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Hi all. I run a small engraved stone sign making business in NW Kansas. I've been asked to make a 4'x4' double sided stone sign out of 5 inch thick postrock limestone for a new business here. (to get a better idea of the material and work see http://www.scarecrowstone.com ) I qoute my stone signs at $45/sq.ft, $80/sq.ft for double sided, and they have agreed on the sign price without installation. Most of my slab type signs are just attached to a concrete base but this one they want to install on an existing sign pole for the height. The pole itself is 8" diameter and we are looking at installing it about 10 feet up. They want it lighted. We are thinking of a steel bracket attached to the stone running the length of the bottom of the stone, welded to pipe with a slightly smaller diameter so it slides into the existing pole, with spotlights from under the sign attached to the pole from a distance out. I guess my questions are...... (1)is there a perfect angle for lighting a sign that is engraved so there isn't a problem with shadows, (2)can anyone give me a rough estimate on what they would charge for a similar installation if I just made the sign itself, and (3)am I just crazy for even taking this job? lolol. This sign will weigh about 1000 pounds.
-------------------- Tim & Kathy Cameron www.scarecrowstone.com Unique Signs by Unique Minds Hill City, Kansas zbounce@ruraltel.net Posts: 43 | From: Hill City, Ks USA | Registered: Sep 2000
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Does your price quote include the stone itcelf or just the engraving? Sounds pretty cheap to me. For something that high up I would consider an imitation stone look instead of real stone. The installation costs would go down for sure, but at $2500 your options for swapping to a different material are limited. You could consider a sign out of signfoam although it's not cheap. I forget if you mentioned how thick you want the sign, but even 1/2 sheet of foam on both sides of another framework would allow you to put some deep stone texture & irregularity into the surface.
As for answering the questions you asked, I don't have any good answers for you, so I'll just bump your question up with my out-of-leftfield comments. Good Luck!
I'm in left-field too Doug, but after reading & re-readin' this post, I keep thinkin' about all those grave-yard head-stones that are about 4'x4'x5" and I think they cost considerably more . . .even with just a 2" name, a coupl'a dates and a city, state. (...and God help your heirs if you want a simple epitaph . . .)
But,I mean hey, talk about your lifetime signage. . .and it's NOT the addition of a dead body in a vaulted casket in a 4'x6'x8' hole that jacks it up either . . .those fringes are separate, extra prices . . .
but, I'm being morbid & showing my resentment of the sky-rocketing price of death . . . forgive me . . .
-------------------- Signs Sweet Home Alabama
oneshot on chat
"Look like a girl, act like a lady, think like a man, work like a dog" Posts: 5758 | From: "Sweet Home" Alabama | Registered: Mar 2003
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Sheila has a great point. Price out a tombstone with a local dealer and see what THAT runs! As far as install, I would be a little leary about putting a 1000 pound piece of stone up in the air on posts. We don't install anymore unless it is something small. Could you subcontract that part out? Sounds like a very risky, hard job to me! Doug's idea about making it LOOK like stone might be an option. Check out www.howardindustries.com They have a product that is called DeSign Stone that looks interesting. I will e-mail them with this post ans we will see if we get a response. Maybe they will see the value of being a merchant here....
[ August 18, 2004, 12:44 PM: Message edited by: Jane Diaz ]
-------------------- Jane Diaz Diaz Sign Art 628 W. Lincoln Ave. Pontiac, Il. 61764 815-844-7024 www.diazsignart.com Posts: 4102 | From: Pontiac, IL USA | Registered: Feb 1999
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Well luckily the folks decided to go with a one sided stone sign keyed into a 3' concrete pedestal base, saving me a load of installation worry. And yes, my price for the stone is probably too cheap @ $45/sq.ft.. but I'm in the booneys of Kansas and normally am not making these for businesses but for residences (poor farmers and such lolol) Will post a photo of it when it's done.
-------------------- Tim & Kathy Cameron www.scarecrowstone.com Unique Signs by Unique Minds Hill City, Kansas zbounce@ruraltel.net Posts: 43 | From: Hill City, Ks USA | Registered: Sep 2000
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