Jump to content

bonehead

Board Member
  • Posts

    81
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    18

Everything posted by bonehead

  1. Who put that walkway there? I wonder which would be worse, having to pay for the damage and probably getting fired, or the embarrassment of having your worst moment immortalized in the newspaper.
  2. Depending on how you look at it, our society has advanced to either a hilarious joke or a pathetic drama. I said 'advanced' but I'm not sure that's the right word. My idea for this issue would be three restrooms in all public places; one for women, one for men, and one for "Other". I also think the cost of this extra outhouse would and should be financed by those who think it's appropriate.
  3. I wouldn't apply a standard formula for installations of any kind. Each location has different factors which affect the installation cost. Like the others have mentioned, your prices are extremely low. Maybe if it's right next door and it can be done by one man and a stepladder, no electrical hookup, and permits are a walk-through - but that's rarely the case. You might ask the account manager what they have for an allowance, or an average install cost. They'll probably quote it low, but that might give you some idea of what they're expecting to pay. Also, assuming that you are new in the business, you might want to check out the forwarding company on this website. See how they pay their bills and how they are to work with. At your rates, one or two bad accounts could be a real financial setback.
  4. Internet sign search I recently got a call from someone looking for a digital message center. I've gotten away from that type work, so I tried looking on the internet for somebody to refer this customer to. What a mess!. I typed in "Sign companies in Kansas City". One of the first sites that popped up was the "YP Yellow Pages". I got literally hundreds of listings - a few sign companies, but also listings for tires, electricians, used car dealers, lawn care, you name it. Continued search. I found various websites wanting to help me locate what I needed, but when I opened the website I got advertisements for everything except what I was looking for. I got other websites wanting to sell me a website called "Sign companies in Kansas City". I finally found one that was fairly good "DexKnows.com". But, I got not only sign companies, but T-shirt shops, printers, business card printers, bumper stickers, coffee mugs and so on. I tried to refine the search, but the message came up "Cannot find a business named "Sign Companies in Kansas City". If I wasn't a sign guy, I wouldn't have a clue who to call. At least with the old yellow pages, there seemed to be a fairly sensible arrangement to the categories, and a guy could find something pretty close to what was needed. Now, everybody sells everything. I think you might have just as good a chance if you just started calling random numbers. So, there's my rant for the day, it's time for my nap. Tomorrow I'll find something else to gripe about. Best wishes for all of you .
  5. I don't know about the reverse polarity, but I maybe can help with the Blue Charger. The switch, or lever that says 'charge' or 'weld' could have some crud accumulated on it, especially if it sat for a while. You might try switching this back and forth a few times. Sometimes dust or grease will build up on the contacts, and going back and forth might clear it up. Also, if you remove the top cover of the machine, you can find two fuses on the controls side, near the top. Check these fuses. Otherwise, there's a circuit board near the fuses which controls the charge/weld circuits. This component is a 'usual suspect'. There was a Blue Charger for sale in this forum a while back, I don't know if it sold or not. If all else fails, You might do a search for it. Good luck with it.
  6. My company used to do some really neat stuff many years ago. Unfortunately in my area, creativity has been forbidden. Now it's dark bronze, with white helvetica, square corners, 50 sq. ft, x 6 ft high, etc. I really enjoy seeing the "good stuff".
  7. In Kansas, the law says that once a fixture is installed, it becomes a part of the real estate and cannot be repossessed. A lawsuit gets you a little piece of paper that says "Yes, he really does owe you the money" - and that is as good as nothing. Eventually we found out that you can, instead, sue for a "Writ of Replevin" - which gives you the legal right to repossess the sign, or parts, or whatever. When you show up at high noon, with this writ in hand, it's amazing how fast a check can be written. You can also request a Sheriff's deputy to be on hand, there is no charge for this. If the police are called, the Sheriff trumps the local police. The owner never shows up to defend the suit, you win by default, and it's just as easy to get the writ as a money judgement.
  8. I'm always getting some new gadget or other for my truck. Here's an interesting one. Some of you older guys know that once in a while an emergency bathroom issue can arise, and sometimes it's noplace near a restroom. So when I saw this item, I thought 'Aha - just the thing for those inconvenient situations. The deal breaker was the line that says "Not for use when vehicle is in motion". Dang.
  9. Howdy, you mentioned you might like some pix or ideas. I don't think this box would work on your truck, but it might give you some ideas that you could modify somehow. I built this box some years ago, and it works out pretty well for me. I can store a dozen of each size lamp from 96" down to 12". Each side of the lamp storage area steps up or down in relation to the lamps sizes stored on the opposite side. Each side has a 4 ft. long slide out drawer for smaller stuff. The top of the box is built over a 3/4" plywood sheet, so I can stand on it without bending the metal. The frame is made of 1" steel square tube, so it's pretty stout. Just like building a sign!! If you can use any of this for ideas, good luck with your project.
  10. Hi Kieth - I've only got one that I want to get rid of. It's a 90's International 4700 truck, with a 55 ft. Sponco Hydraulic ladder. The ladder is in pretty good shape, but the truck is a stinker. Engine has a head gasket problem, rusty as all get out. Price? I would like to get it out of here. Anybody who can come get it can have it. Free. No charge. Nada. No Dinero. The only thing is, if somebody wants the ladder they have to take the truck with it.
  11. Thanks, Sean. I had an offer of $1200.00 from a local guy, I thought that was pretty low. Maybe not.
  12. Hi all. I've got a neon department I'm thinking of liquidating. It's pretty old, and has an older glass manifold. Everything was well maintained, and it all works. Here's a list of stuff included: Ribbon fire, Crossfire, Cannon fire, Various tipping torches, Extra mixing valves 12 KVA bombarder & slide choke - Roots type blower / air pump Aging racks, bending table, pumping table Antique electrode collection. Glass; about a pickup bed full of old glass. All of the glass is leaded, anything from all the every day standard colors (all diameters) to some exotics. Also have a full roll of asbestos pattern paper. Several boxes of new electrodes, all sizes. Anyhow, the whole thing is just gathering dust right now, and at my age I don't reckon I'll be in the mood to blow the dust off and start bending again. Could anybody help me get an idea of what this collection of stuff might be worth? Thanks in advance - Mike
  13. Hey Paul - thanks - I hadn't thought of a seat, but now that you mention it.......................
  14. Well, I took the afternoon off and decided to sit in front of the AC for a while. It's 103 just outside my front door, so here I'll stay for the rest of the day. I thought you crane guys might like to see some catalog pages from an old sign supply catalog. These don't compress very well, so they are probly a little fuzzy. Like moi. The price page is hard to read, but it offers a brand new 85 ft. Skyhook for $5200.00. This is from 1957.
  15. Hi All. I re-read some older posts regarding aerial ladders vs bucket trucks. One of the things mentioned was - with an aerial ladder, you have to carry your tools up with you. That's a pain in the butt. But I rigged up something that works well for me, photos attached. I keep all of the standard hand tools in this box, everything that I might expect to need when I get in the air. It swivels to level itself, has a locking 'brake'' to hold it in place, a tray for small stuff and holders for tools in use. It's waterproof, and I leave the tools in it all the time. If you've got a bucket or a platform, you probably wouldn't need something like this, but I find it pretty helpful. Next week I'll be working on a cupholder and ashtray. Here's the pix -
  16. I applied for a permit in the City of Lee's Summit, MO - a suburb of Kansas City. The rule for a wall sign is (was) 10 percent of the facade area. Facade is 1500 sq. ft. - sign area is 150 sq. ft. Both figures were on the drawing and the permit application. Application was rejected. Asked why, the inspector said I "didn't show my work - how I calculated that 150 square feet was ten percent of 1500 sq. ft." I.E., he wanted me to write down the algebra. As Burke said above, Small people with a little power going to their heads.
  17. It's so hot around here - the other day I saw a dog chasin' a cat, and they were both walkin'. If you can't carry Gatorade with you, get some Potassium Gluconate tablets. Pour cold water down the crook of your elbow and the inside of your wrist. If you stop sweating, you better get in the shade and sit down. Be nice to old signhangers.
  18. In the Kansas City area, there are roughly 22 municipalities. There are still a few who have 'counter service', and if it meets code, you can walk in with the paperwork and walk out with the permit. Most take a few days. Some are now having the project go before some sort of zoning board or city council. Our worst local kingdom is Leawood, which - believe it or not - can take up to a year. Yup, I said a year.
  19. Hey, Brian. Here's some pix of a ladder rack I put together for my ladder truck. The DOT is now saying you can't use bungee cords to tied stuff down, and I was always getting my ratchet straps tied in knots or lost, or whatever. So anyhoo, here's what I came up with. This is for the stepladder. I keep the straight ladder in the bay between the bed rails) ( The outside tabs keep the ladder on the rack - When the spring loaded rod is in place, it keeps the ladder from lifting upwards Might be a little overkill, but it works for me.
  20. Excellent idea! I'm gonna have one in process this weekend. Thanks!
  21. Really good video - thanks for posting!
  22. Oh, so that's how it's done. And all these years, I thought you were supposed to use a truck, and tie the stuff down. I can't quit chuckling about this one. I'm gonna start taking my camcorder in the truck with me.
  23. I heard that in the new episode, Darth Vader is married. His wife's name is Ella.
  24. Hey, Chubby - you specified core and coil ballasts. I do a lot of lighting work, so I have a lot of core & coil ballasts. To part these out, I saw the two welds on one end, then hammer off the outside iron parts of the coil. (After sawing the weld, they come off easily.) Then, I hammer out the center iron part. I'm left with two copper donuts, which are usually about six pounds total weight. These, I sell for $3.00 per pound. I throw the iron parts of the core in a barrel, and sell these for ten cents a pound. FYI, a 5 gallon bucket of copper coils weighs about 100 lbs. This translates to $300.00 per bucket. For my encased sign ballasts and neon transformers, I pile them beside the dumpster, and they're gone in the morning. For me, they're not worth messing with.
×
  • Create New...