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Learning the Trade

Becoming a neon signmaker in a way that works for you

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Neon signs can’t be machine-made. Thus, they will be handcrafted well into the future. Because it’s quite labor-intensive, the neon trade has traditionally benefitted from recessions, which forced jobless individuals to seek new opportunities.

This month, I’ll discuss ways to get started in the neon trade and pitfalls to avoid. But keep in mind, there’s no right way to learn the neon trade. Because every situation is different, such learning techniques can’t be generalized.

Many skills are needed

Neon signs come in various shapes, sizes and styles. Therefore, their fabrication requires different skills. In a small, neon signshop — consisting of one to a few signmakers — each person is generally skilled in all areas to complete multiple job tasks. In contrast, if you’re a glassbender in a high-volume wholesale shop, your sole job may require repetitively bending the "e" in the word "beer" all day, every day.

In either case, your skills need to perfectly match the various job patterns in the neon-sign business. Because of the trade’s variety, it’s impossible to pinpoint, beforehand, the skills and education you’ll require in your business setting.

Small signshops typically divide their tasks into making neon tubes, and assembling and installing neon-sign components. Because special skills and expensive equipment are required, many small shops outsource their neon-tube fabrication and/or buy the tubing wholesale.

To learn the neon trade, you can take either the theoretical or practical approach. Taking the practical approach to training, a sign technician and service person must invest in training time and work with experienced people. However, an even better approach is to become an apprentice and learn the trade from a master sign electrician.

Anyone who’s interested in starting an electric-sign business must observe the National Electric Code’s (NEC) special regulations regarding neon installations (i.e. transformers according to UL 2161, see ST, March 2002, page 56), as well as consider the physical principles that apply to each job (see ST, June 1999, page 22), which are different from the principles associated with an average powerline or household electrician (Fig. 2).

Building a neon sign (including metal and electrical work) requires familiarity with many materials and techniques. However, planning the construction, design and sale of a safe, working neon sign requires more know-how (see ST, May 2001, page 24). But keep in mind that you can’t master every neon area at once. Learning this industry’s ropes takes time.

Learning to make neon tubes

In the early days, neon glassmaking remained a closed society — knowledge was passed down from father to son. But this changed after World War II, when the demand for neon signs exceeded the industry’s capacity and the first, commercial, government-sponsored neon schools opened (see ST, December 2001, page 20 ).

Today, many commercial neon schools offer various classes, from three-day crash courses to six-month, intensive-training programs (see ST‘s 2002 Buyers’ Guide, page 140).

Contrary to the Old World (Fig. 3), in the United States, no official document certifies a neon glassworker’s skill. As private papers, neon-school certificates don’t represent a common standard. Consequently, a person who applies for a neon-glassworker position typically must prove his/her ability and speed via a test given by a potential employer.

In the United States, it’s common to scale glassbenders’ payment based on speed — measured in the number of bends per minute and pattern variations for a given number of bends.

It’s not wise to establish your own neon shop before learning the craft. Even if you’re an experienced neon tradesperson, setting up your own shop can present many possible pitfalls, such as insufficient ceiling height, insufficient electrical supply or the inability to set up a draft-free workspace (see ST, October 1999, page 60).

Another way to learn the craft is through books and videos. However, without any assistance from an experienced glassworker, it’s easy to improperly train yourself. Further, a neon school that claims it can train you to become a professional neon glassworker in only three weeks shouldn’t be taken seriously. In this short time, you’ll only learn the basics.

I suggest first taking a basic class in a neon school. Then, practice for several months on your own and return to school to attend an advanced class to correct mistakes and get up to speed.

In most neon schools, vacuum-tube processing isn’t a major part of the curriculum. Learning to properly process a tube of any shape and size requires the development of feeling and an instinct for vacuum techniques — intuition that can’t be learned theoretically or from attempting a few times. Proper tube processing contributes to customer satisfaction because a neon sign’s appearance and lifetime depend on its tubes’ processing quality.

To learn proper tube processing for a variety of work coming in, start with a standard procedure (as demonstrated in the International Sign Assn.’s tube-processing video, available from ST Books, $75) and then vary slightly from case to case to see how your product and equipment react.

Neon signmaking requires participants to be knowledgeable in many fields. If you’re interested in starting a neon business at ground level, it’s probably best to start slowly by producing metal signage and outsourcing all glass and electrical work. In the meantime, keep learning about other neon areas on the job so you can handle all tasks later.

Several, new, small neon businesses have gone bankrupt because they started with all the niceties but had no experience in neon to run a company successfully

What Samuel C. Miller stated in his book, Neon Signs, nearly 70 years ago, still applies today, "Five things a good neon worker needs: Good materials, good tools, practice, practice — and practice."

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