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This is an interactive Bulletin Board on the topics of Sign making, design, fabrication, History, old Books and of coarse Letterheads, Keepers of the craft. The Hand Lettering Forum features links to resources, sign art history, techniques, and artists profiles. Learn more about Letterheads at https://theletterheads.com. Below you'll see Mchat has been added as a live communication portal for trial, and the Main forum Links are listed below.

Search found 91 matches

by William Holohan
Sun Mar 02, 2008 5:14 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Old method of advertising on screen doors
Replies: 9
Views: 7959

Screen door printing

There was a thread about this subject some time in the past. Dont know if it was here or on another board. Got me interested. Tried several things on aluminum screening. The closest I got to anything that was even mildly acceptable was to try it the following way. This after about 7-8 absolute failu...
by William Holohan
Sat Nov 24, 2007 3:38 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Share your signmaking journey
Replies: 7
Views: 4872

This may get a little long. I only know how to tell long stories. My late Dad used to tell me that "If I ran at the bottom like a ran top, I wouldn't live a week." My journey is a mite different and much shorter. I'm 68 and until I was 60 Ididn't know squat about the sign business/professi...
by William Holohan
Mon Nov 19, 2007 3:02 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Another interesting find
Replies: 4
Views: 3472

Another interesting find

I know this should be put in another thread, but for some reason I can't post to it.
Take a tour of this site. Especially the Rondstadt Catalog. Some very interestind signwriting on the wagons shown.

http://parentseyes.arizona.edu/ronstadt ... wagon.html
by William Holohan
Sat Nov 17, 2007 11:29 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Surface gilding instructions from 1809
Replies: 3
Views: 2933

Mike, Didn't have to retype it. Pulled it off the web as a scanned page. Ran it through Omni Page OCR. The OCR program picked up quite a few and tried to correct some of the older 1809 spellings. I looked at the original scanned page, then at the corrected OCR page, and decided to leave the original...
by William Holohan
Sat Nov 17, 2007 1:41 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Surface gilding instructions from 1809
Replies: 3
Views: 2933

Surface gilding instructions from 1809

Surface Gilding the 1809 way. Secrets Relative to the Art of Gilding Circa: 1809 The method of gilding with size, or oil. The gold leaves which are commonly used in gilding are of different sizes, as well as of various degrees of thickness. To gild on iron and other metals, the strongest and the pur...
by William Holohan
Sat Jul 21, 2007 2:35 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Old Tavern Signs Book
Replies: 7
Views: 5738

Signboards brings up some nice ones. Also enter To Market, To market. (All media types) Brings up two parts of movie about outdoor advertising.
by William Holohan
Fri Jul 20, 2007 10:18 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Old Tavern Signs Book
Replies: 7
Views: 5738

Kelly,
Thank you very much for that link....I think???? :roll: Have been downloading for hours...Terrific link...
by William Holohan
Sun Feb 18, 2007 1:49 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Varnishes - The old way - material source
Replies: 0
Views: 3133

Varnishes - The old way - material source

Scroll down through this site and you may find the raw materials to duplicate the varnishes of times gone by.

http://www.gemmary.com/restore.html
by William Holohan
Fri Jan 26, 2007 12:37 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Still At It-Okuno Glass site
Replies: 2
Views: 2475

Move to

OK Mike you talked me into it...:-)
Will do it this evening.
by William Holohan
Fri Jan 26, 2007 12:45 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Armorial Gold
Replies: 1
Views: 1899

Site find

Roderick,
That is a fantastic find. Magnificently clean looking art. I'm heading back for a free sample.

Bill "Irish" Holohan
by William Holohan
Fri Jan 26, 2007 12:40 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Still At It-Okuno Glass site
Replies: 2
Views: 2475

Still At It-Okuno Glass site

http://okuno-glass.com/index.htm

This site is a little difficult to navigate. Also the English is translated and a little stilted. Click through it all if you have time. Some informational gems hidden in the text. Wish I had a drying room like the one shown.
by William Holohan
Thu Jan 25, 2007 12:19 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Sorry, I'm at it again...Decalcomania Page
Replies: 3
Views: 2768

Sorry, I'm at it again...Decalcomania Page

Another interesting find. Canadian Museum of Science and Industry has a very interesting collection of decalcomania (decalomania). Well illustrated and well written history of the technique.

http://www.sciencetech.technomuses.ca/E ... strial.cfm
by William Holohan
Sun Dec 31, 2006 1:30 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Paint history Geezer has stumbled back to the 1700"s
Replies: 2
Views: 2337

These searches, on the web, give me a very deep appreciation for how difficult it most have been for Rick Glawson early on in his research. No web as we know it today. No biblio.com or ebay to find/buy the books needed for that research. How steadfast and persistent he had to be. How many queries/vi...
by William Holohan
Sun Dec 31, 2006 4:21 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Paint history Geezer has stumbled back to the 1700"s
Replies: 2
Views: 2337

Paint history Geezer has stumbled back to the 1700"s

Another great read...from my point of interest anyway...

http://fortress.uccb.ns.ca/search/HG05_3.htm

Hope some enjoy...
by William Holohan
Fri Dec 29, 2006 8:58 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: How they made paint in 1881
Replies: 5
Views: 4296

I found it when doing a search for info on Brunswick Black mentioned in Callinghams book. I am building up a nice collection of early signwriting and lettering books. An enourmous amount of arcane language to decipher...So I search the web a lot. Glad you found the site interesting/helpful.
by William Holohan
Sat Dec 23, 2006 12:35 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: How they made paint in 1881
Replies: 5
Views: 4296

How they made paint in 1881

Another find that I hope may interest some of the sign/paint history buffs.

The recipes are quite interesting.

Scroll around...

http://realcolorwheel.com/paint1881.htm ... %20Varnish
by William Holohan
Sun Dec 10, 2006 10:37 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Airbrush Museum Site
Replies: 0
Views: 3014

Airbrush Museum Site

I stumbled across this this evening. I am sure many know of this site already, but some lurkers may not. Well worth the time tou tour. Very nicely done.

http://www.airbrushmuseum.com/airbrush_museum.htm
by William Holohan
Fri Dec 01, 2006 9:51 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Rick Glawson Signs - Added 34 more pictures!
Replies: 22
Views: 16772

Larry,
Old geezer back again with a comment. Having never been to Rick's store, I really am enjoying the unintended side peeks of the supplies and equipment around some of he pics.
Any pics of the store layout showing the supply shelves and counters?

Bill "Irish" Holohan
by William Holohan
Wed Nov 29, 2006 2:54 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Rick Glawson Signs - Added 34 more pictures!
Replies: 22
Views: 16772

Larry,
Thanks for sharing the pics. I never had the chance to meet Rick or Lola or visit the store. All I can say is "Wow".
by William Holohan
Tue Oct 31, 2006 2:26 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Boise workshop was good
Replies: 9
Views: 5942

Thanks

Russ, Thanks for the pics. Would love to have been there. I read an article in a 2003 Sign Builder mag that mentioned John Studden's loose leaf "tear and slap" method of applying loose leaf to glass. Tried it, but couldn't get it right. Your sequential pics of John doing his magic was like...
by William Holohan
Wed Oct 04, 2006 6:42 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Hamilton Bank Note-Completed & Framed!
Replies: 54
Views: 71101

Larry,
Congratulations. Well deserved recognition for such a terrific piece.
by William Holohan
Wed Oct 04, 2006 6:42 pm
Forum: Hand Lettering Techniques and Step by Steps
Topic: Hamilton Bank Note-Completed & Framed!
Replies: 54
Views: 22746

Larry,
Congratulations. Well deserved recognition for such a terrific piece.
by William Holohan
Fri Sep 29, 2006 8:57 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Guilding article
Replies: 2
Views: 2786

Roderick,
Thanks you and your spouse for that one. Really fine article and video. Nice to see Kent Smith got a mention. Wish I knew how to copy the video.

Bill "Irish" Holohan
by William Holohan
Sat Mar 25, 2006 3:44 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: C.J. Strong Photograph Request
Replies: 16
Views: 9472

Mike,
Thank you. I know it was probably a major inconvenience for you. I just have a h**l of time trying to upload pics.
The large "raw scan" was put in there for those who probably have better
photoshop skills than I do, and want to play with the original scan.

Thanks again.
by William Holohan
Tue Mar 21, 2006 2:06 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: C.J. Strong Photograph Request
Replies: 16
Views: 9472

OK Gents. The one I have was approx 2 inches x 3 inches at 400 dpi. I will rescan and enlarge to 5x7 at 300 dpi. Anyone that would like a copy, post your email or send your email to firemap1@aol.com
by William Holohan
Mon Mar 20, 2006 1:11 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: C.J. Strong Photograph Request
Replies: 16
Views: 9472

Ron,
I also have a pic pf C.J. Strong from a Daily's Show Card Writing Course. Large ad in the back of course book for Strong's Brushes and Supplies. Also with a Detroit School of Lettering tag.

Also sent you an email re: where to send file.
by William Holohan
Tue Jan 31, 2006 10:03 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Embossed Glass - From "Decorative Glass Processes"
Replies: 3
Views: 3214

Pat, I came to the sign industry a little to late to ever develop into a true and well rounded signman. I also came to late to have the opportunity to meet Rick Glawson. I remember well the outpouring of sorrow and personal anguish at the loss of such a master researcher and expermenter. I spent day...