Truckntran 0 Posted December 7, 2009 Hi everyone.. I better introduce myself...as I already posted a pressing tech question.. My name is Bill, and I have been into lettering and signs ever since I was a kid..I'm constantly looking at the signs anywhere I go, checking them out for neat ideas and also checking out the things NOT to do.. I am one of those guys that would buy an old sign as "art" as I just think the old hand letterred stuff is neat. Wish I had the talent.. I have lots of old books including Atkinsons' lettering guide. Some of those old walldogs had talent by the bucketfulls! I don't seem to have the motor control to hand letter, but with Vinyl Cutters I can actually do the things I could only dream of doing before.. About 5 or six years ago I needed some signs for my pilot car business, so after paying for the first set, I started researching cutters and bought a used Roland Stika.. Mainly I made signs for my own businesses and friends, trying to gain some experience. I am one of those dreaded garage operators......but I try to not compete with the brick and mortar local shops... The pilot car biz has slowed down and I finally got a chance to get my Stika out of storage..We have some new businesses in town that had made all their own signs (They ought ta make magic markers illegal for some folks ya know...) One guy paid several hundred dollars for a guy to make some vinyl signs for his place... and they were (in my opinion) really ugly. I offerred to make him a nice A frame sign to put out by the road in return for some free merchandise from his store, and once the sign was done, I have been bugged by folks wanting signs. I guess it turned out pretty good..lol. The other place traded for a few small signs and some RTA vinyl.. Unfortunately they just add my good signs to their homegrown ones instead of tossing the homegrowns in the trash.. At last count there were over 20 signs vying for ones attention in front of their place.. Anyhow, I am looking to get a little bigger, maybe buy a REAL cutter and software to cut and print(gonna farm out the printing......)I have found having ones eggs in only one basket isn't too good with today's economy.. I am looking to be the neighborhood sign guy, kinda like the neighborhood carpenter...maybe some day I will be able to get off the road and just do signs and play with my old Jeeps. Thanks for listening, now back to your regularly scheduled forum.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CyberSultan 6 Posted December 7, 2009 Welcome to the forum Bill! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted December 7, 2009 Welcome Bill From Michigan Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ms_sign 5 Posted December 7, 2009 Welcome from Fort Worth, Texas. Jon Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
welder.man 3 Posted December 7, 2009 G'day and welcome from Australia Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BannerJohn 1,324 Posted December 7, 2009 welcome..you have a good attitude and you will succeed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chefgary 4 Posted December 7, 2009 Many of us are doing other things and watching our sign business grow at the same time. There isn't anything wrong working out of your garage. I don't have a garage but use my basement. Good luck and welcome to the forum. Gary Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
greenmachine 52 Posted December 7, 2009 Welcome from NY greenie Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest kenya Posted December 7, 2009 Hello Bill & Welcome from Florida. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rodger 527 Posted December 8, 2009 Welcome from Fort Worth, Texas. Jon Hey Jon , I have missed your greetings for the past several months . Hope it was fun that kept you away Welcome to Bill . I do my own pilot cars when I move mobile homes . I have been wanting to make some " Oversize Load " signs using reflective vinyl . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Truckntran 0 Posted December 8, 2009 Thanks for the big welcome, everyone! Just finished a nice 10 foot long painted "Sandwiches" sign for the local deli.. Looks like a real signpainter did it.. and best thing is no vinyl peel after a year like alot of other local signs seem to be failing.. The deli guy was ecstatic.. I think I'm getting free food for a while.. lol. Now I get to pack up and take everything to my Texas location for the winter. I found out Roland has a service depot in Richardson , TX, so I may have to drop off my cutter for some tweaking.. It will no longer cut a straight long line (another reason I painted the sign for the deli..) Roger, I've made my own engineer grade reflective O/S signs with black vinyl on engineer grade reflective background... I have found almost all of the commercial signs you can buy do not meet DOT standards for brush stroke, I use a different font and bold it up a bunch to meet the minimum 1 1/2 stroke that is required to be 48 state legal. We have a shop in Coleman that has the coroplast O/S signs, screenprinted for $35... They use a thicker coro than the election signs, and it is a decent deal, but again, the brush stroke is wrong for several states. I just recovered one in vinyl, we will see how it holds up. My reflective roof sign is 4 years old and still reflects pretty well but in daylight it looks shabby. Anyhow, thanks again, hope I can contribute some here instead of just askin'questions.. Seems like a great forum! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rodger 527 Posted December 8, 2009 Hey Bill , I only haul in Maryland & West Virginia . Have you made any with hinges ( aluminum ) ? I would like to get some made using the Cole Casual font . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Truckntran 0 Posted December 8, 2009 I have priced out the hinged signs and the guys in the oversize books get so little for one it wasn't worth it for me to make one. I couldn't get the stainless piano hinges for what they were getting for the whole sign. Right now I use the coro signs, and mount them with bungees just like a banner. Seems the most foolproof method on my Chevy,and they look good too. The only problem is storing the signs does more damage when they rub on stuff than actually using them does. (I probably could be a little more careful with them, that'd help...lol..) Interesting that you work in WV....We just recently brought wind towers to a small town in Western WVA coal country and it was the most dangerous pilot car work I have ever done.. Seems the local folks were really unhappy to see us and they did not want to cooperate or get off the road when our 16 foot load was coming at them around sharp curves.. I was told I was number one more there than I have ever been told anywhere else. Not good when you are hauling 120K on 13 axles on a skinny two lane. I'll have to look up that CC font.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chefgary 4 Posted December 8, 2009 I like being number one. I must do, I get it quite often. Gary Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
woodnsaws 0 Posted December 9, 2009 thanks for the info on the roland vinyl cutter.sounds like you had good luck with it. here's some pic's of what i'm NOT doin' in the winter anymore. i'm staying in the saw shop next to the woodstove listening to raw dog truckin' ... and play with my new roland Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Buggie Pilot 4 Posted December 9, 2009 Welcome from Connecticut.......... Get out there in that jeep Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
