Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 32

SHOP OPS

There are also lines out the door at
every neighborhood liquor store. As
the saying goes, "If we're gonna lose
power, we don't want to be sober, too."
And lose power, we do. This is
usually the worst part. Perhaps we
never truly appreciate how many
things in our lives depend on the
flow of electricity until we lose it. I'm
also quite sure very few understand
the frustration of walking into a room
and turning on the light switch when
you haven't had power for three days.
And you make that mistake, flicking
that switch, day after day, cursing the
Power Gods. Every. Single. Time.
During Irma, Media 1 lost power
for only two days, but seven of our
employees didn't get electricity back
for a solid week. Many Floridian
businesses were forced to close for the
entire week, with no ability to operate.
Quick fact: The week after the
storm, in Orlando alone, Craigslist
32

SIGNS OF THE TIMES

NOVEMBER 2017

ads were flooded with almost 1,000
generators for sale. (You might
wanna keep those generators,
chumps, the season isn't over yet!)
Amidst devastating property destruction, commercial signage took a
beating as well. Here in Orlando, signs
must be engineered to withstand a
wind load pressure of 130 mph. That
number increases as you get closer
to the coastlines, maxing out at 180
mph near the southern coast.
Still, sustained winds over a 24-hour
period take a toll on signs. Pylon
signs, from what we've seen, take the
most damage: broken, blown over,
or just plain not there anymore. Of
these structures, acrylic pan faces
are the biggest offender (but I bet
you knew that already, huh?). Plastic
that bows in and out of a minimal
retainer edge with a typical Florida
sea breeze pops right out when hit
with a 120-mph gust. The scattered

debris of plastic shards and slowly
dying tree limbs decorate most of
our roads. As emergency management workers descend upon the
state doing the important work, the
sign companies are called upon to pick
up the pieces as quickly as possible.
While it does generate more work
for businesses like ours, we'd prefer,
of course, to avoid the devastation in
the first place.
So that's it for now, everyone. I
have to get back to helping make
Orlando beautiful once again.
This column is dedicated to those
who lost their lives in this year's
devastating storms. The impact of
these events, including the tragic
loss of human life, extends beyond
what we can cover in this space. Our
thoughts and prayers are with those
affected in a greater way than most
of us can fathom. -Dale



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Signs of the Times - November 2017

Signs of the Times - November 2017
Contents
From the Editor
St Update
At Large
Tech Review
Leds + Lighting
Vehicles + Vinyl
Shop Ops
Expand Your Shop
A Rising Tide
Strictly Wholesale: When in Rome
New Products
The Cutting Edge
A Known Quantity
Engraving New Products
Advertising Index
Last Look
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - Intro
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - BB1
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - BB2
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - Signs of the Times - November 2017
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - BD_L
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - BD
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - Cover2
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 1
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - Contents
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 3
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 4
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 5
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 6
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 7
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - From the Editor
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 9
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - St Update
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 11
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 12
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 13
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 14
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 15
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 16
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 17
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - At Large
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 19
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 20
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 21
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - Tech Review
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 23
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - Leds + Lighting
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 25
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - Vehicles + Vinyl
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 27
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 28
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 29
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - Shop Ops
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 31
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 32
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 33
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - Expand Your Shop
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 35
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 36
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 37
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 38
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 39
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - A Rising Tide
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 41
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 42
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 43
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - Strictly Wholesale: When in Rome
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 45
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 46
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 47
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - New Products
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 49
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 50
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 51
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 52
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 53
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 54
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 55
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 56
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 57
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - The Cutting Edge
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 59
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 60
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 61
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 62
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 63
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 64
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 65
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - A Known Quantity
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 67
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 68
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 69
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - Engraving New Products
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 71
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 72
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 73
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 74
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 75
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 76
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 77
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 78
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 79
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 80
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 81
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 82
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 83
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 84
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 85
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 86
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 87
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 88
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 89
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 90
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 91
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 92
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 93
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - 94
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - Advertising Index
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - Last Look
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - Cover3
Signs of the Times - November 2017 - Cover4
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