Larry Orr of Orr signs in Lindely, NY does the billboards at Dunn Field in Elmira, NY for the Elmira Pioneers. He had six 12'x 20' boards to do in two days. He called Steve Hughey, sign artist from Corning, NY and myself to join in the mahem! We had to paint while the team practiced. They supplied each one of us with a "guard". Those baseballs are hard!!! We got the job done, now off to the golf course! The surfaces of these signs are unbelievable!! A true test of your skills! Actually, this is one of the better panels. We are all competetors, but help eachother when necessary and play golf once a week! We also dreag Bob Timmerman of Sunsine Signs along, although not in this maess. He is smarter than we are. Posted by cheryl nordby (Member # 1100) on :
Hi there Tony.....nice to see you! You have a great website. BIG signs!
Posted by Dan Sawatzky (Member # 88) on :
That would be a 'fun' job.
I did some murals down in OHIO a few years ago. To lay them out quick I used an overhead projector. Of course it needed to be dark.
The committee freaked out when I told them of what I needed to do. They insisted that I have an armed guard to watch my back... there had been four unsolved murders in the last year within a block of where I was to paint.
I got to the mural site as the sun went down... and so did the armed guard. He was nervous... pulled out his gun checked the load and told me to get painting... while he watched.
To say I painted fast was an understatement!
After the first mural, the next one was on the back of the local jail... I thought I was safe there for sure... but no, they insisted on an armed guard there too. Cities are too wierd for me.... I like the country better.
-dan
Posted by Michael Boone (Member # 308) on :
Me an the wife painted some shuffleboard courts one time..borders and all.it was at a marina..surrounded by giant oak trees.... It was a windy day It was in the fall...
Guess what..New York is a dangerous state fer sign painters! Acorns hurt jess as bas as baseballs! Heh... I wonder if its safe to work in those vineyards down yer way? Grapes are soft!!!!!!!!!
Posted by Tony Vickio (Member # 2265) on :
People think its easy being a sign painter!
Posted by Monte Jumper (Member # 1106) on :
It is easy...surviving is the tuff part
Al Britton and I did a barricade on a downtown Denver street (years ago) and wished we had used a guard. A transit bus brushed one of our ladders...paint went everywhere but we hung on somehow.
Later we put a saw horse with flags on it up the block...it was such a curiosity setting there that everyone got cautious...the whole experience accelerated our work ethic somewhat...so the boss was happy Posted by ScooterX (Member # 2023) on :
i just had that happen on Wednesday! i was putting vinyl up on some high windows and a homeless guy riding in a shopping cart winged the ladder at about 20 mph! (i had my drop cloth out and four orange traffic cones, but it didn't help). i landed on all fours, and the ladder didn't smash the window, so it was OK, but it could have been a nightmare.
(i went back to finish the next day, drove my truck up onto the sidewalk next to the windows, put the ladder in the bed of the truck and worked from the safety of the "crib". a cop told me to move the truck so i told him what happened. he shrugged and let me finish.
i'm going to get a ladder rack for the truck in a few months, and then i'll have a scaffold platform to work from!
Posted by captain ken (Member # 742) on :
I was doing some signage for information booths for Massport ( the company that runs logan Airport) through a general contractor. The booths were built and finish around September 7th the signs were done and were to go up a week later. Needless to say after the 11th I was not allowed in the airport at all. a month later I was able to go in with an employee of the general contractor AND supervised by the National Gaurd. Yikes! It was kinda spooky going into the airport again.
Posted by Carl Wood (Member # 1223) on :
Well- coulda used one 'bout 2 years ago - was painting a Bail bondsmans wall in the ghetto in Memphis, TN., sure enuff, a one - legged man walked up to my ladder & started hassling me - almost knocked me down - just cause I wouldn't give him any "spare change" - imagine that - - -
Posted by Steve Barba (Member # 431) on :
When I go out to the air force base to paint a nose art, I have to have a babysitter. I think its kinda funny that when I was active duty, I could go anywhere on that flightline. Now that I'm a dirty civilian again, I need someone to watch me.
Couple of months ago- I was in the hanger painting a jet, when a Lear jet crashed at the end of the runway. I had left my wallet in my car that day,(ID's), so I figgured the cops would escort me to my car to get my ID. Well, the cops did come around quickly and started thier crap. I told them where my ID was, and they ,(being bored cops), started getting nervous. Then I showed them my hands and said, "I'm the painter, see?" They said, "Oh- OK"- and let me go with no ID check. Typical military LOL
Posted by Si Allen (Member # 420) on :
Hey Scooter....when I used to work with my pick ups...I bolted 1/2 inch plywood to the top of the ladder rack!
Mobile scaffold! With a step ladder on top, I could work on stuff 15 feet high!
Posted by Ben Sherr (Member # 2874) on :
About three weeks ago I was painting in the garage behind my house late at night (as usual - do people actually paint in daylight?). I stepped out of the door and surprised three punks who where in my driveway looking over my 67 Mustang. They acted kinda' surprised to see me for some reason, and didn't stick around to introduce themselves. Instead they ran off across the neighbor's back yard - and straight in the back door of their own home. Turned out they were two teenagers and one younger kid, whose mothers had left them home while they went clubbing. I guess the oldest kid was fulfilling his responsibilty as the younger kid's guardian, and teaching them the vital skill of midnight stereo removal. I explained to both mothers and juvenile delinquents that I tend to shoot at people I find on my property uninvited after dark. About eight years ago, I was in my boss' shop at about 2am, with garage door rolled up about 3 feet for ventilation. I heard a noise outside and peeked under the door, and, much to my surprise, found myself looking down the barrel of a .38. Someone saw the door open, the cops came to investigate, and just about the time the cop looked in, I was looking out. About scared my to death!
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