Recent content by signbrad

Yes, I worked for Bill Hardin for a short time. That's where I joined the union. It was my first decent wage. $15.46 was the scale at the time ('77) for sign painters. The only true union shop I ever worked at—four trades represented: electrical, sheet metal, painters (IBPAT), and laborers. A...

Tedshock, When I started out in signs, flat cutout letters in thicknesses greater than a quarter-inch were rare. It may be that, back then, Gemini or Spanjer Bros. offered thick acrylic letters (1/2" thick or greater), with threaded holes in the backs. But I don't remember them if they did. The...

Norma, Thank you for posting this picture. We need to see more pictures of ACM failures, because we are using the hell out of this product. ACM is a beautiful thing. A game-changer, really, when you compare it to the old labor-intensive MDO plywood. And the way the panel is installed in the...

Pans have served two basic purposes. They improved light dispersion, since the face was farther away from the fluorescent lamps, allowing a cabinet to be narrower, yet without hot spots and shadows. A cabinet could be made lighter in weight, too, not so much an issue with aluminum cabinets...

The first thing I do is ask such a client: "So, you're anticipating that you will be in business temporarily?"...Then I wait for an answer, giving time for embarrassment to set in. Or sometimes, I'll say, "If you were installing light fixtures, or an awning, would you not drill holes? If I want...

The drawing by Moze is good. There is practically infinite variation of plastic pans among makers. There is no standardization, especially when you consider that many small shops have, or have had, vacuum tables for making these faces. Makers just did whatever they wanted. Brad in Kansas City

New artwork is usually better than trying to clean up poor artwork. An image off Shutterstock could help with creating acceptable sign work, but I always explain to a client that a logo design cannot incorporate images from image-licensing services. “Royalty-free” makes no difference. All...

https://www.eplastics.com/8-oz-White-Corrugated-Fiberglass-52-x-96-Sheet CORRUGATED FIBERGLASS

Corrugated plastic sheet is not used much in the sign industry anymore. The roofing industry uses corrugated polycarbonate and PVC, but the sizes are limited, I have found. The c-series and v-series corrugations were common at one time. I seem to recall getting corrugated even in acrylic, as...

I don't know who GSG is. Matthews Paint is owned by PPG. It is geared exclusively to cater to the sign industry rather than the architectural or automotive industries. All Matthews' products are made for signs. They have one of the most extensive color-matching systems available online if you...

I have found that 10 Mil Coroplast makes a pretty sturdy 4x8' sign. A note about material thickness. Obviously, Ron is using the term "10 Mil Coroplast" as a kind of slang for 10 MILLIMETER Coroplast. This is getting more and more common, to use mil as slang for millimeter. A "mil," of...

What exactly do people mean here when they say "die-cut?" Are you actually cutting with real dies? Or has this term taken on a new meaning? My brother is a tool & die maker. Dies are traditionally very expensive to build. I know Stouse uses dies to cut magnetic sheeting into shapes. And before...

According to the Matthews painting handbook, flame or corona treatment is required for paint adhesion to polypropylene or polyethylene. This allows for the pastic to be paint-receptive for a short time. Even then, adhesion test is recommended. Tiebond bonding primer is NOT recommended by the...

You don't really need to weld the knock-down cabinets, but it makes them stay square better. Lord works, but welding is quick and easy. If you use Lord adhesive, invest in a bunch of large locking ViceGrip-type welding clamps. There's nothing more frustrating than finding your cabinet out of...

I also believe these letters are cast aluminum. The bevel is the giveaway. The bevel is required for release from the sand mold. I like DL Signs' idea of using a panel. I would create a reverse pan instead of using a flat panel so that studs would not be a problem. The pan could be blind stud...