Get a Polarizing lens. It will help reduce the glare from the glass and make your artwork really look sharp.

Mike Jackson told me about these when we were in Boise way back in '82.

For several years Dan and I have been "encouraging" each other. This workshop is going to be something special. Not only will it give me a chance to tap into Grandpa's creativity and see how he accomplishes those great works. it will also allow me some time to harrass an old friend. The li...

He hasn't painted it yet - just about to make the first stroke.

Leo...welcome. It seems that you have caught the "bug". I am just up I-35 from you in Temple. Anytime you want to drop by, just give me a call. We have done some gold on glass and some etching/glue chipping, but not anything like the experts that you see posted here. I would be more than w...

I think those lights were just for determining which side of the glass was the "tin" side and not if it were tempered or not. But, I may be wrong. I think it's happened before.

Oops. Sorry Linda.

One method is to hit it with a hammer. If it breaks into millions of little pieces it's tempered. If if breaks into large shards, it's not tempered.

Hope this helps.

Mike is right (as usual) - scroll saws are mainly for cutting thinner materials. Thicker HDU is no problem.

For 3/4" or thicker wood or plywood we use a 14" Delta bandsaw. The inside of letters were done with a jig saw - drill a hole, insert the blade and pull the trigger.

We have a Dremel that has cut out lots of letters. (At least, my son Mike has) The only problem we've encountered is getting HDU dust into the switch, but the newer models have a clear plastic covering over the switches. Also, we now have a CNC machine (ShopBot) so the scroll gathers a lot of dust t...

Is it just me or what, but Mike Jackson and coroplast just don't seem to go together. My, the times they are a changin'.

On a few occassions I had the privilege of working with Mike and Darla (actually, I just stood around drooling, most of the time), and one of the first things I noticed was how rough Mike's sketches were. They were not crude by any means but they were not these really fine detailed drawings either. ...

Ok...now I'm not going to get anything done again today because Mike keeps bringing up these special memories. Doing that showcard demonstration was one of the most frightening things I've ever done. Mike just said, "would you do a showcard" and like an idiot I said yes. I didn't know if I...

Amazing, indeed. What an "unorganized" group we are. Can you imagine a bunch of plumbers or electricians getting together to teach others how to do their work and actually paying for the opportunity? A long time ago I quit trying to explain to "normal" people what the Letterheads...

There's a Staples just a few blocks from my studio, so it is very handy to pick up needed stuff. Just yesterday I received a Rewards "check" for $25.30 that I can use for the next box of photo paper or whatever. The $3 for each ink cartridge also helps out with a few items. We also have an...

Wow...great words, and such tremendous insight into something that we all tended to take for granted. One of the folks that attended the Bash and was changed forever was Gary Anderson. He has told me that he was actually thinking of getting out of the sign business until he made the trip to Oklahoma...

OK...I'll add my two cents. There have always been folks in our business that had no idea what they were doing, but it does seem that their numbers are increasing. Rather than be the creative type that produces design, they simply do whatever the customer suggests, allowing the client to be the desi...

Great story, Mike. Actually, I had no idea that the process was that difficult. All these years I just thought that you invited folks and they just came. The B-B-Q and the Bash will go down in history as the turning point of our profession. We went from a closed mouth group to an sharing society alm...

I have a Bill Kent original sandblasted redwood panel on my wall. It was received as a panel exchange....at my meet, I think. Royal Sign and Pictorial...right?

So, how are things with Bill? Still in the sign business?

Just a few memories from an old guy...like Mike said, your first meets are probably the ones that influence you most. Mike and I flew out to the Boise B-B-Q (1982) together and probably slept a total of about eight hours in five days. There was just too much to try to absorb. On the plane on the way...

Thanks Erik, but I have the software necessary to do the job. Mine is Adobe Premier Pro, which does just about anything you can think of, plus Honestech 3.0 for converting VHS to DVD. Just upgraded my computer - actually a brand new computer with all the latest and greatest. Now, I'm all set - just ...

Thanks Erik. Time is the most important part of the process and I tend to not use it very wisely. Thank you for the offer of financial assistance. I just may let you help at some point. Those early days of the Letterheads were something very special, although at the time we probably did not apprecia...

Erik, Besides the Sunday Morning video segment of Parrish that Mike showed here, I have some VHS tape of the Letterhead gathering I hosted in 1983 but it is very crude. At some point I will convert it over to a DVD (whenever I get that round tuit thing). I remember that at the "Letterheads on M...

Great memories there, Mr. Jackson. Thanks for going to all the trouble of figuring out how to share them with us.

It was good to hear his voice again. Brings back lots of telephone conversations....and unusual stories.

Several years ago I heard this "trick" from Gary Anderson and use it all the time. Just one of those little simple things that actually work.

Yep...got one, too. I surely would like to know that guy that got rich in the sign business. Well, other than Mike Jackson.

We use a 3/8" nap roller for acrylics. The foam ones leave too many bubbles and a rough texture. Since acrylics dry so quickly, the less "tickling" you do the better. Our procedure is to apply a rather heavy layer in parallel strips and then quickly go back and smooth out the overlaps...

Well, since you asked.... Down here in Texas we are sweating out the Summer (literally) with a general slow down over the past month. The phone is not ringing very regularly, but we have several projects that are keeping us busy. Somehow we have escaped the real estate collapse and building is still...

Congratulations Kent. Not many sign shops can make that claim. I'm sure your father and grandfather would be proud of you.

At times it seems like I've been in business for 80 years, but not quite yet.

Erick, You just heard from some of the best in the business. Their advice is not based upon theory, but actual experience and their success is testimony to their wisdom. We've had a flat bed router for two years now and it has saved us countless hours and made us more productive. However, for thirty...

Bob was one special guy. "Unique" might be a better word. Our friendship was spread over many years as we discussed our times in the sign business. Of course, Bob's was a lot more colorful than mine. I'm sure that some of those stories were even true. Bob just might be remembered for his h...