Traditional sign supplies

oatis · Post by **oatis** » Tue May 20, 2008 6:08 pm

All: I have begun to get over the shock of leaving Colorado and relocating to the planet Mercury (it was One Hundred Six today in lovely Las Vegas) and have resumed work on a number of seriously overdue projects. In taking stock of my Cool Materials inventory I am finding myself virtually out of black or colored smalt, and my supply of pearl and abalone is getting low.

Who's the best purveyor of supplies nowadays? I am lookin' to stock up!

Thanks,

Mark

Bob Ficucell · Post by **Bob Ficucell** » Wed May 21, 2008 7:11 am

Hi Mark,
Letterhead sign supply as picked up the ball since Rick's death.
Nice people to deal with , and seem to have everything needed, and very willing to help. Bob Ficucell
http://www.letterheadsignsupply.com/com ... mmerce.cgi

Post by **Mike Jackson** » Wed May 21, 2008 8:42 am

Mark,
Not long after Rick's passing, several of us began reseaching sources for many of the products he sold at the shop.

I compiled them here on this page:

http://www.theletterheads.com/supplies/index.htm

Good luck in the new time zone!

Mike Jackson

Doug Bernhardt · Post by **Doug Bernhardt** » Mon May 26, 2008 5:17 pm

Well, this could be interesting! I concur with both bits of advice and will add something I saw the other day. I woodturner showed up at my shop with a piece of abalone he had used as inlay. It had been painted black on the back with a decent coat of some kind of lacquer on the face. The laquer I've seen as it puts a nice sheen and makes the colours really pop....but the black backup was over the top.

Larry White · Post by **Larry White** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 3:18 pm

I ran into this internet supplier and thought I'd share it here. It looks like they have a variety of different products that we employ. Heck, they even have the Gold Leaf Techniques book! Never hurts to have a variety of sources for supplies.
TCP Global

-WB

brian oliver · Post by **brian oliver** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 4:38 pm

Wow! Thanks Larry! They've got all kinds of stuff I've been looking for. I feel like a kid in a candy store.

Aaron Taylor · Post by **Aaron Taylor** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 4:42 pm

I have never used this company for smaltz but found it a few weeks ago. Looks like they have some pretty cool colors and frit sizes!

http://www.americanspecialtyglass.com/glasscolors.htm

Post by **Danny Baronian** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 12:41 pm

Hi Aaron

the product on the post above looks to be too coarse for any useful purpose in signmaking.
The media on your link appears to be the size of pea gravel - 1/4" in diameter; even if it was 3/16" it would be too large for most purposes.
Smaltz is roughly the size of coarse salt.

Check out Mike's link. Kleen Blast is listed, a blasting media available on the west coast. My last purchase was $ 5-10 for a 50 lb bag, and is the same as Rick sold as black smalt.

East of the Rockies it sells under the name of Black Beauty, and is copper slag. Check out local suppliers for blasting media or auto body material.

Danny

Aaron Taylor · Post by **Aaron Taylor** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 5:12 pm

Hi Danny,

On there price and size page it had all the different sizes to choose from. There were a variety of sizes ranging from minus 30 mesh to 6".

http://www.americanspecialtyglass.com/s ... celist.pdf

I used #1 size for this application. It seemed to be a good size for a medium sized sign. I bought the German Kuger black smaltz from Hot Glass Color. They also have quit a few cools colors.http://www.hotglasscolor.com/index.asp? ... ategory=80