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Pan faces have a logical purpose. They allow for a skinnier, lighter-weight sign cabinet. Presumably, the cabinet is then cheaper to fabricate and easier to install. The returns molded into the pan allow for the light distribution that is necessary to avoid the hot spots and shadows that clearly...

Good points, Bobby H.

I believe this can be a good way to handle this situation. Years ago I used to turn people away when they made comments like this customer, sometimes with a snarky send off. I felt offended that a customer would dare question my price. In my eyes, they were diminishing my value as a sign maker...

This I know. ;)

We don't have any real problems using Matthews Brushed Aluminum. I assume that it is the 43412SP color being discussed, a factory pack color that we buy premixed. It seems to cover well and no under-color is required, though I handle it a little differently from the standard colors, as I do all...

It is good to cultivate working relationships with other shops. If I needed a half-pint of Matthews Brushed Aluminum, I can think of four other shops that I would feel comfortable asking for a quantity of paint as a favor. You'll need catalyst and reducer, too. And if you want to apply vinyl the...

You are correct. Boss doesn't allow VHB for glass installation, however. He wants all our ADA signs removable with "piano wire," because we remove and replace so many of them. But you're right. VHB is forever. I once tried to remove quarter-inch aluminum letters from an eighth-inch aluminum...

If these letters are old enough, it is likely they were not based on any known typestyle. Back in the day, the first step in fabricating channel letters was to draw the letters on paper with pencil or charcoal. These paper drawings served as patterns for cutting the plastic faces with a jig...

We install hundreds of ADA compliant interior signs every year. We supply them for office buildings, schools and hospitals. We never rely solely on tape to hold them on the wall. We always use clear silicone in addition to tape. The tape holds long enough for the adhesive to set up. On glass...

I agree. Charging appropriately for design work cannot be over-emphasized, in my opinion. A few years ago, in a conversation with the owner of one of the larger ad agencies here in Kansas City, the subject of charging for artwork came up. She said, in a tactful way, that sign companies need to...

The answer to this question may depend on the artwork. Does the sketch meet the requirement for copyright protection? Many of us assume that any design we produce has copyright protection, but this is not true. The US Copyright Office sets a certain standard for originality/creativity, and if...

The Gerber color card lists both 230-22 Black and 230-69 Duranodic in the 230 Translucent series, yet it says in parentheses next to each color name that both are opaque. So why are they in the translucent series? Because all the colors in this series are manufactured to the same specs. For...

My description above of a homemade stretcher using a bar clamp is faulty, just in case you had a hard time visualizing it from my description. If you lay a bar clamp on a work table along with the duckbill locking pliers, and think about it, you can figure out how to make this. We had four of...

Whenever I venture into uncharted waters like this, I always rely on a tested method. Stud mounting seems to be fail safe. If anyone here has clear-coated Corten successfully and then installed heavy letters on it using adhesive, and had it last long-term, it would be good to know. I know I...

I thought of using these as one way to mount hanging signs with thin cable (wire rope), using the hollow bolt as an anchor at the top end of the cable. I may use the drill press to make a couple of prototypes. I can post a picture. Of course, it may not be practical.

Cheap hanger for wire cable. To hang a cable from, say, the flange of a beam. If I use a cap nut or acorn nut with a hole drilled in it on the bottom side, it could have a finished look, too. Maybe not worth the trouble. We use kits, now: A cable with fittings at both ends.

Has anybody seen these in the US? Stainless hollow screws.

Most cabinets are not strong enough One problem with a retrofit is that most cabinets are not strong enough to support a flexible face. The returns will tend to "concave inward," on the long dimensions especially. If the cabinet is made with angle iron and a metal skin, the odds are better this...

I call this style of design "Retro Corny." And the cartoon looks suspiciously like pieces of clipart that have been forced to mate. Printed in a single color, this may be next to illegible because of the red with the black shade (a historical favorite color combo of clients). And is it one word...