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bonehead

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bonehead last won the day on February 6 2020

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About bonehead

  • Birthday 04/12/1948

Contact Methods

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    oldfangle@att.net

Profile Information

  • Name
    Mike Welch
  • Company
    Welch Sign Co.
  • Job Title
    Janitor & CEO
  • City & State
    Kansas City MO
  • Gender
    Male

Previous Fields

  • Company Type
    Full Service Shop

Quick Company Info

  • Contact Number
    913-831-4499
  • Address
    Merriam KS
  • Equipment
    Hammer, duct tape, hot glue, thumbtacks

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  1. Looking at gasoline prices and browsing through some old shop photos. This is me changing gas price sign when I was a kid. Better times, I think.
  2. I see that you don't have any replies. I'm not sure if this would help any, but I used to use Grip-Flex translucent paint, originally used to spray paint plastic sign faces. It had to be sprayed on, a brush coating would not look good. Also, it dried with a flat sheen. But, it was handy for getting some odd colors if you had to use this method. Seemed to adhere to the glass just fine, never chipped or peeled. Depth of color adjusted by number of coats applied. Might work for you, might not - good luck.
  3. Man, that was pure luck that it didn't do more damage. I would hope they were removing it for disposal. I have to figure it was improper rigging. I notice that both straps came loose at exactly the same time, which is kind of odd. If the guy who rigged it still has a job, hopefully he learned something from the experience. I have to imagine that incidents of this nature is why we all pay high insurance premiums.
  4. Yes, the one shown in the bottom image is from Light Efficient Design, and this is the one I have used the most of. I get them from 1000Bulbs.com, who by the way have excellent customer service, shipping and pricing. Bonehead
  5. I hope I'm not too late to be of some help. I have done many parking lot retrofits, and used lots of different style LED products. The one I find the easiest and most efficient is called a "Paddle Bulb"; I've attached an image. I've installed a few hundred of these, and they seem to hold up well - this has become my "Go To" product for all shoebox retrofits, but only for replacing up to 400 watt lamps. Most shoebox type fixtures use a horizontally installed lamp. A corn cob style will have LED's arrayed 360 degrees around the lamp, which means that quite a lot of the output is either reflected off the back, or straight out the sides - which amounts to considerable light loss. The paddle style lamp has all of the LED's arranged flat, on the projecting surface of the lamp - so, you are able to use 100% of the output. These just screw into the mogul lamp socket (after you have bypassed or removed the original ballast). Just do a google search for LED Paddle Bulbs. I hope this is of some help, and good luck. Bonehead
  6. Aside from the specific brand of truck you choose, the engine is an important consideration. Lots of medium duty chassis are available with various engine types. One to avoid for sure is a Mercedes engine; secondly Caterpillar quit making truck engines. Also on the Cats, it's nearly impossible to find information regarding how-to videos or diagrams for engine work. My best experiences are with the International DT 466 engines; also Cummins diesels. BTW, when I bought a brand new GMC with a Cat engine, the dealer is saying "This is a million-mile engine". Browsing through the owner's manual, I discover that the factory recommends and an in-frame overhaul at 188,000 miles. WTF? A sign guy shouldn't be expected to be a truck mechanic as well, but if you aren't somewhat knowledgable about your trucks you'll be at the mercy of the dealer's service department, and they have no mercy.
  7. I'm retired now, after 50 years in the business - 36 years running my own shop. Everyone is spot on about the problem of finding qualified help. Or even unqualified help for that matter. There isn't room enough here to write all of my thoughts on all of the problems in this industry, so I'll just pass on a recent observation. I happened to see a help wanted ad from a sign company, something like this: "XYZ is the premiere leader in the Kansas City sign industry, and we're looking for partners to grow with us" Candidates must be a team player in a fast-paced corporate environment. Should have a degree in rocket science, be able to lift 80 pounds, be proficient in Corel, Adobe, Word, CAD, vinyl and wrap installation, knowledge of neon and high voltage wiring, welding, (Stick, Tig & Mig,), layout and design skills, have a CDL license, be able to back up a 30 ft. trailer, operate a crane, know about fluorescent and LED lighting, not be afraid to dig foundations in 90 degree heat or work over 100 ft. in the air, , experience with every kind of hand and electrical tools, excellent customer communication skills, and able to leap over tall buildings with a single bound. Starting pay $14.00 per hour. Funny. Good luck to you all.
  8. I was with Nationwide for many years, but at renewal time they got a brand new underwriter. I wasn't supposed to see the emails from her to my agent, but he forwarded them to me, possibly by mistake. The new underwriter told my agent that it was very suspicious that I had full coverage on all my trucks, since my financial statement indicated that they were fully depreciated and thus had no value. I found it difficult to believe that an adult in the business world had no clue what depreciation is. After I got done laughing, I found another insurance company, which worked out well for me since they were quite a bit less money. Every time I hear the commercial "Nationwide Is On Your Side", I still get a chuckle
  9. Eddie, I have a question. You say that a new cabinet would better meet today's codes. Would you mind expanding on why? I was of the opinion that these signs were pretty well made, and produced to meet codes in any jurisdiction, since they were shipped to almost everywhere. Specifically what codes have changed that would make these signs non-compliant? Thanks
  10. This looks like a retainer off of a Phillips 66 sign. I don't have any of those signs left in the boneyard, but I'll bet if you could find out who was making the 66 signs, they could give you a good clue. Good luck with it.
  11. So, Travis - - - any luck yet? Can you give us an update?
  12. Whether or not the IRS seized his assets should not negate his debt to you. A lot depends on the contract wording, such as what remedies will be available in case of a default. Usually the original contract should specify what will happen if you don't get paid. If he's a corporation he might be able to hide his personal assets. I really hope you can get paid. Good luck and keep us informed if you can ...............
  13. Gary, thanks for the response. I did ask some of the local suppliers about the value of the old glass, but they couldn't give me any idea. They did put me in touch with a large shop in Florida - they are offering a pretty nice premium over the price of new glass, and they want all of it. As far as the equipment itself, I'm working with a local guy who wants to buy the whole plant, so I'm pretty sure it's sold now.
  14. Thanks Gary. I think that's a good idea. Appreciate the input. Do you think you could give me an idea of what value to put on - say, a full carton of 15 mm x 6500 white - (new, old stock)?
  15. Hi all. I'm getting ready to sell my neon equipment, and a local bender wants to make me an offer on all of my old glass. This is all the older leaded type glass, and I have about fifty cases of mixed colors and sizes plus a couple of cases of mixed exotic colors, some 5' tubes, mostly 4 ft. Can anyone give me an idea of what this might be worth? This is probably a tough question sight-unseen, but any advice would help. I had been told there might be some value in this glass since it's leaded. Thanks in advance - Mike
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