Mounting License Plates

Mecianne

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Joined
Jan 7, 2005
Posts
2,229
Loc
Alabama
I am framing four license plates. The idea is to mount them to a wood mount board with screws. I have never mounted anything to a wood mount board. Any suggestions on doing this?
 
Why not set them on an Amron Easel?

sorry wrong thread!

How thick is the board? The hardware store should have some T-nuts, so that there won't be any nuts and screws protruding out the back.

This couls be a really wild project, Black matboard with white stripe on the right and double yellow on the left....
 
Here we normally mount them on cars ;)
No wonder we think the Americans are strange

Have my flame proof gear ready :D
 
Okay, clowns...hahaha
. My main concern is securing the piece of ply wood in the frame (weight issues, etc). Oh & Bob, these are four Alabama University license plates, so the mats are crimson and black. No fun highway design.
 
Silicone them.

Ok here comes the tide of why silicone is evil.

Lay it on me, I probably won't check back on this thread again but I'll assume a half dozen other framers will trash silicone.

Instead of just using screws, why not try to mimic the bolts used to traditionally mount a plate to a car. If the frame is deep enough you could thread the bolt from the front through to the back and put a washer and a nut on back there.

Could look nice and it would be very strong. You would just need to drill a little.

Also, plywood might be overkill. Gatorboard or 1/4 ply would be plenty strong enough to hold 4 plates.

Good luck.
 
I once mounted a license plate from overseas, and we mounted it on mat board with mylar thread. Sew the things down! That way there is no weight problem.
 
Yeah, we are going to use the ones that are normally used for mounting to a car. 1/4 Ply is what I am planning on. Hadn't thought of gatorboard...lighter than 1/4 ply??? Since they are real plates & not decorative ones, they are pretty warped, hence the mount method of screwing/bolting them down. Will framer's points be enough support in front of and behind the board to secure it? That is kinda the part I was wondering about. Thanks.
 
You could use offset clips in addition to the points to amke sure it doesn't move.

Post pics when done please, I did a set of vintage plates years ago and it was a fun job to do but never took pictures.

Good luck.
 
I did a frame with a set of seven plates. These were on top of a map of the US that had pins in all the cities that the customer lived in. It was about 30 X 40.

I used the standard bolts from the automotive supply shop right through the mat and foam. But added a really wide washer in the back (1 1/2"?).

I just laminated/drymounted the map onto mat board, and then drymounted that onto foamcore, and then ATG'd one more to fill the frame. When you drymount mat onto foam in a vacuum press IT GETS AS TOUGH AS GATORBOARD.
thumbsup.gif
Right Professor Miller?(I learned that in his class!)

Just called the customer - it is fine after 3 years.
 
Jb---offsets...excellent idea. I will be glad to post a pic when done. It is a pretty simple design, really, but I am sure it will still turn out nicely.
Eric--also a cool idea, but, alas, I do not have a vacuum press.
 
First, 'Mounting license plates!' Umh, umh, umh!

Second, I bet they have some of those nickel-diameter, gumdrop-sized ones in the color you're looking for. Just a thought.

ROLL, TIDE!!
 
Originally posted by CharlesL:

Second, I bet they have some of those nickel-diameter, gumdrop-sized ones in the color you're looking for. Just a thought.

ROLL, TIDE!!
huh? (remember, Charles, I am S l o w. 'splain yourself.) Oh, and by the way, WAR EAGLE!
 
Originally posted by JbNormandog:
Silicone them.

Ok here comes the tide of why silicone is evil.

Lay it on me, I probably won't check back on this thread again but I'll assume a half dozen other framers will trash silicone.

Instead of just using screws, why not try to mimic the bolts used to traditionally mount a plate to a car. If the frame is deep enough you could thread the bolt from the front through to the back and put a washer and a nut on back there.

Could look nice and it would be very strong. You would just need to drill a little.

Also, plywood might be overkill. Gatorboard or 1/4 ply would be plenty strong enough to hold 4 plates.

Good luck.
 
Originally posted by JbNormandog:
[QB] Silicone them.

Ok here comes the tide of why silicone is evil.

Sorry about the previous post--slip of the mouse. I am a believer in silicone in which I am working on a new thread about it. Stay tuned.
 
Joy, here's the best picture I could find without searching all night:
image_10834_200.jpg


They were designed, I think, to reflect headlights back from a car parked with its headlights out...I can't imagine why someone would park on a dusty ol' country road with their lights off!

You can still buy 'em at most auto parts stores. If they're old tags, these would be ultimately cool! :cool:

Here's a better pix. They come in many colors:
1inch_Amber_Reflector.jpg
 
In my humble opinion, (and the opinion of a famous lecturer at the latest Art / Decor expo in NY) Silicone, once dry, is the best glue, and longest lasting, for any heavy object.

Any other glue, once exposed to colder temperatures, will lose it's grip on anything heavy.

Has anyone tried gluing anything heavy (say, a rock) with any other kind of glue and had long term success?

A couple fo weeks ago, I used silicone to glue a 3 lbs heavy object into a shadow box (I gave it 2 days to dry...) and it worked just great.
 
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