Sign Shack Hfx

Are you talking about Styrofoam peanuts? I'd ask the local shipping/mailbox store if they want to haul them away for re-use. JC

Thanks Gary, yeah the situation sucks but I worked too hard get into a house and decent vehicle over the past 5 years, some of that time working in Fort McMurray, Alberta. Things will come around and eventually the self-employment income will be enough to support myself again. At present the other job has me working Sunday all day then afternoon-evening on Monday to Wednesday. Off the other days. So I can still do some sign work early in the week and all day Thurs/Fri/Sat if the work is there. Just won't be standing over hot burners and playing with high voltages. Did a vinyl window frost application yesterday and made the same take home cash as I would in 4 days at the outside job. If I could do that 2 or 3 times a week I'd be thrilled. I see light at the end of the tunnel... hope it's not from LEDs I don't have any more neon jobs to do and will work on a couple of small personal projects before the end of the month. I want to make 6 neon candy canes to light up my walkway at Christmas and also plan on doing some under the cabinet lighting for the kitchen. JC

Hi Erik, Email complaint was sent to Microsoft/Hotmail/Outlook support. JC

I've been doing a lot of thinking on where my business was going and how to get revenue back on track. Living in a depressed economy like the one Nova Scotia currently has is adding stress and bringing health issues to the list of priorities I need to deal with. So after 2 years of trying to convince retail and wholesale clients that neon is a superior product compared to most LED products I'm getting tired of being told it's too expensive and seeing those same clients opt for LEDS more and more. I had to take on a 30 hours a week outside job to make ends meet. In fact I'm down to one wholesale client and they were only bringing in a half dozen repairs each month towards the end. So my neon shop gets shut down as of Sept. 30th. My vinyl cutter had been collecting dust in the basement office for months and months but in the last month I've made more money on simple magnetics, coroplast and aluminum signs compared to what the neon shop would have brought in over a 4 month period. Calls have started to come in for commercial printing quotes and actual sales (all out-sourced) along with promotional product orders. I'm going to focus on marketing this stuff and hopefully I can go back to fulltime self employment next year. As for the neon shop, the decision is made and once I do an inventory everything will be up for sale. Boxes and boxes of #300, #200 and 200p housings, 1.75, 3.5 & 5" glass tube supports, brass electrode caps, D-2 and D-2S housings, all kinds of stuff plus the equipment (newly purchased factory rebuilt 1402 and a 2 year old Transco bombarding setup), remaining glass and electrode inventory and a new Kitco glass cutter. Eventually the neon room will be transformed into a cutting and painting area for wood sign panels. Sad to leave that part of the industry after 20 plus years but I can't see any other way of pulling out of the downhill slide the economy has taken me on. I'm not willing to lose the house, truck and other stuff just to save an idle neon plant. Jean-Claude

I don't think the hotel is responsible for maintaining the Pegasus sign, that responsibility falls onto The Dallas Foundation and Dallas Adopt a Monument Fund. Anyways, some LED proponents will say anything they can to kill off the remaining neon trade. Pretty bad when you can't sell your product based on facts and have to lower yourself to unfounded claims, be it the alleged LED advantages or the so-called hazards of neon.

I've got a pallet load of new neon components sitting in my storage unit. Some 13,000 glass tube supports in 1.75, 3.5 and 5" sizes. Some of the 1.75" models are pre-wired and silicone dipped in boxes of 500. Also have glass and porcelain housings: 100pcs #100's, 285pcs #200's, 200pcs #200P's, 870pcs #300's, 222pcs Transco D2's, 150pcs D2 special's (start/end of circuit). There are also some porcelain insulators and federal bushings in there. I can be reached at 902-384-2287 or email signshack@outlook.com Located in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Thanks Jean-Claude

Hi Everyone, I have been sorting through the extra inventory on hand and have come up with a list of never used housings, tube supports and even a few housing transformers. I prefer to sell by the box quantity to avoid freight damage issues, of course leftovers will be packaged appropriately: 100pcs #100 housings $4.00each (100/box) 285pcs #200 housings $3.50 each (50/box) 200pcs #200P housings, some pyrex and some porcelain, $3.25 each (packed 100/box for pyrex, 50 for porcelain) 870pcs #300 housing $3.50 each (100/box) - these are great to prevent service calls due to bugs shorting out neon connections! 300pcs 13mm white short stops 20cents each (100/box) 300pcs 15mm "" "" "" 20cents each (100/box) 10,500pcs 1.75" glass tube supports 15cents each (500/box) 1675pcs 3" glass tube supports 30cents each (100/box) 85pcs 5" '' '' '' 45cents each (85/box) 200pcs 90 degree glass tube supports 30cents each (100/box) 222pcs D2 housings $1.75each (50/box) 150pcs D2 Special housings $1.75 each (50/box) D2S is used as connection point between first/last tubes and GTO. 25pcs G-Cups $50/lot 100pcs Brown federal bushings $75.00/lot 100pcs Porcelain cable supports $200/lot 10pcs 5000/60 housing transformers $25each or all 10 for $175.00 4pcs 3000/60 housing transformers $25each or all 4 for $75.00 Prices are in Canadian Dollars, items will ship from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Buyers pay freight and look after any custom clearance issues. I deal with Livingston International for most of my cross-border shipments and can ask them for a quote on shipping and/or customs brokerage services if you send me your delivery details. I'll double check the inventory counts prior to packaging your orders and advise of any differences. Invoice amount will be reduced in such cases. Willing to consider offers on large orders. I can be reached by email: signshack@outlook.com or by phone (902) 384-2287 Thanks. Jean-Claude Theriault Sign Shack Middle Musquodoboit, NS

FMS is stocking flasks, they are listed on the website. A conversation on another neon board mentioned Spec Gas as a good supplier for metal cylinders. Not the same company as Spectra Gas who was bought out by Linde and apparently doesn't want much to do with the neon trade.

Maybe he likes the classic look of neon :) I laugh everytime I see these led under car kits going by. Looks like someone used Lite Bright toys when you see all the dots.

An interesting read: http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/I-80-EQUIPMENTLLC/internet/I-80-EQUIPMENTLLC-Erik-R-Jones-FRAUD-FRAUD-FRAUD-FRAUD-FRAUD-Did-I-mention-FRAUD-Intern-932320

Just found out it was Pattison Signs.

Does anyone know who is doing this week's Empire Theatres to Cineplex rebranding in Atlantic Canada? None of the large shops in my area are working on it. Thanks!

Hi Sean. Hope the new job is going well! I thought about a dremel tool and asked for opinions on here or the neon-l, can't remember which one. But the answers weren't pro-Dremel. I think the residue and glass dust were the concerns. Since you are no longer at the other place, can you tell me where I can source a diffusion pump heater control? I'm still using the old style exposed rheostat and it's looking in pretty shape these days. Thanks!

I just wanted to thank Mike at Monarch Neon Supplies for making my days less stressful after my new Kitco unit arrived. No more worn out files on this lead free tubing! I'm pretty impressed with how narrow of a sliver can be cut using it. Thanks!

And it appears to be a member on this board too! One neon letter repairs pays for a complete LED changeover, not too likely unless you over price the repair just to get the LED order. I might be wrong but don't sign repair companies make more money when their trucks are sent out on job sites? Just wondering what will happen when everything gets changed to LED and no service calls come in for a few years. No service calls = no revenue.

I hear ya. Note the highlighted quote, debating whether I approach the nearby provincial wildlife park to see if one of their monkeys would like to learn how to install LEDs as a winter hobby. It's not a human so I could pay way less than minimum wage

Apparently it's not just the LED people who are snake oil vendors. I called the local Entela testing rep to get some info and when he discovered I was back in the neon biz he sort of laughed and said "why? it's a dying art, LEDs are taking over". I explained that I'm trying to promote a product with a track record when it comes to brightness, efficiency and long-life. He believes LEDs meet those specs as well. In any event his quote on getting certified as an Entela shop was out to lunch - 4 site visits at $700+ each, instituting a quality control system (for a 1 man shop!) another $2000, testing of each type of sign to be made $500 each. So year 1 would be about $10,000.00 in costs. No thank you.

I can get away with it in my region since the municipality sends all contents of the garbage trucks through a sorting facility. I can't imagine it would be fun working on that conveyor line after the trash comes out of a hot truck in the summer.

When getting back into the neon biz I took neon and LED samples into our municipal trash authority to get their opinions. Anything pumped without mercury can either be recycled or dumped right in the trash bin, mercury tubes must eventually make their way to a fluorescent/HID lamp recycler. The tubes, electrodes and mercury are pretty much 100% recyclable. However after looking at the LED borders and modules it was explained that the minute amount of valuable content would not be enough to recoup the costs to separate the materials so they'd get buried in the landfill. Guess this makes neon lighting GREEN like UL recently announced. The hotel doing the switchover will pay dearly when the LEDs fail and a costly refit occurs. Jean-Claude

How does retrofitting the cabinet affect the listing decal installed for the original lighting? Just curious since I see lots of retrofit jobs where the power info label still says lamps, transformers, ballasts but nothing shows the changes done.

Wow, Rich really read too deep into the posting and apparently got his undergarments (can we say panties on here?) in a knot. I didn't read it as a personal attack but asking questions that any business owner should ask of a trade association that wants to represent sign makers. I don't think it's too much to ask for people holding top association positions to be experienced in the industry before taking on such responsibilities.

And don't forget the quality control staff sitting in their strollers.

Buy this man a drink. The latest disturbing trend I've seen around town is annoying LED borders. Pray these don't come to your town. Thousands of bright white dots around roof-lines or window frames to say, look here, we know how to turn your head in the most tacky way possible. All you need is a staple gun. I will get photos and post soon. Oh please don't post a pic of that crap - someone in our industry will think it's a great idea and head off to their local Home Depot to buy a roll of led rope lighting! LOL Actually I look forward to the pics so that I can show my clients the difference between a professional neon installation and the stuff installed by Joe Blow Fly-by-Nighter down the road.

Don't you just love companies like them? I don't get the marketing tactics of some people and most of their clients believe the bs spewed during the sales call. At least I'm not getting undercut on neon prices here, now that cut-throat pricing has moved to magnetic signs I quoted on: $75.00/pair two color cut vinyl 12x24, client got a written quote from a newbie, same size/colors but all digital print for $35.00/pair!

Thats fine. Just had me curious since I see many neon to led conversions that end up re-installing neon when the sign owner realises that they made the wrong choice in going led, be it brightness or longevity claims that were too good to be true.