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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 1684 matches

by Mike Jackson
Tue Jan 04, 2005 11:02 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: glue-chipping on concave glass
Replies: 15
Views: 5201

Sounds like John and Larry already did the dislcaimers of working with acid... For anyone interested, I can possibly explain the upside down etch "concept". According to Rick Glawson, when acid etching face up, the acid bath starts chewing away at the top surface of the exposed glass and g...
by Mike Jackson
Mon Jan 03, 2005 10:10 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Buying over the Internet
Replies: 8
Views: 7157

I looked over a lot of reviews, but this one covers the pros and cons of the camera fairly well...along with a few glancing comparisons to the Canon counterpart. http://www.digitalsecrets.net/secrets/NikonD70.html John, Thanks for sharing your first hand experiences. I am generally leaning towards b...
by Mike Jackson
Mon Jan 03, 2005 7:52 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Decorative bolt caps?
Replies: 3
Views: 3430

Somewhere, in my past, I have seen some sort of plastic cover which would slip over a bolt head and also over the washer. All things considered, they didn't improve the looks, but merely covered the zinc plated lags and washers. Depending on how thick your material is, you could always countersink a...
by Mike Jackson
Mon Jan 03, 2005 7:46 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: glue-chipping on concave glass
Replies: 15
Views: 5201

Bump! I just received a call from Steve Lainhart, asking about working on curved glass. He recently had a project needing silvering and lettering on a piece of conclave glass. Not only that, it was to be back lit. Anyway, I am bumping this to the top so he can find the thread. Maybe he will be able ...
by Mike Jackson
Mon Jan 03, 2005 6:48 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Buying over the Internet
Replies: 8
Views: 7157

Hi Ron, No, the local store wasn't quoting me $1700. I used that number originally as part of the range based on whether you buy bundled lenses, or just the body package. Tyler and I made a mid week drive over to Idaho Falls to do some shopping. We found one in stock at a Best Buy for around $1250 p...
by Mike Jackson
Tue Dec 28, 2004 10:08 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Buying over the Internet
Replies: 8
Views: 7157

Hi Raymond, I think this is different. I've purchased a lot of items over the Internet. I especially love to use it to get additional information and options when making a purchase. Most of what you buy over the Internet is well defined, but the camera sellers are deceitful on purpose. If you were b...
by Mike Jackson
Mon Dec 27, 2004 11:29 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Redwood peel up problems
Replies: 9
Views: 6819

http://www.theletterheads.com/signphotos/blastgroup2.jpg Here are a couple of groups of signs prior to blasting. The group above might have been a larger group than usual and the one below was probably more in the normal size. Sometimes the panels were larger. You can see where we had sealed the wo...
by Mike Jackson
Mon Dec 27, 2004 10:45 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Buying over the Internet
Replies: 8
Views: 7157

Buying over the Internet

Hi all, Not that we made too much money this year, but I was thinking about buying a new digitial camera this week in order to get the 2004 deduction. Over the weekend, I spent quite a bit of time looking at the relatively new Nikon D-70 digital cameras. I did some searches for a Nikon D-70 and came...
by Mike Jackson
Thu Dec 23, 2004 3:50 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Glue chip right up to sandblast etch
Replies: 6
Views: 6593

http://www.theletterheads.com/signphotos/asphaltum2.jpg The photo above is of a project I did to test the process. Unlike the process Larry passed along, I didn't apply asphaltum to the glass until the later steps. That was brushed in, similar to Larry's description. Personally, I like this method ...
by Mike Jackson
Fri Dec 17, 2004 7:24 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Just Another Rant
Replies: 12
Views: 8236

Keith, I always say "you will sell more tomorrow of what you did today"...meaning if you are selling a lot of cloroplast signs and cheap stuff, you develop that kind of customer base and are generally stuck there. Turn that around, and chase the better clientelle to develp that market and ...
by Mike Jackson
Fri Dec 17, 2004 1:26 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Just Another Rant
Replies: 12
Views: 8236

Keith, First, let me suggest there are some customers worth trying to help out in a pinch and there are others I'd just as soon go away and penny pinch someone else. He sounds like one of them. Second, I would never do a color comp for someone like that unless they paid me to do the color comp. I ne...
by Mike Jackson
Fri Dec 17, 2004 12:42 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Most of old Hand Lettering Forum still avail. for viewing
Replies: 0
Views: 2014

Most of old Hand Lettering Forum still avail. for viewing

http://www.theletterheads.com/wwwboard/

The link above will take you to the old Hand Lettering Forum single page viewing. It is pretty large, but is probably well worth bookmarking. That old BB had a lot of great pieces of advice and tips.

Mike Jackson
by Mike Jackson
Fri Dec 17, 2004 12:38 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Acrylics for Murals
Replies: 3
Views: 3239

You might also get some good information still available on the old Forum pages.

Check out this similar thread from a long time ago:
http://www.theletterheads.com/wwwboard/ ... /4451.html

Mike Jackson
by Mike Jackson
Wed Dec 15, 2004 10:59 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Just an “Aâ€￾
Replies: 4
Views: 1271

Hi Joe,
I recognized the elements right off! I think the three collections are powerful design tools/aids, of course, but the real fun is seeing a creative designer extending their original capabilities by taking them to the next level, as you have done above.

Nice job!
Mike Jackson
by Mike Jackson
Thu Dec 09, 2004 11:51 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Scalloping large glass
Replies: 7
Views: 6023

For anyone interested, Danny sells his glass nipper at his site:

http://www.baronian.com/

Danny made them for Rick at Esoteric Sign Supply.

Mike Jackson
by Mike Jackson
Thu Dec 09, 2004 11:35 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Thermal Pane ??
Replies: 8
Views: 6288

I will just throw this out there. Back when I was still in college, I had to paint some lettering on a tavern window near campus. Interestingly, the 6' x 8' panes of glass were painted only about 2/3 up with bright red paint, with clear glass on the top 1/3. This was to let light in during the day a...
by Mike Jackson
Wed Dec 08, 2004 2:36 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Will paint mask stick to a gilded surface?
Replies: 4
Views: 3861

Hi Joe,
You have me curious what the design looks like?...and why you'd want to gild first?

Normally, we gilded last or almost last. I'd be afraid of lifting the gold if you put mask or transfer tape over it.

Mike Jackson
by Mike Jackson
Sat Dec 04, 2004 12:20 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Tempered Glass
Replies: 9
Views: 7104

Hi Raymond, No doubt the glass piece will be a beautiful piece of art if you use digital clip art from Golden Era Studios! (shameless self promotion) I looked back using the SEARCH feature of this board and found a post by Larry White called Goin' Large Again. https://handletteringforum.com/forum/vi...
by Mike Jackson
Wed Dec 01, 2004 10:26 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Blending Background
Replies: 2
Views: 2479

Larry, Feel free to go back to your original post on the old BB and copy the information from that post into the new post. Or, better yet, create a new Thread called Signmaking 101: Blended Backgrounds on this Forum. This offer is also good to anyone seeing a post on the old BB that should be on thi...
by Mike Jackson
Tue Nov 30, 2004 12:00 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Non-Pounce Patterns
Replies: 14
Views: 12573

Steve,
On rubber sandblast stencil, a regular pounce pattern works fine.

You might also want to read some info on this subject in this thread:
viewtopic.php?t=138
by Mike Jackson
Tue Nov 23, 2004 4:20 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Vintage art and copyrights
Replies: 1
Views: 2081

Kelly, For that one, I would suggest you go speak with an attorney. All anyone here can do is give you unauthorized tidbits of legal advice which might or might not be correct. It will be your butt on the line if anything happens and no court will take into account what someone told you on a BB or f...
by Mike Jackson
Mon Nov 22, 2004 7:04 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Window Gilding in Winter
Replies: 6
Views: 4952

Hi Dan, On most of the glass signs we worked on here in Jackson, we had the owner buy a new piece of glass to fit his window and did the work in our shop. The glass company then installed it in the business and the customer usually stored the original glass in case they ever moved and wanted to take...
by Mike Jackson
Wed Nov 10, 2004 5:51 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Signmaking 101: Repeating a sandblasted symetrical design
Replies: 7
Views: 6939

http://www.theletterheads.com/signphotos/sketch1.jpg For the people who might have missed the point of this Signmaking 101 post, let me show an example. On some signs, we used to cut out the shape, seal, apply stencil and cut the major borders and major lettering/panels into the design—leaving an...
by Mike Jackson
Tue Nov 09, 2004 7:23 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Gold leaf supplier
Replies: 4
Views: 3750

Dan, Go to this page: http://www.theletterheads.com/supplies/index.htm There are quite a few suppliers listed there selling Gold Leaf. The price of gold changes with the market. Normally, it is sold as a "pack", which consists of 20 "books" of 25 "leaves". Total: 500 le...
by Mike Jackson
Fri Nov 05, 2004 11:22 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: John Grenier Book Art
Replies: 2
Views: 2873

John Grenier Book Art

http://www.theletterheads.com/signphotos/grenier1.jpg http://www.theletterheads.com/signphotos/grenier2.jpg http://www.theletterheads.com/signphotos/grenier3.jpg Here's a note I received in my email this morning: Dear Mike, Thank you and the others for the responses to my questions about photoshop....
by Mike Jackson
Wed Nov 03, 2004 10:39 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Where sould I field test experimental gild?
Replies: 9
Views: 6527

Hi Joe, You've been quiet lately. Glad to see you didn't give up on us! I'm game. Send me one and I will test it here in the northern Rockies at 6300 ft. elevation. Mike Jackson PO Box 7850, Jackson, WY 83002 (for post office delivery) 215 Crabtree Lane, Jackson, WY 83001 (for UPS or other ground de...
by Mike Jackson
Tue Nov 02, 2004 6:39 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Protective Clear Coat for Gold Leaf?: Reverse Glass
Replies: 6
Views: 5467

John, and the rest, I still have one of Rick Glawson's old yellow catalogs here (a great reference). He says: W-W Window Spar - A special varnish made expressly for clear coating gold work on reverse glass. Pale amber in color, it dries in 10 minutes. Bulletin Spar - The same properties as W-W yet a...
by Mike Jackson
Tue Nov 02, 2004 1:16 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Protective Clear Coat for Gold Leaf?: Reverse Glass
Replies: 6
Views: 5467

Protective Clear Coat for Gold Leaf?: Reverse Glass

Hello all, I received this note in my email today. I have not done a window gold job in many years and have not done many in the first place.... come to find out that Chromatic no longer makes the Clear Overcoat Varnish part # 4320003 for clear coating over the edge of the gold. As well, I have come...
by Mike Jackson
Tue Nov 02, 2004 10:40 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: My Finish First Sandblasted Sign minus peel up!
Replies: 19
Views: 7027

Ron,
I don't believe I suggested the "Finish First Method" speeds up finishing time. On the contrary, I think it is much, much slower if you add up all the steps and drying time.

Mike Jackson
by Mike Jackson
Mon Nov 01, 2004 10:12 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Unlock "Read-Only" Files utility
Replies: 5
Views: 1935

Yep, that worked on my Win2000 machine. I didn't know it would work on multiple files with one click. Thanks!
Mike Jackson