Welcome to The Hand Lettering Forum!
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 477 matches

by Patrick Mackle
Mon Jan 23, 2006 7:28 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Early Sand Blast company
Replies: 2
Views: 2155

Hi Mike I seem to make out 1871 correct? I have researched that before the industrial age of steam powered and compressed air powered sandblasting, that sandblasting was done using a large fan to propell the sand against the glass. The sand was shoveled from a floor or scaffold overhead into a funne...
by Patrick Mackle
Sun Jan 22, 2006 6:47 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Any Silver spray guns for sale?
Replies: 34
Views: 21326

Seeing as how this is a silvering gun, the most MAGICAL gun in the world, and could easily bring you extra income, you have to ask yourself, did he silver one mirror or maybe two?

I gotsta know, with all the excitement... did you buy a new gun, or
a used gun, or were ya just lucky... punk?

Pat
by Patrick Mackle
Mon Jan 09, 2006 1:22 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Any Silver spray guns for sale?
Replies: 34
Views: 21326

Hi Roderick, Just read your post today. Yesterday, in anticipation of getting back to silvering, I dragged out my old Paasche silvering gun to see how it had faired having settled under 20+ years of dust under a bench. It was last used to mirror Rawson & Evans style glue chipped and beveled mirr...
by Patrick Mackle
Wed Nov 23, 2005 5:52 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Pics from Oct. Valencia, Ca. Workshop
Replies: 3
Views: 2910

Steve,
Can't access the link, getting a "connection failure" notice. Would love to view your photos for sure.
Pat
by Patrick Mackle
Thu Nov 17, 2005 9:37 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: blaster / chipping box update
Replies: 2
Views: 2336

Felix, I'd say that your within the parameters to get a chip going, I've chipped glass within that range. Now whether or not you have success will also depend on dialing in the proper deposit of glue as well as the preliminary stage of dryness of the glue layer before you place it into your drying c...
by Patrick Mackle
Thu Nov 10, 2005 1:30 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Brilliant cut glass and obscuring
Replies: 18
Views: 12658

Over the top Dave!! Man I'm SO stoked! I've been doing some cutting in my too little spare time and looking into acquiring or making some of those larger flywheel stone wheels. Stuart has a great site. The only thing I miss is the sound byte of the glass against the wheel. Tell him how impressed thi...
by Patrick Mackle
Sat Nov 05, 2005 3:29 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: The sound of breaking glass
Replies: 6
Views: 5200

Cam, Confuscious say: "It is better to place soft woman in shower than sharp glass." Whenever working on glass that holds a lot of invested time take these precautions. Work on a soft surface, even if it's a bench with an old clean bath towel to soften the surface. If putting force on the ...
by Patrick Mackle
Fri Nov 04, 2005 4:55 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Glue Chipping Extra-Clear Glass...
Replies: 2
Views: 2282

Larry, Regular plate glass such as the type commonly seen in store fronts and residential windows has a lot of iron in it. When viewed against paper or on edge it has a greenish cast even though it is called clear plate glass. The more recent "water white" or "optically clear" lo...
by Patrick Mackle
Wed Nov 02, 2005 11:17 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: "cloudy" acid etch
Replies: 4
Views: 3874

A cloudy or non bright mica etch could be the result of: -not enough fluid acid in the mica mixture resulting in the mica retaining the acid away from the glass, while allowing the acid to "fume" the surface more than bite into the surface. On the other hand, to much acid could impair the ...
by Patrick Mackle
Mon Oct 31, 2005 11:36 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Working with Halftones
Replies: 3
Views: 2546

Hi Kelly,
I am currently working on a project of hotel windows reguiring sand blasted halftone images, some as large as 3' x 4'. I am using Photoshop to create halftone films, I think its the best. Call me in California at 626-359-0300.
Pat
www.decoglasspro.com
by Patrick Mackle
Sun Oct 30, 2005 12:36 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: What's Abburstig, Schlag & Schabin?
Replies: 2
Views: 2167

Felix, Those are imitation metal leafs or foils. Usually made of compostions of soft metals. They can be varigated with multicolors. Varigated leaf may be termed Red or Green depending on the dominate color within the leaf. I believe that it is mostly aluminum leaf that is colored in a controlled at...
by Patrick Mackle
Thu Oct 27, 2005 11:48 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Mica powder vs. MOP powder?
Replies: 3
Views: 2656

Felix, First I would check their terminology, could be the same product with two names. Mica powder should be just as we used at John's, fine micron sized pearlescent powder. I believe that genuine shell MOP is only pearlescent in small chip form as it is collected in tact from the shell. If it was ...
by Patrick Mackle
Thu Oct 27, 2005 4:36 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Avg. price for HF?
Replies: 7
Views: 4051

Hi Felix,
I didn't intend to scare you, I was just repeating accounts passed on to me by some of the "old timers". However, their accounts of mishaps encouraged me to learn all I could, not only about techniques but also about precautions. May you do the same.
Pat
by Patrick Mackle
Mon Oct 10, 2005 4:06 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: blast cabinet brushes?
Replies: 4
Views: 3097

Brushes keep the sand from passing through as long as they are in perfect shape. Don't lean on them or they will lose their "memory". You could double them up, 5/16" on 5/16". They will leak where your arms must go through, speading the bristles apart. Other leak factors would be...
by Patrick Mackle
Thu Oct 06, 2005 1:35 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Brilliant Cut glass Signs
Replies: 22
Views: 18443

Dave, First let me say again that I believe grinding wheels that we may acquire today basically fall into two catagories. The first type are a vitrous bond, as in fired at high temp to allow glass or silicates in the raw wheel to fuse and hold the abrasive grains together. These are reddish brown or...
by Patrick Mackle
Tue Oct 04, 2005 5:37 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Brilliant Cut glass Signs
Replies: 22
Views: 18443

Great post Dave. I had the good fortune to meet Thomas Tisch and also Andreas Lehmann in the early '80's in San Diego at PORTCON. Andreas also is a glass cutter, his website is www.lehmannglass.com. I believe the two had a studio in the Bay area for awhile. The biggest hurdle to brilliant cutting is...
by Patrick Mackle
Tue Oct 04, 2005 4:20 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Fish Glue? Bake in oven at 800 degrees?
Replies: 4
Views: 3158

Like William I too perked up when the appraiser mentioned fish glue and 800 degree heat to achieve the distinctly different chip finish on the Handel lamp shade. Apparently there are 3 types of glue touted to have the ability to chip glass. Animal hide glue, rabbit skin glue, and fish glue. Personal...
by Patrick Mackle
Mon Oct 03, 2005 7:25 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Brilliant Cut glass Signs
Replies: 22
Views: 18443

Dave, MANY thanks to Doug and yourself for posting these great pictures of fine old embosser's and brilliant cutter's craftsmanship! Man, I REALLY love this stuff, it's what got me into glass decorating and signage over 25 years ago. On your WINES window I suspect that it may have been made and inst...
by Patrick Mackle
Fri Sep 30, 2005 1:16 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Doug Bernhardt's Pub Photos
Replies: 34
Views: 27396

In Dave's photo posted above, my eye went directly to the drop shadows on the word "FAMILY". They are of special interest as they are set in two directions, VERY special!! I was just at the L.A. Getty Museum last week and viewed their collection of treasured illuminated manuscripts. The hi...
by Patrick Mackle
Fri Sep 30, 2005 1:11 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Doug Bernhardt's Pub Photos
Replies: 34
Views: 27396

Sarah mentioned the possible use of copper wheel engraving on the pub mirror. Copper wheel engraving uses relatively small wheels of copper with different angles or radius shapes dressed onto the face of each wheel. The copper wheels are not abrasive by themselves and would have no effect on the gla...
by Patrick Mackle
Thu Sep 29, 2005 6:27 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Doug Bernhardt's Pub Photos
Replies: 34
Views: 27396

What a great piece!! I've been reverse engineering the process. First the glass was beveled. Then the brilliant cutting of punties, mitres and cresents, all cuts then appear to be polished using pumice and wooden wheels, these wheels were usually made of poplar because it is soft and fiberous and ho...
by Patrick Mackle
Mon Aug 08, 2005 8:26 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Transporting Glass...
Replies: 4
Views: 3053

Larry, I would be happy to share some crating knowledge. I have shipped acid etched panels valued at up to $6,000 a piece with confidence. The key to sucessful shipping is not just how you pack the glass but how you position the crate and label the shipping warnings directly on the crate. "If y...
by Patrick Mackle
Tue Aug 02, 2005 7:24 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Ghost town Letterhead meet...
Replies: 13
Views: 9097

Well ain't we about as chipped as a glass sign at gild'n time!??
CT
by Patrick Mackle
Wed Dec 08, 2004 12:19 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Scalloping large glass
Replies: 7
Views: 6024

I believe that holding the tool in your hand is the original concept. If you had tried it in reverse in the Rawson and Evans shop, they probably would have pointed you to the door.
Pat
by Patrick Mackle
Thu Aug 26, 2004 12:15 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Cutawl users?
Replies: 5
Views: 5877

I have a cutawl, the same model you posted. Its a handy tool. Hope they continue to support it. I use mine to cut patterns for production sandblasting glass. I cut patterns out of tempered masonite lined with Nagahyde (upholstery cloth). The Nagahyde creates the sandblasted artwork, the Masonite hol...
by Patrick Mackle
Thu Jul 29, 2004 7:16 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Lead Foil
Replies: 4
Views: 4596

Applying lead foil to glass.

What I know about applying lead foil to glass. Lead foil was originally applied to glass that was to be acid etched. The glass was first painted with asphaltum or embossers black, also referred to as Brunswick black. After the material dried, it was rubbed with a sort of wax block. This wax block wa...
by Patrick Mackle
Sat Apr 10, 2004 4:04 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Letter from Grandson of John Ohnimus
Replies: 10
Views: 10622

Uuugg!! Just checked in here from another of those one too many grueling 80HR work weeks.
Aahhh... now receiving a major infusion of whats right in the world. Thank you Mike and everyone. Prepared to do battle once again.
Pat