Have been asked if I can clean the sign at my church.
The sign is stainless (though that hasn’t stopped the staining 
).
I thought I had read some previous thread along this topic but can’t seem to find it now.
Any advise, tips, tricks to share?
Are you sure its stainless and not just polished steel
I’m told it is stainless steel sign. It’s about 9-10 years old. Don’t know if someone, in the past, tried to clean it.
FYI, It’s more of a matte or satin finish. Shiny/glossy won’t be a good idea - not looking to reflect the sunlight and blind drivers as they pass by.
Chris
1 Like
Use a magnet
Its SS. who’s going to go out and treat it every other month to not let it rust?
3 Likes
I do. I’d DS it with HF from bottom to top with cold water. Wait 45 seconds and rinse, she will shine like new,not shinier than new. Repeat as necessary. if its really bad ,I’d hot batch mix it in a poly sprayer. Don’t let it dry ! For yall no liking HF ,you can go with a weaker phosphoric
acid.safer,but will require a hotter mix. And a magnet will stick to Ferrick SS . We all know it’s not aluminum.
Good luck
2 Likes
Fair enough
What about run off on that electric sign?
Probably black streaks from the rubber behind it. Like black streaks on an RV under the windows. And the Vinyl lettering is bleeding as well.
1 Like
The signs is open on top and has sat out in the rain for 9 years. I’ll just turn off the power to the signs while I’m washing and turn it back on afterward- I’m told there’s a switch right at the sign somewhere.
Let us now how it turn out and your process. Be a good learning point for me and others
1 Like
Wow. I didn’t look at it that well. But I see clearly now that the led bulbs aren’t burnt out. It’s just a hot dirty mess.
I suspect the LED sign isn’t dirty, probably a camera framerate out of sync with the flashing LED’s.
1 Like
I still think that’s a good point. Chems make it places that water alone can’t. Not too mention some being caustic. I think I’d tape and plastic it just to be safe. At the very least I wouldn’t turn it right back on afterwards and leave it off for maybe 24-48 hours. Don’t laugh but I saw an episode of Undercover Boss and some of those circuit boards cost tens of thousands of dollars. Even some small leds cost a few thousand. Is that like 3 times as much Canadian if you can even order them? 
Thats what i was thinking. Hes going to have to wrap up and tape it to keep anything from getting in there and burning it up
1 Like
What is the top of it made out of? I’m talking about the letters that are blue and red is that plastic?
There are 2 types of lettering on the sign.
The top portion of the sign is cut out of the stainless and coloured plexiglas (or similar) mounted from behind and backlit. The website and street address (at bottom) are black plastic mounted on top the stainless panel.
The LED sign is fine - just sync issues with my cell phone camera as someone else mentioned.
So nobody here has actual experience with a sign like this? I have some aluminum brightener (phosphoric) - I guess I’ll experiment with some in a small spray bottle and try in a discrete bottom corner that’s otherwise hidden by ground plants.
Dude was put up in a man bucket his first hr on a busy side walk, and wasn’t thrilled?
Sounds like your a trail blazer on this one. I’ve read on here ,guys have the signs turned off obviously, but they wait a good while until there turned back on.
Take lots of pictures, I’m gonna follow this one closely.
If the lettering is really cruddy and hard to clean. you can also 2 step it with that watered down purple power degreaser. So it be your PH acid first, Then purple power 2nd straight. Rinse. The soap will neutralize the acid.
Good luck.
