Old metal sign restoration: method, materials, how much to charge

[nolanola]

Hello.
My friends from a local machine shop are moving to a new location and their sign is moving with them also.
They want me to give them a quote for taking the sign down, renewing it (cleaning, refreshing paint) and installing it at the new place.
Its double sided now, but at the new place it will hang on a wall, so only one side has to be restored.
The sign is approximately 8 feet wide and 5 feet tall.

First, I offered them to sandblast the sign, prime it and paint it. But they said they do not want to go so "fundamentally".

I was thinking cleaning with scotch brite and painting over it with one shot.

I have no experience with that type of jobs so far.

Please let me know what you think: the right way to do it and how much I should charge for it.

Thank you.

 

[J Hill Designs]

First, I offered them to sandblast the sign, prime it and paint it. But they said they do not want to go so "fundamentally".

no idea what this means. however:

removal: $no idea
sand/prep/paint $shop rate @ # of hours
installation: $no idea

 

[nolanola]

Thank you.

 

[Billct2]

First, that is a really nice classic sign, bordering on antique status.
Repainting it would be a shame.
For the close to the same money as ruining that sign you could you could make a new single face sign that copies that design.
Then (though they sound too cheap to do it) have new neon made for it and mount it as a showpiece inside there new
facility.

 

[DirtyD]

If your restoring it, are you thinking new neon as well?


Removal - Hourly x number of men
Sand/prep/paint etc. - Hourly plus materials markup
Neon and transformers - markup + production time
Install - Hourly x number of men

Plus any other misc.

 

[nolanola]

Thank you for the replies.
I am sure the sign has a value of an antique sign.
The shop has been found in 1961. I assume it is when the sign has been built.

The do not want the neon.
And they want to keep the holes.

Thank you.

 

[nolanola]

Sanding means removing the old paint completely, right?
If I go that way should I make a stencil of the existing graphics so I that I can use it when I repaint?

The reason I started the topic is I want is there a way to do the project without completely redoing everything?
Its not that I am lazy; the customers are not ready for a big project.

Thank you.

 

[Cross Signs]

It looks and sounds like they don't want to loose much of the "Petina" You may be able to just clean it and have it brighten up. And see how they like that.

 

[Billct2]

That sign looks older than '61, maybe it was reused back then.
The old school technique for a cheap repaint on something like that was to scrape any loose paint,
lightly sand and then clean it well. Paint the white letters and then cut in the black background.
Would've been done on site in a few hours per side.

 

[nolanola]

Thats what I was asking about.
Thank you very much.

What materials would you recommend for cleaning and what paint?

I am thinking about scotch brite, steel wool, lacquer thinner, one shot with hardener.
Is it the right direction?

Thank you.

 

[Billct2]

Except the laquer thinner.
I'd use paint thinner or alcohol

 

[nolanola]

Thank you!

 

[Johnny Best]

Take it down and bring it back to hot shop, four hrs. Set on three or four saw horses and sand completely and patch bad spots with fiberglass bondo. Use a good primer and cover everything, one coat so copy shows through, do this on both sides, eight hours. Take lettering enamel with a flat and quill and cut in around letters, background, four hours, if never done this before, six hours. After drying take white lettering enamel paint letters and use lettering tape so as to get clean line, four hours.
On back side of sign install your brackets to hang sign on wall. This depends on type of wall and install method. Three to for hours. Installation will be determined as to brackets and height and wall. Hope this helps.

 

[Gino]

Rite Way motor rebuilding, but they wanna go Wrong Way re-doing their sign. If they aren't ready for a big project, tell them to wait til they are ready and use a temporary sign in the meantime.

I would just gently scrap off the loose paint. Sand lightly, tack it off and go over the whole thing with a coat of white paint [oil-based].

Once dry, cut the darker color in around it all. You can also very carefully trace the letters with a magic marker. That will bleed through a coat of white paint. Just don't use Block-Out white. That will cover and hide everything entirely.

 

[rjssigns]

If it were me I'd take it down and get rid of any loose paint. If there are just small chips missing I wouldn't fix them. Major chunks I'd touch up. Then I'd clean it with wax and grease remover a couple times before spraying with matte finish automotive clear.

Inexpensive and keeps the patina/look.

Too bad they don't want to fix the neon.

 

[nolanola]

Thank you for the replies!
I will offer them that and let you all know what will happen.

 

[SignosaurusRex]

That looks to be "Porcelain Enamel" faces. Common in the era of which this sign appears to have been made. If so, a restoration can be made without the use of Porcelain Enamel but that is a whole other process and clearly more than the customer wants to pay for according what you indicate. Just a good cleaning and adding new neon/guts would be the best way to go, otherwise leave it alone. Personally, I'd offer to replace it with a pseudo replica for free and keep the original for myself. Porcelain's like this one command good money from collectors. I'd rather have it in my own collection of vintage signs.

 

[player]

Ask them what their budget is.

Go from there. Don't tell them all the details as you go. You will be educating them on how to do the job. Then they can call around and get the grinding-est lowest price. You know, not so fundamental.

If they say a price, you can be higher, but this gives you an idea where they are at.

I would think 4 hours is too low for the removal. It will take time to load up, get there, set up, remove, deal with the unforeseen difficulties, clean up, load up, drive back, unload. This is with 3-4 guys?

 

[Johnny Best]

That looks to be "Porcelain Enamel" faces. Common in the era of which this sign appears to have been made. If so, a restoration can be made without the use of Porcelain Enamel but that is a whole other process and clearly more than the customer wants to pay for according what you indicate. Just a good cleaning and adding new neon/guts would be the best way to go, otherwise leave it alone. Personally, I'd offer to replace it with a pseudo replica for free and keep the original for myself. Porcelain's like this one command good money from collectors. I'd rather have it in my own collection of vintage signs.

You might be absolutely right about the sign being porcelain. Good eye, and if it is, good advice on what to do with it.

 

[klmiller611]

That looks to be "Porcelain Enamel" faces. Common in the era of which this sign appears to have been made. If so, a restoration can be made without the use of Porcelain Enamel but that is a whole other process and clearly more than the customer wants to pay for according what you indicate. Just a good cleaning and adding new neon/guts would be the best way to go, otherwise leave it alone. Personally, I'd offer to replace it with a pseudo replica for free and keep the original for myself. Porcelain's like this one command good money from collectors. I'd rather have it in my own collection of vintage signs.

I'd second that. Once you've modified it, the history is gone forever. One of my first vintage signs I ever got was a railroad station sign from a small town. It was removed when the building was torn down in 1964, and the person who asked for the sign and repainted over it for a sign for an antique shop, lettered one side, flipped it over, started lettering the back, then realized he had it upside down. Stopped, and let it sit in his basement about 15 years when I got it. Slowly stripped off the layers of paint over, stripped one side down to the wood, recreated the lettering, repainted and relettered the one side, left the other original (as possible) so as to proof of authenticity. I only wish the person had never painted over it!

I think I'd do everything to keep the original as possible.

Ken