)
Gorilla glue should also work well but am concerned with the softness of the product.
Hope my note finds you all in good routing spirits.
I'm posting this note to assist newby's who are not familiar with these two products.
Medex came to the market a few years ago an Exterior Fiber Board. It was smooth, heavy, and glued and cut much like MDF. It didn't stand the moisture test however and many sign company's got hurt real bad. Our included. That was our fauld for not testing better. Although we left Medex behind, I will probably start using it again as we could waterproof it outselver.
The hard surface of Medex and chrip routed edges made it a dream to finish.
Now comes Extira: We are using it and think it has real possiblities. We have finished a dozen or so, large carved signs.
However there are problems.
First of all Extira is a SOFT cardboard pulp product which has been soked in a good adhesive water resistant solution, not unlike Resourcinol and or Phenolic Resin. Probably an Isomer, like Catecin, Any way it is much more water resistant than Medex and is real, real heavy. 4'X8'X .75" weighs a helty 120lbs.
The dust left behind the roter is oily. This is clue #1.
Water based glue doesn't soak in very well to oil. Remember this is a water repellant product. So all you guys that are interested in deep penetration, Titebond 111 or Plastic Resin Glue or any other waste based adhesive should be looked at with suspecion. Also water based primers aren't the best either. WE KNOW by several failures. O yes, we've followed Extira's Officical Specifications Sheet, and grouched them out pretty good too for not doing the prelimenary tests. A Good company any way as they are buying back some of the faileres. Acorn Graphics is in that process of re-embursment for latex primers and paint coming of the surface.
There is a fuzzy and hard side. The fuzzy one is the one we have had the best results with. Surface stregnth is where we concentrated. If you put a knife under a corner and lift, you will see how soft Extira is, so it seems important to stregnthen the surface. To do this we have been applying epoxy cut with acetone as a surface wash. Then follow up with another epoxy coat, then prime and paint.
There must be many solutions for glueing and painting Extira, but I'm frustrated with SB posters who give unqualified recommendation. I beg you guys don't, give un tested suggestion about products and proceedures you haven't even tried.
I will be posting a photo or two of my glue board showing the results of different adhesives on Extira.
Hope to save someone the mistakes we have made.
j
www.normansignco.com (http://www.normansignco.com)
Gorilla glue should also work well but am concerned with the softness of the product.