Neon sign fabrication (nonfiction)

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This article describes how to set up a neon sign fabrication shop.

Equipment

Equipment includes:

  • Manifolds
  • Oils
  • Gauges
  • Bombarders
  • Chokes
  • Burners
  • Torches
  • Diffusion pumps
  • Vacuum pumps

Minor tools

  • Air hose
  • Cork
  • Glass file
  • Chalk pencil - for making marks on glass, will not melt in fire
  • Electrode holder - hold electrodes in place to protect fingers
  • Tube diameter measuring template
  • Block with heat resistant paper
  • Shot bags for holding pattern
  • Brass screen - to protect pattern
  • Paint - to block out hidden sections of tube

Torches

  • Ribbon burner
  • Crossfire burner
  • Hand torch

Torch fuel

  • Mixture of natural gas and air
  • Valves at bottom to get proper fuel/air ratio

Gas processing manifold

  • Neon gas
  • Argon gas
  • Pressure column - millimeters of "mercury"
  • Main valve
  • Gas supply valves
  • Vacuum pump
  • Conversion tables - determine pressure based on tube size

Suppliers

EGL

  • Catalog @ Graphic Solutions Group
  • Home @ Engineering Glass Laboratories

Brillite

SVP

Viking Sign Supplies

Grimco sign supply


Supplies

Material supplies include:

  • Glass tubes
  • Electrodes
  • Gas

Consumable supplies include:

  • Propane
  • Electricity

Fiction cross-reference

Nonfiction cross-reference

Videos

DACO

    • Weld
    • L bend
    • Double back
    • Drop turn
    • Rise turn
    • Offset

Martin Suettinger

See The Art of Making Neon with Martin Suettinger.

Atelier Neon

Anon

Neon fabrication shops

Neon discussion groups online

Technical specifications

Workshop equipment and layout

Lead