18lb sign foam vs 30lb precision board

[joe]

Alex,

I sure would like to save $40. a sheet if possible. Does the PVC your using have a slick surface or is it a little textured. I'm not opposed to what your doing. If you're happy so am I.

On the topic of warranty:
Every customer, I can remember, ask about life expectancy and maintenance on their new custom made sign. I'm proud of your business and wouldn't suggest any changes with what you're doing with regard to this topic. We live in two different business worlds. Our customers aren't as price conscious as yours They come to us, in part, for image quality and look more than price.

When a signs is installed I keep a close eye on it. Since they require lots of time and attention and the prices are on the upper end. When a visiting new customer lets me know price is the bottom line, I help them find another vendor. That way everyone is happy.

I'm proud of every sign shop servicing their community. We are all different but equal. My hats off to sign businesses knowing how difficult it is to survive. To make it in this business you've gotta be book keeper, sales person, and designer. Working together is a benefit. Sharing materials and techniques make life more fun.

Joe

[David Iannone]

Alex,
Congrats on being in business for yourself for 5 years. That is not easy to do, and taking the initial "plunge" into the swimming pool is scary as hell I know. After Fastsigns had my Dad not helped me and gave me the nudge I needed I would not be were I am today.

I know what you mean with the "other" guys using cheap products to undercut one another, I used to screen print tee shirts years ago, talk about a competitive business there.....people haggling over pennies. After a few years of tee shirts I got sick of that and sold the setup and never want to pull a squeegee over a screen ever again.

I have also been one of those guys trying to be the cheapest, and save a few bucks on a roll of vinyl. About 2 years ago I switched to using 3M vinyls for everything. Print, cut vinyl. I use 3M as a selling point. There is absolutely nothing wrong with Avery or Oracal. I prefer to explain to my customers that I am using only 3M products (a lot of my graphics ship all over the US for Charter Communications, Comcast, etc.) So when my customers get it they also can rest assured the 3M logo is stamped all over the backing paper.

I no longer try to "compete" with the other guys. And I am not the cheapest, in certain cases I will tell the customer I am not the cheapest. When I sell a customer now a days I just try to make sure I understand what they need, and let them know I am using the best products on the market. This is also why I am moving more to using PVC and Diebond because again, Brand recognition.

I haven't been doing much dimensional signs lately but got a few good ones in the works. One I will be working on is a 3'x12' development entrance refurb using diebond, following Joe C. tips. I will post pics of the process and before and after pics. But its still a little to cold for me to get out there with the pressure washer just yet.

Show us a pic or two of one of your favorite dimensional projects. The 3D stuff is where I am trying to go from this year forward. I am so bored printing, weeding, taping, applying vinyl. I want to be more creative.

Dave

[Alex Naumenko]

Here is some of my work https://picasaweb.google.com/1116370...eat=directlink

[David Iannone]

Beautiful work. I am not doing Dimensional signs on that level yet. But have done some cool ones over the years. And other misc machining for customers off my bot. Some as simple as parts cut from HDPE for the local Kia plant about 20 min from me. I don't even know what the heck they do with them, but they supply the DXF files and I cut them.

I will find one of my favorite jobs done in precision board many years ago and post it.

Thanks for the pics. That is what inspires me to try to do better.

Dave

[David Iannone]

Found it. This was the best development entrance sign I ever did. It was done in 2004 when I was in business in DE. I had a few guys working for me at the time.

-My sister was our designer. She did the sign layout. I did the install drawing layout.

-Peachtree City Foamcraft made the monument and delivered to us.

-Material was the cheapest 1.5" HDU I could get my hands on cause I knew I was gonna be sanding anyway.

-I primed and painted the blank with Mathews Acrylic Poly catalized paint. (I used to have a nice spray room back then). Finished up with a nice coat of gloss since it comes out of the can satin.....or used to back then.

-Applied paint mask, then v-carve and cut out. Prime and paint Mathews gold metallic then gloss coat. Then came in over the gold metallic and gloss coat and let it have some gold size and leafed it. No clear coat over the leaf.

-My Dad made the railings for me as he has a sheet metal business, and I primed and painted with Mathews paint also.

-Me, Dad, and one of the guys that worked for me went out and did the install.

They loved it, and I hear it still looks good today.

Total invoice was just shy of $10,000 on this one.

I miss those days, not the money....working with my family. At the moment I work by myself and moved to GA in 2006. But never the less I still love to make signs, and am on my way back up the ladder......figuratively and litterally.

Dave

[David Iannone]

more pics........

[David Iannone]

and the last pic of it........

[joe]

Excellent.

David, thank you for taking the time to post the step by step. Wish we had more of these to see.

Joe

[Alex Naumenko]

Here is latest PVC project.
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...eat=directlink
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...eat=directlink

[mtylerfl]

Very nice work! Thank you for sharing the photos and links.