Installing Miller Engineering Signs on top of MTH Buildings

I used an exacto knife to cut a slot on the roof of an MTH Jahn’s building to install a Miller engineering Pabst blue ribbon beer sign.  It wasn’t too difficult and I repeatedly worked the cuts instead of trying to cut through all at once. I’m happy to say no fingers were cut in the process. You can see it here -

If it's more substantial, a Dremel tool does the trick.

Thank you both for replying, I plan on working on this project today.

Darren

I mark both ends of the slot and drill a small hole in each end.  There's a skinny blade for a zona saw that you can then drop in the hole and connect them together.

You could also just drill a series of 1/16" holes along the length of the slot and then file it out. Once the sign goes on, you wont notice what you've done to the roof, but its important that you get it straight enough that the sign material slides through without flexing or bending. Those EL elements are a bit fragile at the connection tab.

I used the dremel approach as well.  I also used 1/4 inch wood strips to help cover the inevitable gaps that will occur. I paint them the same color as the roof to make them less visible.

I started with a dremel until the very edge broke through the plastic, chickened out and finished with a hobby knife.

I just installed a Santa Fe Sign on an MTH building. I ended up using a small diameter drill bit marked a line on the roof and started drilling several holes. Finished the edges with a fine flat file. While a Dremel is a great tool, I find it will wander off a line on me creating unwanted gaps.

Thanks everyone !!!

Great info !!!

Thanks for all of the replies!  I did try the exacto knife route, but my hands are not steady enough to make straight lines on smooth plastic.  I opted for the Dremel tool, but I used a cut off disc/wheel that I had previously used to cut my track, this produced a nice slot for the connection point on the sign.  Now I will warn you that it burns/melts the plastic and it smells, but if you can get past that, it does produce a good result.

I will post some pictures of the layout and I will include one of the sign.

Darren

This is all good info. However, what does one do when a Miller sign is wanted on top of a Std Gauge 1115 station over the terrace without altering the metal?

Joe Gozzo

@Trainlover160 posted:

This is all good info. However, what does one do when a Miller sign is wanted on top of a Std Gauge 1115 station over the terrace without altering the metal?

Joe Gozzo

Joe you could go with a desk top unit right on top of the building no holes required. Check it out.  Desk Top Neon – Miller Engineering (microstru.com)

@Chris Lonero posted:

Joe you could go with a desk top unit right on top of the building no holes required. Check it out.  Desk Top Neon – Miller Engineering (microstru.com)

Thanks Chris, Had thought about that. Just wondering how long the Batteries would last going that route?

Joe

I have a couple of Miller signs I haven’t installed on top of my buildings/shadow boxes yet due to just this issue, so this is very timely. I have a question for those who have done surgery on your buildings... Each of my signs has the thin tab at the bottom which needs to be inserted into a fairly thick “plug”. I do not see the thick plug in any of the pictures. Can you tell me how you made the connection through the thin slit??? Thanks.

Same idea to mount them on a wall of a building. Cut a slot. In this case there are two signs back to back, left and right hand, plugged into a single connector. No batteries used here, all power is under the layout fed through individual co-ax connectors.

Pete

Great-looking installations in this thread. I don't have any MTH buildings, mine are all Dept. 56 and Lemax. So I was very reluctant to drill any holes into Victoria Station. Instead, I used a half-inch thick square of plexiglass,  glued it to the deck of the layout, then glued the support towers to the top of the plexiglass and used it as the support. The wiring runs down between the back of the building and the front of the plexiglass, with holes drilled into the deck of the layout, where the wires are connected underneath. So, installed in the back of the structure, no drilling was required and it's held up for years and years. I love Miller Engineering signs.

@Trainlover160 posted:

Thanks Chris, Had thought about that. Just wondering how long the Batteries would last going that route?

Joe

The signs don't take up a lot of energy but you could always buy the adapter of you don't want to go the battery route. That's what I did.   You could paint the base white "I would suggest glossy" or something close to the station color to blend it in better.

@Apples55  For the MTH building, the roof slot is wide enough to fit the thicker plug. Its mounted flush with the roof top held in place by hot melt.