25 years in the sign buisness. Started painting signs with Jim Wills in Phoenix in 1977, when I was 17. My how things have changed.
It actually used to highly skilled trade.
Apprentiship in a shop, coating out boards, while you honed your skills.
I wouldn't trade my "before computer" experiance for anything.
Cheers
Posted by Cheryl Lucas (Member # 1656) on :
Congratulations Robert!
You know you're getting old when ya can say you've been at your profession for a quarter of a century!
Having made signs BC (Before Computers) you can still have at it if the computer blows up! hehe
'Keep on truckin' (from the 70's)
See ya around, Cher.
Posted by John Lennig (Member # 2455) on :
Hey Rob, Congratulations, keep on signin'!!
As Cheryl, been making signs BC since 1963... since 1965 in BC.
Today, working with a #12 Scharff, lettered a 1920 Dutch Workboat, converted to Sail in the 40's, owned and undergoing refit by Napa, Ca, guy,sunshine, shirt off, heaven, also met British signwriter, brushman, new contacts, old school.
1/4 Century, ... let the joy continue!!!
John / BIG TOP Graphics / Signrider
Posted by Dan Sawatzky (Member # 88) on :
Congratulations Robert!
I too know the feeling... been slinging a brush (and other tools) professionally since 1968. I was fourteen at the time and doing window splashes way back then for seemingly big bucks. I was self employed then and continue to this day.
-dan
Posted by old paint (Member # 549) on :
iam somwhere around 45 years at it...started back when i was 10-12(1955-57)....did signs for many years for fun and sometimes money....1986.... went full time...
[ June 09, 2002, 02:43 AM: Message edited by: old paint ]
Posted by Bill Dirkes (Member # 1000) on :
Congratulations Robert! You've seen a lot, that's for sure. I did my first payin' sign in '73, then diverted into construction for 7 years. Been at this full time since 1980! I expect to get a handle on this sign work any day now Posted by cheryl nordby (Member # 1100) on :
Congratulations Robert!
Posted by Glenn Taylor (Member # 162) on :
You're telling your age now, Robert!
Congrats! Posted by Neil D. Butler (Member # 661) on :
Yes somerimes I feel like I seen it all in the sign business, From using Letreset.. Remember that? now that was time consuming,, you'd lay down a layout with letreset, if you never had all the letters you would try to make it out of the others, then you would blow it up on the overhead or Opaque Projector.. Draw it out using a marker, take it down, lay out some card or foam, lay out your pattern, go around it with a pounce wheel, turn it over and sand ever so lightly to open the holes, lay out your pattern on the substrate, find your pounce bag, if you could'nt find it you'd make one out of the shirt you'd be wearing that day, and then try to justify that you thought the shirt was old or you just did'nt like it any way... you'd do all that before you even looked at the can of paint. Yes Yes the old days... that's when you'd make money.
Posted by cheryl nordby (Member # 1100) on :
Neil..those are some funny memories huh? Not too long ago I gave my Mom all my Letreset letters. I had hundreds of dollars worth. She uses them in her photo books.
Posted by Neil D. Butler (Member # 661) on :
Yes Cheryl those are good memories indeed. My first job was doing sketches for an electric sign company. I was responsible for doing the "final" sketch, I would use pages and pages of Letreset in a week, and of course lots of Letreset markers. At that time in the mid 70's Letreset sheets cost bout $7.00 a sheet. the company where I worked also sold to the trade and the Government offices, I tell you they sold tons of it. Here's a Question.. when was the last time you or anyone else layed down a letter using letreset?
Posted by cheryl nordby (Member # 1100) on :
Neil.....the last time was when I showed my Mom how it was done a few months ago. She now uses them under photos in all her photo books explaining what, where and when about each picture. She was very glad to get all those letters. And yep....back then 7.00 a sheet was expensive! In some customer files I still have the original layout on a transparency that I used to blow up on my projector. Fun memories for sure! Hey....remember how there were never enough of certain letters and you had to improvise.
Posted by Neil D. Butler (Member # 661) on :
Yes Cheryl, you'd run out of an E And then you'd take a top from another letter and lay over it sideways and then you might have to scrape off a portion if you layed too much... ha!
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