Signs of the Times - June 2015 - 32

S t r i c t ly E l e c t r i c

A test-drive of the sign in the shop. Blackout employee
Jason Mathis installed the "bird's nest."

of wiring we'd need for each transformer. We like Allanson 12,000V
electronic, channel-letter transformers because they are compact,

Gordon and two assistants installed the sign with a custombuilt bracket outfitted with 3/8 x 4-in. lag bolts attached
to the building's façade. Securing the sign into the bracket
required "creative muscling," according to Gordon.

light and self-adjusting. We installed
four of them in the sign. For the
border, we used core-and-coil
7,500V transformers, which we

EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS
Coatings: Lettering enamels, from 1Shot, a Matthews Paint (Delaware,
OH) brand, (800) 323-6593 or www.1shot.com; Black, blockout paint,
from PPG (Pittsburgh), (412) 434-3131 or www.ppg.com; Goldleaf, size
and gilding brush, from Letterhead Sign Supply (Petaluma, CA), (800)
531-3359 or www.letterheadsignsupply.com; Iwata airbrush, from
Iwata Medea Inc. (Portland, OR), (503) 253-7309 or www.iwata-medea.
com; HVLP gun, available at paint-supply or home-improvement
stores; fitch brushes, from Andrew Mack & Son Brush Co. (Jonesville,
MI), (517) 849-9272 or www.mackbrush.com
Neon: Luminous tubing, from Tecnolux (Brooklyn, NY), (718) 3693900 or www.tecnolux.com; electronic, 12,000V transformers, from
Allanson (Toronto), (800) 668-9162 or www.allanson.com; core-andcoil, 7,500V transformers, from West Coast Custom Designs LLC
(Phoenix), (480) 820-9517 or www.wccdusa.com; PK housings, from
FMS Sign Products (Minneapolis), (800) 769-6366 or www.brillite.com;
neon-tube bending, by Big Dog Neon (Lockhart, TX), (512) 376-6860
or www.bigdogneon.com
Tape: Transfer tape, from such vendors as 3M Industrial Adhesives and
Tapes (St. Paul, MN), http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/
Adhesives/Tapes/
Welding: Millermatic 252 single-phase MIG welder, from Miller
Electric Mfg. Co. (Appleton, WI), (920) 734-9821 or www.millerwelds.
com; aluminum sheet and steel angle and tubing, from metal- and
industrial-supply stores
32 SIGNS OF THE TIMES June 2015

purchased from West Coast
Custom Designs, which stocks
several, hard-to-find neon products.
We installed glass PK housings
for the lettering, and, for the rest
of the glass, we installed doubleback tubing with ceramic bushings
for the wiring penetration. We're
glad FMS Sign Products still offers
these items; we realize that neon
has become a lost art for many.
We've had good luck with our
local supplier, Reece Supply Co.'s
San Antonio branch, and we also
try to stay stocked with specialorder items from FMS and West
Coast Custom Designs.
The installation proceeded
quickly. Under threatening spring
skies, three of us needed approximately four hours to install the
sign. We installed a custom-built
bracket with 3/8 x 4-in. lag bolts
onto the building's front, and then
creatively muscled the sign into
place on the bracket. Once this
was bolted in place, we installed
¼-in.-diameter, stainless-steel cable
and turnbuckles for support.
We also completed a little handlettering on the building with my
old Mack Brush Co. fitches and
1Shot. To support the flag-mounted


http://www.1shot.com http://www.ppg.com http://www.letterheadsignsupply.com http://www.iwata-medea.com http://www.iwata-medea.com http://www.mackbrush.com http://www.tecnolux.com http://www.allanson.com http://www.wccdusa.com http://www.brillite.com http://www.bigdogneon.com http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Adhesives/Tapes/ http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Adhesives/Tapes/ http://www.millerwelds.com http://www.millerwelds.com

Signs of the Times - June 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Signs of the Times - June 2015

Columns & Departments
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - Intro
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - CT1
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - CT2
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - Cover1
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - Cover2
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - 1
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - Columns & Departments
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - 3
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - 4
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - 5
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - 6
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - 7
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Signs of the Times - June 2015 - 30
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - 31
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - 32
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - BI3
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - BI4
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - BI5
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - BI6
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - 33
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Signs of the Times - June 2015 - 46
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - 47
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - 48
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - BI1
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - BI2
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - 49
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - 50
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - 51
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Signs of the Times - June 2015 - 120
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - Cover3
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_202010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_202009
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_202008
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_202007
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_202006
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_202005
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_202004
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_blackbook_2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_202003
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201802
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201801
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201712
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201706
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201705
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201704
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_bg2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201703
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201702
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201701
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201612
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201611
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201609
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201608
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201607
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201606
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201605
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201604
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201603
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_bg2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201602
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201601
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201512
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201511
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201510
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201509
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201508
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201507
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201505
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201504
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201503
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_bg2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201502
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201501
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201412
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201411
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201410
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201409
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201408
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201407
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201406
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201405
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201404
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201403
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_bg2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201402
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201401
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201312
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201311
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201310
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201309
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201308
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201307
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201306
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201305
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201303
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_bg2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201302
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201301
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201212
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201211
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201210
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201208
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201207
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201206
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201205
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201204
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201203
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_bg2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201202
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201201
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com