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Anyone have knowledge of making a neon sign?


Alpo

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Watching this movie made in 43. Nightclub has a sign outside. KATIE MALLORY 12TH WEEK

 

Now if it was a sign using changeable letters that would have made sense. Even a painted sign. But this was neon.

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And I thought, they have to make a new sign every week? Bend some glass tubing again? Is it difficult? Is it expensive?

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Bend glass, melt seal the ends with a wire lead into the tube inject neon and melt seal the other end with a wire lead.

 

Run high voltage electric and watch the pretty colors

 

 

 

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He ain't hardly changed at all.

 

Yes, I know I'm going off on a tangent, but it's the same movie. Recognize him?

 

IMG_20230325_125942035.thumb.jpg.d00d7f4667d9736228f820b77a8cc17e.jpg

 

Little Beaver, Red Ryder's faithful Indian companion. Bobby Blake. Grew up to be New York police detective Tony Baretta, with a cockatoo named Fred.

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I used to know a guy that made neon signs. I am sure the numbers could be swapped but it wouldn’t be cheap. Each character would have to be cut out of the circuit and a new one mounted and spliced in. 
 

Robert Blake died recently. 
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/robert-blake-actor-acquitted-wifes-murder-dies-89-97756082

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As long as the length of the new neon glass was approximately the same as the old glass, the transformer would still work with the new glass. You would have to relocate the two GTO wires from the transformer to the proper locations so that the new glass can be connected and change the location of the glass standoffs however.

 

Installing new neon lighting isn't hard but is time consuming. Troubleshooting problems can be time consuming also. I've repaired quite a few problems with neon lighting. It's the transformer about 30% of the time, the glass about 60% of the time and the GTO wire about 10% of the time from what I've seen over the years.

 

There is several neon places around here that still make/design neon lighting. Whenever we had a "dead" piece of glass or a broken piece of glass, I'd take it to the neon guy (Suncoast Neon) and he'd bend an exact replacement including color. It amazing to watch these guys make the tube designs, they are truly artists and craftsmen in a dying industry. LED "neon" lighting/tubing has come a long way and is rapidly replacing true neon lighting.

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There were many neon sign makers back then. They were the standard, even for run down dives. I imagine the price to replace just the numbers wouldn’t have been exorbitant. 

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I've never been able to catch a Neon.  Let alone make a Neon actually Sign for something.  Mostly claim they don't carry Czechs around with them.  Lot like "Keep Alert."  Never been able to catch a lert either.  Elusive little critters.  No clue what to feed 'em. 

 

I truly hate Otto

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