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ADVICE

BIRDSEED

New Member
Hello Everyone,
Looking for advice to start making signs. I have a lot of question ,what equipment should I invest in, who should I buy it from . I a looking to make sign out f wood for starters .

Thanks for Your Advice
 

signguy 55

New Member
I sincerely admire your bravery to post what you did. Search all the pages on signs101, read every couple of posts and comments, probably take a couple of months.

Virtually everything you need to know will be answered. Or go to a sign shop and offer to sweep the floor for $5.00 an hour and learn, that's the way it used to be done.
 

Billct2

Active Member
There a few books out there about getting into the sign business, try Signcraft magazines website and Ebay.
And did you ever think about getting a job in a sign shop to see what's involved?
Or you could buy a franchise.
 

Gino

Premium Subscriber
You're kinda putting the cart in front of the horse.

First, you'll need to make sure you can make a decent layout/design that will be acceptable to your customer. Once you have that figured out, you really only need to find a place to buy your wood, get some paint, coat the background and then buy a few brushes and paint your layout onto the board. You might have $100 invested in your supplies, plus the wood, but you can use them over and over and over again to make you literally $1,000's of dollars worth of signs.

No need to get equipment, unless you need ladders to paint walls or water towers. You can use the same brushes and paint to letter a truck or metal sign, too, Being a sign painter is very versatile and self-rewarding.


Good luck.................​
 

signguy 55

New Member
You're kinda putting the cart in front of the horse.

First, you'll need to make sure you can make a decent layout/design that will be acceptable to your customer. Once you have that figured out, you really only need to find a place to buy your wood, get some paint, coat the background and then buy a few brushes and paint your layout onto the board. You might have $100 invested in your supplies, plus the wood, but you can use them over and over and over again to make you literally $1,000's of dollars worth of signs.

No need to get equipment, unless you need ladders to paint walls or water towers. You can use the same brushes and paint to letter a truck or metal sign, too, Being a sign painter is very versatile and self-rewarding.
Good luck.................​



LOL. Thought I was reading a column from SignCraft in 1990. That was great! You actually are telling the guy he needs talent to be in the sign business. How refreshing.
Newbies, Just remember that phrase "no need to get equipment"
 

Johnmpcny

New Member
Get to a show

Lots of sign trade shows across the country. Get to one spend some time talking and not just hour, spend two days. First question are you looking to start a business or a hobby?

Business plan, cash flow, financing, location, marketing, pricing, niche, employees, dba, bookkeeping so many things all come into play before buying a single piece of equipment.

Spend a few weeks here going over topics it is four-year education itself.

We have a pricing study you can buy when you get to that point; the new one should be out by fall. If you're doing signs now and you fill it in you get a free complete report.

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http://tinyurl.com/npoasign2016
John
 

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eahicks

Magna Cum Laude - School of Hard Knocks
LOL. Thought I was reading a column from SignCraft in 1990. That was great! You actually are telling the guy he needs talent to be in the sign business. How refreshing.
Newbies, Just remember that phrase "no need to get equipment"

On the other end of the spectrum.... advice is : take out a loan and lease a retail storefront. Buy a new inkjet printer, a laminator, a computer or two, some vinyl, and you should be in business. Watch the money just flow in!
 

T_K

New Member
Hello Everyone,
Looking for advice to start making signs. I have a lot of question ,what equipment should I invest in, who should I buy it from . I a looking to make sign out f wood for starters .

Thanks for Your Advice

Are you a woodworker? Any experience with carving? Or CNC machines?
From the little you shared, it sounds like you don't and are trying to get in over your head really quick. But there's not a lot to go on, either.

If you don't have a lot of experience, check out if there's a maker shop near you to use. Most places have reasonable membership prices for the amount and quality of machinery they have, and you get the experience with different machines before you think about buying one.

Opening up a sign shop often sounds like quick and easy money to people outside the industry. And if you're in the right market with the right product, it can be. But it's also a quick way to bankruptcy if you don't put in your time to research.
 

Andy D

Active Member
Why make wood signs when you could make flower signs?? Huh? Huh?
A great idea, right?

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BIRDSEED

New Member
Let me try again. I am looking for advice on buying a vinyl cutter there are a lot to choose from .i am looking to make wooden signs so which cutter would best suet that.
 

Billct2

Active Member
uhh....none. Vinyl doesn't like wood unless it's been painted, in which case there are other materials to consider.
When you say wood signs around sign makers you are referencing carved, sandblasted or natural plank backgrounds.
Good luck.
 

sardocs

New Member
I do wooden routed, blasted and hand-carved signs on a regular basis. I have 5 10' cedar signs on the go right now. I use an Ioline 30" plotter to make my stencil/patterns.
 

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OldPaint

New Member
this is a wooden sign made without a plotter))) paint and leaf)))
 

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