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Electric Sign Job – MFG Pictures From Start To Finish


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I took on this job recently because I wanted to purposely show what and how you can use the electric sign components that we stock here on The Sign Syndicate http://www.thesignsyndicate.com/forums/index.php?/store/category/3-sign-supplies/ as well as a few other vendors that are Vendors/friends of the SS

I got this job from an architect that has worked on similar projects that I have over the last few years. He likes my work and he passed my name to a client of his that needed some sign work done. As most of you know I don't really do signs any more, I'm not in the Yellow Pages, I don't advertise and I do select jobs from time to time but only for past clients or word of mouth where their mainly non-bid. Now I'm mainly a Distributor now but I do like to dip in from time to time as Electric Signs are my passion and I will always want to keep my self updated and informed about codes, new products etc. This is knowledge & information I can also pass onto my clients, theirs nothing worse than a rep who doesn't understand what it is YOU do, what they sell, or understand your need.

So let's start from the beginning.



Here's the old sign and the beginning of the renovations for the venture
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I usually use GE Lexan from my normal supplier for the reverse channel backs but now they stock some Polycarb from Shefield. I'm just routing all the backs and 1/2" acrylic push thru's on my 4'x8' ShopBot CNC Table using my favorite Belin Bits.
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Now usually I make all my PolyCarb rear tabs or brackets out of the aluminum scrap and simply brake them into angles. But I wanted to try out Transco To Go's Channel Bond since it's made for bonding PolyCarb to Poly Carb. I could have saves time and used a heat rod and made 90's with these but I like to try new things. So I started off making some polycarb angles with some cutouts done on the router table

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One light application from a #48 applicator and clamp for an hour, I imagine I could have left on for less time but I have a lot of clamps and not a whole lot of letters

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Light bond to the letter backs
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Now Channel Bond is amazing, this stuff is strong! Try and break it! You'll probably hurt yourself trying. Notice the one metal brackets, that's for letter pan bond and part of the bonding system that is grounded back at the tranny box or raceway. You have to have at least one of those.
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My 1/2" acrylic push thru's with 3M white trans film.

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More Channel Bond for bonding the 1/2" acrylic letters to my rear cab diffuser acrylic. I cut my lettering in the aluminum .03 larger than the acrylic letter, this provides a good snug fit with very little spacing between the letter and metal.
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Done, Channel Bond cures pretty fast.
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My color of halo lighting to be used for the letters is orange.

So for that we used Voltarc's Lead free 12mm Green pumped red neon gas to give it that orange color. For the Cabinet illumination we used EGL's ol Faithful Designer 13mm CL65 Tri-Phosphor glass. We also used the Transco To Go's Novaglo Lead Free Electrodes.
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This install day sucked, it was 85F with 84% humidity and all I did was sweat with clothes sticking to me the whole day.

Here's my dad who enjoys helping me from time to time pounding all the drill point prior to busting out the hammerdrill. This is my favorite pattern paper by Westrim it comes in a 48" roll and has a 1" grid throughout. The patterns had to go up very fast before they started to wrinkle, can you tell from the pic?
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Work in progress
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Working on the rear parapet wall raceway. This sign is powered by two new, older generation Transco Transformer which was not a lot of fun to find some old stock of, but it was possible with a few calls and two France transformers as well.

I like to use the manly 12kV & 15kV transformers, not the guurly 9's and smaller. I have CL signs that have been up 16-18 years and have yet to get a service call, load em up right, install them right, and you won't have any problems. Simple as that!

The GTO for the system is Transco To Go's 14AWG .375" silicone GTO-15 cable. This is the first time I've ever used a thick 14AWG GTO cable, it's STILL very flexible!
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The Transco To Go 20amp Disconnect Switch rated for outdoor. Of course the double nutted system ground (on the bottom), and service ground (top) or the transformers.
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Transco To Go's Silicone "Easy Caps" with the silicone GTO. Behind in the rear you'll see my bond that is attached to the metal bracket to also in the rear electrobit grounding ring that bonds the flex to the system ground on the raceway. Speaking of Electrobit grounding rings, good luck trying to find these anymore, I had to use a few grounding rings made by another company whom I don't even know the name of of their thinner and not so bulky or as wide. But i think I like electrobits ring screw better. Wish I would have taken a pic of the ring in question but I don;t think I have one to snap a shot of. Anyone know who makes these? I don't even know how I got mine.
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El Fin! I love Matthes (PPG) Paint finish, it looks so nice.
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I'll have to go by at a later date to take a night shot. The clients were very happy with their sign.


Anyway, I thought taking this job would give me a great opportunity to post later and show you all how and what you can use on your electric sign jobs, bring about new ideas with what we stock here on The Sign Syndicate.com located here. http://www.thesignsy...-sign-supplies/

You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life. - Winston Churchill

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Erik;

A shameless advertising ploy by you......................... Just kidding.

Nice looking work, which I have come to expect. I assume this must be somewhere near downtown San Diego? Post the address and I will take a look as usual when I am down your way. Keep up the quality sign installs, it does us all proud.

Dominic

"Don't be afraid to see what you see" - President Ronald Reagan

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Great looking signs Erik.

Quality craftsmanship , built to last ......what a concept. :thumbs:

They will definitely be bright eye catchers at night.

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Thanks all, finally got those night shots but they didn't turn out as good as I hoped for. It was a humid moist night and I don't know if it was a combination of that mixed in with the bright glow of the white but the pics just didn't turn out as what I'd hoped for.

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You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life. - Winston Churchill

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You sure like your channel bond! I fabricated a similar type sign. Instead of the tabs, I cut strips of polycarb and bent them at a 90 deg in the brake making poly carbonate "angle". For the curved letters I ran it through the notcher! I used a similar product to channel bond and chemically welded the angle all the way around. Made for some beefy letters. :crazy: . The job was on a high rise and we installed them from a window washer scaffolding. They still look good 15 years later.

Nice work and congrats on your new business venture.

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