Search the Community

Quality Sign Crafters is seeking an experienced fabricator to join our team. Our ideal candidate should possess understanding of basic sign fabrication, manufacturing, and construction methods along with a broad knowledge of industry materials, finishes, and processes. Duties: - Aluminum, steel, and plastic fabrication. - MIG welding, aluminum and steel. - Channel letter manufacturing. - Wiring of electric sign components. Ex. LED’s, fluorescent lamp fixtures, neon, etc. - Operation of various shop equipment including brakes, shears, drill presses, radial arm saws, etc. - Finish work, paint preparation Preferred skills/ experience: - Experience with aluminum fabrication. - Knowledge of UL standards is a plus. - Leadership experience is a plus. - Experience in the production and manufacturing of electric signs of various types. - Must possess good attention to detail. May be willing to train the right candidate with limited experience. Salary: Based on experience Normal business hours are from 7AM – 3:30 however this position requires occasional overtime. Please call Lisa @ 860-423-1931 or send resume to: Lisa@qualitysign.us

Check this out. This is for a national chain "Stanton Optical" who's saving money on buying their channel letters directly from CHINA, then having local sign shops install them. I don't think need to say much. Upon a closer look, yes the paint job is from a paint can....who's quality is so good even Earl Sheib is jelly!! Oh and let's not leave out the VERY high quality constant voltage (Blue View) LEDs fastened by caulking In case you were going to ask YES........they are UL Listed Thanks sooooo much to our Sign Trade Magazines who's articles pound the bastardization of our industry and turn our trade into a commodity where "anyone can do it" environment everything is now a mail order. Wonder if these came with a 5 year warranty

It's not! It's not because it's still not publicly recognized as being so. ISA still has no clue, even though they tried to claim it here http://www.thesignsyndicate.com/forums/index.php?/topic/5689-neon-ul-green-leaf/ ISA goes out and gives speeches/talks to the public and city officials and when asked why don't they promote/discuss the idea/ fact that Neon is recognized as a green product NOT just LEDs, they shrug their shoulders and have never even had the slightest idea that Neon is. I thought Rich Gottwald said they had neon's best interests at heart, oh wait...I forgot he's now with the Pool and Spa Association now. Hard to keep track, was with the Plastic, then Signs, and now Pools. My bad. Anyhow, that's the big problem when you have individuals who take the reigns of the largest sign association, collect a paycheck who view it as a turnkey business model template that they used from one industry to another and not taking the trade or traditions into account or just going where's it's good to be popular and never taking on the real fight FOR the industry. Neon is green, great! Not that I ever gave one care in the first place as I'm not a greeney or one of those who have the belief that Man is killing the environment, or global warming. Green is nothing more than a marketing tool. Regardless of your own belief or mine, Neon is "recognized" as a Green Product (a marketing statement) why should a UL48 Custom Sign shop be required to pay more to have that extra sticker? Is Neon not part of the sign industry? How many subscribers of UL48 actually pay more for this recognition? Most reading this, probably 95% probably don't even know that Neon is recognized by UL as a Green Product that's on par with LEDs. UL started a program to test and evaluate "Green" products to define what is and what is not, or as they call it to expose the Green Washing. Simply put, Use fictitious facts and figures to define fictitious facts and figures BUT charging for it. It's ingenious for a stupid world, believe me. But who wants to pay to play? Maybe that's why it's a dead program, who would have EVER seen that coming? Well, yes you probably don't because UL has never even promoted it since they created the program. It just got boxed up and filed away in the vast many programs It's no surprise on ISA's part, they don't like Neon. Hell, there's no one in that Association even as a paycheck collecting employee to their board who even uses Neon, let alone has even seen a Neon tube or held one in their hand. I don't even know why anybody who produces or uses Neon would be a paid member of that cartel. Put your money elsewhere, buy an ice cream cone. The only place where you will actually even know that Neon still remotely exists is this forum as well as picking up a copy of Signs of The Times, that's it!

Curious, but even more curious to see what these letters look like. But I can't imagine it actually eliminates a licensed contractor or electrician. After all, power does need to be brought to said location, AND in most states any property improvements does require a licensed contractor to perform, improve or modify property and structures. I suppose you can go owner builder, but what property owner will actually go through the process let alone a property owner allow one of their tenants to perform exterior work with no guarantee THEY won't burn the building down leaving the property owner with no remedy to recover their loss? How will insurance work where the user can install on their own accord? Like I said, I haven't seen but it is curious. So many questions when it comes to liability that need answering. W.Va. sign maker gets utility patent for installation system http://www.timesleaderonline.com/page/content.detail/id/801563/W-Va--sign-maker-gets-utility-patent-for-installation-system.html?isap=1&nav=5020 February 28, 2015 HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) — Tony Wheeler, owner and president of Paris Signs, has been awarded a utility patent for a modular power delivery system he said could change the way electric sign letters are installed. "The system is the only one of its kind and is approved by Underwriters Laboratory and the National Electric Code," Wheeler said. "The innovative feature is that it allows anyone to install electric channel letters without an electrical license." Channel letters are custom-made metal or plastic letters that are commonly used on the buildings of business, churches and other organizations for exterior signs. According to its website, the Underwriters Laboratory is a global independent safety science company that promotes safe living and working environments, helps safeguard people, products and places and facilitates trade. "All over the nation and world there's a safety regulation," Wheeler said. "The Underwriters Laboratory does testing and everything that has the 'UL' symbol means it's safe. All the municipalities throughout the United States require that UL be on signage." One hurdle Wheeler said his patent helps clear — since signs are required to be UL-approved after installation as well — is the requirement the job be performed by a certified electrician. "What we did is develop a system where anyone can install channel letters and plug them together," he said. "and it's still UL and National Electric Code-approved." Wheeler detailed what makes his system worthy of a utility patent. "We used special wire and special plastic," he said. "It's all molded plastics and three-prong plugs and there's a whole system to all the components. We sell it that way so whenever the client gets the letters it's a quick and easy install and it's already UL-approved so they can get their permit faster." The system is sold only along with letters, and UL requires Paris Signs to produce the system because of certain criteria that must be met. Wheeler received the patent in late 2014 and will soon launch a website. "We have an all-new website under construction to use as a direct marketing tool to sell the letters with the patented system," he said. "About 70 percent of our business is repeat customers. Mostly what we have tried to do is sell to sign companies, which works pretty well, but we're actually going to go direct-market to consumers with the new website." Incorporated in 1991, Paris Signs is located at 2400 5th St. Road in Huntington. Visit www.parissigns.com for more information.

MET vs UL or MET & UL After some conversations with a few shops who went MET Laboratories from a UL exodus are becoming disappointed. And it's coming from the changes that MET is adding, it appears that MET is not really competing against UL, their trying to get the same deal as UL gets from their subscriber base. MET once separated themselves when they initially entered the electric sign market by sticking with the OSHA standards whereas UL would stray from them and turning the standards more into a profit model by adding unnecessary changes, more shop visits, higher charges, adding in additional webinars and programs. MET Laboratories went from 2 annual visits to 4 just like UL along with other similar like changes. Unfortunately for those of us in the electric sign industry who were hoping for a true UL competitor, WE aren't getting one after all. MET Laboratories did look promising at first, buit it appears their falling by the wayside and just looking to get, what UL gets from it's subscribers. I can't see how or why they would expect anyone who is currently UL48 to change over with very little incentive, it's become more of picking the lesser of two evils.....what a pity.

We're a small company in NY state. Almost never are we required to have labeled electrical signs. We do not work in NYC. Few municipalities in the area have the requirement buried somewhere in their code but most inspectors don't even know what to look for or don't bother. Once or twice we've had to order signs from a listed shop in order to work in an area, but still made money, and it was only once or twice. Recently as we get referred more and more we've been coming across work that would have us manufacturing for other parts of the country where it is required, or work inside malls where it is almost always required. I'll be reaching out to UL MET and ETL regarding pricing and the process. But from what I hear I'm not sure if we have enough potential business to justify the extra overhead. It's sort of a chicken before the egg situation I'm thinking. If we don't list, we can't get the work. If we do list, we could get some more work, but not sure if enough...

Who thinks UL, MetLab, et al, are a farce? Here's an example of what a wonderful UL label gets you: http://www.thesignsyndicate.com/forums/index.php?/topic/6079-ugly-led-work/ And what UL charges is a crime in and of itself. A joke. I had gotten a quote from MetLab for a site inspection - UL was double and when I told them that, they immediaely dropped their price. Wonder how many companies they ripoff on a daily basis??

Got some news over the Fathers Day Weekend. With the hard efforts from a few Neon Manufacturers and The Neon Group, they've finally broke ground in getting U.L. to recognize Neon as part of U.L.'s new program (ULVS) UL Verification Services (Sign Energy Certification Service), UL Green Leaf. The Neon Group has been hard at work behind the scenes to get this accomplished without the help of any other sign organization/association or International Sign Association. If you're interested in not only having your electric signs be UL Listed (UXYT), but you can also pay the extra money to have your neon signs recognized as a "Green" (ULVS) product, and find itself slip into the easy process of filling out those California Title 24 forms when you go to file sign permits that are enforcing the CA State Energy Regulation. I'm not a "Green" person in the slightest, but we all must applaud The Neon Group for doing all this leg work to have Neon recognized as a efficient lighting product, that is also a easily recyclable product as an option to show clients and outsiders of our industry that they are characterized and sit right alongside other light sources like LEDs. The Neon Group can't do and continue these efforts alone, they get very little to no help from any other sign organizations or trade magazines for coverage so it's very important if you're a Neon shop, you support The Neon Group http://www.theneongroup.org/. They're trying very hard to fight back, reverse direction against the mis-characterization that has devastated an important heritage in our electric sign trade. Their fighting in the most important arena that can be fought, and has yet to be fought, the arena of "Public Opinion". So again, they need your help. Electric Sign Energy Certification CFD.pdf

Why is it that every Sign Association is filled with a bunch of "Do Nothings" who are regurgitates/throwbacks from one Sign Association after the other??? Or serving in multiple Associations at once???? They pride themselves in turning government regulation into a profitable program for themselves for all to assimilate to INSTEAD of doing what's right for the industry they represent, AND fighting it! Are they all from France??? Seriously! Who is DUMB enough to spend money to PROVE they are green???? I thought it was just a MARKETING term to throw out at the ignorant public all to sell a good or service? NOW it really exists??? I'd like to have one DEFINE Green, what makes you Green? Compared to? U.L.-E or U.L. - Environment, It's such a failed program where even the UL inspectors don't even want part in, or even understand it!!!. Are the ice caps melting or not? It the earth warming or cooling??? Can man shift nature???? We just discovered the scientist that claimed polar bears were dying because of man made global warming was lying the whole time, and now he's in federal custody for fraud. So what is it? Now we NEED mythical studies to study a myth??? An this our Associations cozy up too? Is this the reason why they are against the new Office of Government Ethics proposed law???? (Stay tune for this one in a separate thread) I will never buy a UL-E product because I know I will have to pay more to do so, all costs get passed down. KNowing Green is the new communist red I will buy from their competition who doesn't use Marketing statements, (something that is executed and never explained) The latest is California Sign Associations proud announcement of UL Green Leaf listing. Expect more since the Sign Hugger is in charge with more Marketing barrages and a stick of broccoli in mouth. http://www.calsign.o...s/ul/index.html

With everyone's annual UL Listing ending in December and to be renewed in January it's time to take a SERIOUS look at MET Laboratories as a competing alternative. Less hassle, less in annual costs in the long run. Everyone has asked and looked for an alternative to the tyrannical UL that has gotten out of hand, well.....Here it is.