great idea...really bad sign

[Marlene]

I don't want to say too much about the sign I looked at for a customer yesterday as the person who made it could be a member but I do what to share what I saw with the site. the idea of the sign was really good, good color choices, great idea with red smalt and gold leaf and v-groove letters that look like they were done by hand and done very well. so what was wrong with it you might wonder. sloppy workmanship. the background painted looked like it was done with a broom. there will be some dust in the paint when you roll on enamel and let it dry in a sign shop, but this had bugs in it and what looked like places where the person leaned on the wet paint and left a print of their shirt in the paint. the gold leaf portion was just plain poorly done and had lots of missing gold. the whole sign was clear coated in something. that coat of clear, and I use clear loosely as it was yellow looking, pooled up in the corners of the v-grooved letters and was full of lint, dirt, crumbs and more bugs. it was applied so heavy on one side that it made the cream colored letters ivory in color.

the sign itself was good. the layout was good. the ideas of it were good. the v-groove was good. then the person just threw the paint and finish work at it and it looked like it was done by a five year old. the structure of the whole sign was very questionable too.

I'm posting this as a learning tool for people that yes, the customer will see all those flaws. no they might not be seen from a distance, but that is no excuse. after constructing such a nice sign, take the same amount of care to paint and finish it as just being a good craver doesn't matter if the overall look is horrid and the workmanship is just plain sloppy. I don't enjoy seeing a fellow sign person's work that looks like this as it's hard to see. it's also hard to tell the customer that no, there isn't much I can do to fix up the mess as it is so wide spread. it was really sad to see such a great concept look so bad and to know that there is no excuse for that.

 

[DOGraphics]

could be a member

The audacity of some people!

​

Not mine, either. Just say'n

 

[iSign]

I don't want to say too much about the sign...

:Big Laugh

red smalt

gold leaf

v-groove letters

clear coated

cream colored letters

not mine !

 

[mark in tx]

Got a picture?

 

[Techman]

not me!

 

[Billct2]

Something doesn't add up...
were it not for the smaltz, I wouldv'e guessed someone bought a carved sign wholesale and finished it themselves.

 

[mrchips]

It has been my experience that this happens when someone badly under estimates the production time for the sign and is franticly taking shortcuts at the end so that they don't loose their shirt.$$$$$$$$$ OPPPPPS

I have occasionally under priced a piece but I would NEVER compromise the product cause it will just turn around and bite you in the a$$.

Joe,

Makin Chip$ and Havin Fun!

 

[Marlene]

you know Bill, I wonder if he did buy the sign and add the panel with the smaltz to it as the workmanship of the sign and the finish work don't match up at all. good point. since you said that, I'm thinking that sounds logical.

I won't post the photo as I would if was just a random bad looking sign I've came across since I was called by the person's customer. it feels wrong to post them.

 

[Jester1167]

If the design and finish don't match up it could have been refinished at some point. As bad as it sounds, my guess is the customer did it himself.