neon garage art

Here's the beginning of a fun project that has been eating away at me for some time. To date, the only person that has procar neon art from me is Carl Woerner.

Rather than get hyper-technical turning jpgs into vectors, I started by enlarging images to the desired size. In this case, 48" length. Then I hand draw over the top with width of neon tubing (10mm here), tweaking as needed.

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Neon is bent in reverse so it is 'flat' and readable from the front. Keep in mind that neon tubing is 3 dimensional. Excess glass portions are then blocked out (specialized rubbery tar/paint) on the finished piece. Glass underway:

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Couple favorite torches include ribbon burners (different lengths and adjustable) and a knife point cannon fire. Cannon provides intense heat without much deflection, so it is perfect for welding glass together and preheating short bends, before transferring heat to a ribbon. The above photo shows what started out as 4' sticks of 10mm tubing after shaping. Although white on white, you can see letters taking shape before being welded together.

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On the bombarder being processed. Notice they're still backwards, face side down. Yes - they are two different colors; white and clear glass with straight argon fill. (Closest to replicating 'chrome' feel in neon having more depth. Downside is that when placed with other colors or in direct sunlight it washes out.) Processing requires burning atmosphere and impurities out of the tubing under vacuum with (sometimes) more electricity than it takes to kill someone in an electric chair. When the glass reaches 275 Celsius it is about done... Fun stuff!

Slightly more legible now burning in:

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See how some areas are brighter than others? Fresh off vacuum pump being processed, the tiny amount of mercury injected in the tube hasn't vaporized yet. The areas that are brighter have higher concentrations of mercury. An hour on the burn-in transformer will even everything out.

August marks 20 years I've been bending glass for those wondering what I do. Chasing coaches is a hobby. Matter of fact, I'm headed away from the shop tomorrow for another goose chase. Will finish painting and mounting these Eureka scripts next week and update completed works.

Superior logo up next. Thinking white and red on those as there are a lot of Superior ambulances out there...
 
I did two semesters of neon bending in college as an elective. I got the basics down, but I never really got all that good at it, and never returned to it after college. My final project was neon installed in the grille and windows of my 62 Belair station wagon, including a Chevy bowtie in the back window, which ran off the cars electrical system so you could drive down the road with it on. This was about 1990, before you could just go down to Autozone and buy a neon underbody kit for your car.

That's great work, knowing what it takes to follow a pattern and form letters that are readable. Good luck with the Superior logo...from what I remember red is the most expensive glass, and the easiest to break.
 
I, too have taken a couple of neon classes sometime in 1994-96 and still find it fascinating. I have had neon kits on my car, and have a couple of custom signs.

I had a chance about a year ago to purchase all the equipment that my instructor used for his business but decided I didn't have a good place for it. Neat tutorial, too Atti! :toocool:
 
White and blue are spoken for. They're now blocked out and a requested warm white is fresh off the pump burning in. If you look closely, you can see the blue gas (top piece) squiggling around as it is overpowered on a hefty 60MA 15k volt secondary burn in transformer.

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Onto Henney~

Mike sent logo (thanks again!). Now I need input from Mike, Bill, and Brady as to what each wants (can be different), as neon is priced (primarily) according to linear foot, with complexity and color(s) factoring in. My goal is providing quality glass at an enthusiast (read: not retail) price point but there is considerable detail here. Look at the image, then 3 options below it:

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1. Just HENNEY in neon, serifs eat footage and take time.
2. HENNEY and immediate outline surrounding letters in neon. Can be two colors.
3. HENNEY, outline surround letters, and outside logo in neon completing overall shape. Can be three colors.

Any or all of these options can have the funeral lamp/entire logo in vinyl behind. Simply two much glass to do entire logo affordably. Then of course color choices - only 3 not possible are gray, brown, and black (yes, technically speaking I can use blacklight glass but we aren't getting into that as an option). If decisions are made soon, I will have these delivered to the Ohio meet to save shipping/possible shipping breakage. Bill & Mike, if not attending, perhaps other members can relay closer.
 
Choice #3

Atilla,
I would like choice #3 done in blue.

I will not be going to the meet in Hudson. I guess, just keep it at your place there in TX and sometime later if someone is coming or going, or can meet somewhere, we'll make connections.

I'm excited!!!

Thanks, Atti. E.mail me with cost and We'll get it handled.

Mike
 
Anyone know someone that does metal work or art? These are cool enough as is, but picture if you could get Atti to do his magic on a tin sign with a silkscreened or litho'ed print of the coachmaker's logo!

Something like this (which is a $3K sign at Summit Racing!) -
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All comes down to money Adam. I'm fully capable of handling each aspect of the process through, from design to CAD to lasercutting to etching to laserprinting directly onto material to well, you get the idea. Examples:

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Detroit Bros concept.

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Bent glass.

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Assembly started on waterjet cut, powder coated aluminum letters.

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Finished size - 82"x60" w/ over 210' of glass. Hand plasma cut rest of logo out of 1/4" steel plate, acid treated for oxidation contrast, bromo glass hidden behind. Other than client changing white glass to turquoise it is very close to initial design.

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Exile conception.

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Lasercut. Powdercoated & hand brushed with machined aluminum spacers between layers.

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Hours into the layered assembly...

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66"x44" w/ over 120' of glass.
 
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Matt Hotch conception.

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Tight deadline - 4 days to ship from landing job from start to finish! No vinyl here. Screenprinted aluminum white, then laserprinted graphics directly on. One layer with machined aluminum spacers as well.

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96"x38" w/ over 130' of glass. Still burning in when pic was taken.

I *excel* at what I do through attention to detail and complex bending and have high profile clientele. All comes down to customer's needs. Doing procar schtuff is for fun on lower end of scale. :thumb:
 
All comes down to money Adam. I'm fully capable of handling each aspect of the process through, from design to CAD to lasercutting to etching to laserprinting directly onto material to well, you get the idea.

Didn't know you were a one-stop stop. Will remember if I'm ever in the market :)

Also can't say much more than wow, amazing talent you have! :applause:
 
Thank you. This August marks 20 years I've been bending already - wow. After cutting my teeth early going on 130 Applebee's signs, 280 Arizona Ice Tea window signs, dozens of Bruegger's Bagel Bakery window signs, then outfitting SIX Target locations single handedly (each had several thousand feet of glass) - repetition did me in. Much enjoy the creative one-off or limited run non-commercial pieces. Of course I say this currently working on a large Regal Cinema contract... *_*
 
Remember that aptitude test way back in high school dubbed 'space relations'? Then thinking how it was even pertinent? Here's one real world translation~

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Serifs take considerable time - especially to line everything up. Here's a progress shot of Brady's blue on blue Henney piece.

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That's some complex puzzle like bending in tight parameters. Mike, yours is upcoming. ;)
 
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