Search results

Wow... what a day of rollercoaster emotions in my family. Everyone is concerned about my 15th major surgery, my oldest nephew just arrived home to his wife and infant son after a 10 month deployment (his 3rd) to Afghanistan. He's a decorated marine who was in Kandahar and the Helmand Province...

Appreciate the thoughts. Got the gallon jug of salt water laxative chillin' in the fridge. About to begin the four hour drinking of all of it. The stuff gags me horribly. Maybe I need to call someone for medicinal mj? Got the anxiety somewhat under control. Really, I'm wondering how I'm gonna...

Being prepped today for surgery finally tomorrow - I go in at 6am. I've been through this 14 times before but am still a quivering mass of nervous energy right now. I KNOW how much pain I will be in this time tomorrow. And their insistence on you getting up off the bed and walking with a fresh...

Al... sorry I can't donate just now. I'm finally having surgery myself this Wednesday morning and had to pay up front to the hospital and surgeon. I'm tapped out right now. Will be sending good thoughts your way though. Signs101 is a unique community on the web. Many offers were made on here to...

Assuming I'm starting with a white background, I'd cut the white lettering from paint mask, apply it, and roll the red over it. After the red is dry, I'd peel up the white lettering created by the mask and do the outlining freehand and bullet panel. Simple, straightforward job. Lots of room for...

I remember stopping similar stupidity a long time ago at a shop I was working at. A young kid was getting ready to burn a screen. He grabbed a 5 gallon container of lacquer thinner that the spigot was open on. It sloshed out as he moved it up in front of the screen. He then sat the arc lamp on...

I hand lettered 2 4x4 sign that were directionals to a country club golf event. I layed out the signs with arrows on full 4x8 sheet, intending to cut it in half after it was lettered. I cut it and took it out into the country and installed it. Several days later I got phone call from incredibly...

We're busting at the seams. Recently hired an experienced salesman with numerous portable clients. So far, he has kicked in half a dozen new design jobs a week for me and other designer. We have 25 employees and are taking applications for more installers and shop help. No recession here in...

I was wondering if anyone would touch on that part. I like white ghost over black hooded ghost any day!

I hear that! What I long for most about the good old days was that by and large, customers back then left EVERYTHING up to the signpainter. They just paid their deposit and waited - with no idea of how the sign was going to look. That kind of customer always got rewarded with my best effort. For...

This reminds me of how mesmerized most people are watching a signpainter at work. Inevitably, they will say something like "I can't believe you have the patience to do that". I've actually had people bend over forward with their nose just inches from my lettering hand to watch. At that point I...

A couple weeks back I got a call from an employee at a customer of 20+ years about lettering 3 new trucks - a big cargo box and two vans. I told the guy I was only interested in painting signs now and would be happy to quote it. He asked if I could recommend somebody else to "get it done like...

Happy belated B'day to one of 101's more informative people!

Great VW panel. It's on my bucket list to own another vintage VW bus someday. It would be doubly cool if it could be my next sign painting vehicle.

Of all places to misspell a word - one visible for miles! I only ever had one misspelling in 35 years, on a hand lettered 4x8 - the word personnel. Customer drove it back over to me and waited while I did a bulletin change - no biggie. Still not sure if that's correct spelling of it.

I have a nephew who had that surgery when he was 3 or 4 years old and still could only make garbled vocalizations. Within a year he was speaking clearly. Quite amazing. If the look on that baby's face didn't touch you, you're not human!

Here's a thought... how 'bout ya fly me up there to help with that wall sign?

All I can say about this is when I read all the threads about the problems people have with their $30,000 printers, I'm reminded I never had a brush break down on me. I'm seeing more and more of a market for hand painting returning and am glad I don't have to get any expensive upgrades or latest...

The very best, most creative of four sign painters who trained me was done painting if he ran out of tape. I only ever used it when speed was of the essence. Otherwise, I preferred the exercise of squaring off my strokes with the brush.

I remember my first "sho-card". I was in high school. It was for a big downtown bar and it was to advertise Bill Haley & The Comets. I stole a poster board and some tempera from art class. I got $5.00 for it in 1969. I don't even remember much about the layout, but it led to more. This bar was...