LED Acrlyic Sign???

[WakeFan]

Bought this @ Lowes on clearance. Thoughy it would make a nice "tune to sign" if I could make it bigger. It has a base that has LED's and the edges of the acrylic are mirrored. Anyone try this or know if people etch these signs?

[Frankz]

Is the design etched into the back of it?
Etch one side, then light it from the edges? Paint in the etching to get colors?
Without seeing the sign up close, I imagine the material it's made of is very similar to plexiglass.
A lot of people use [and etch] plexiglass for computer case mods and custom car stereo installations. You can etch it with regular glass etching cream, handheld-type engraver, Dremel with etching bit, sandblaster, and I've heard of spray cans that are basically just compressed air with some type of grit in it giving you a canned sandblaster. Engraving with a CNC would work, too.
Hobby/craft stores often have things for glass etching, and maybe even some specifically for plastic etching.
If you google "etch plexiglass" you'll get a lot of links of mostly computer case modders and how they etched it.

[WakeFan]

Yes, It's like plexiglass. I'll try that, thanks for info.

[Frankz]

Plexiglass is really just acrylic, anyway.
I know Home Depot carries some, but theirs is usually the thinner stuff.
Hobby/craft stores might. Shop around and you might find some different thicknesses that might work better for an edge lit sign.
I imagine it needs to be a bit thicker for that purpose.
Glancing at some of those google results, I see some of the sign makers use Laser etching, too.
There's also cast acrylic, where the liquid acrylic is poured into a mold.

[Mudsculpter]

The last time I was in Lowes they had some plexi sheets that looked like they were 3/8" - 1/4" thick.

[JEEPGUY]

I saw these at Lowes as well on Clearance. One was out of the package. They look like it is painted on. Definately just on the surface.
it was 1/4 or 3/8 in thick.
I contemplated buying a couple at 75% off but I wondered how I'd get the paint off and refinished for a LED tricks sign.

[Mudsculpter]

I wondered how I'd get the paint off and refinished for a LED tricks sign.

There's an aerosol stripper that will take the paint off of a bike frame.

[Frankz]

You'd have to be careful with paint stripper.
Most would be too strong for plexiglass and would discolor it, at best, because the solvent in it woud be trying to melt the plastic.
Might be easier to just buy some new plexi.

[JEEPGUY]

I thought about some sort of stripper but it would mess up the finish of the plexiglass. Of course now that I think about, an orbital sander and some medium to fine sandpaper would probably have worked fine before painting it.

[WakeFan]

Got mine for 2.00 ea, couldn't pass that up. I think I may be able to get this to work. I'll post back if I come up with something.

[ben]

got them for my mom $7 each. ot the Merry Xmas one and the happy holidays one. I thought about making one. Just layout a pattern and etch it with a router and a diamond bit very carefully.

Ben