A cool thing about projects we handle is meeting the interesting people who ask us to build their signs. We enjoy digging a little deeper and getting to know their tastes and interests. We learn a lot during this process; often, the most important thing is the client’s reasoning behind their business’ name. San Marcos, approximately 30 miles from Austin, is a laid-back town, with a dynamic mixture of fun shops, that’s blessed with a beautiful, spring-fed river that runs through downtown. It’s also home to Texas State Univ., a rapidly growing school with more than 35,000 students. The lively mix of college students, professionals and quirky “San Martians” exudes a creative vibe and a climate favorable to unique sign work.
从事标识制作行业多年，所有经我们手制作的项目，都能高规格的完成要求，得到客户的满意，也正是在行业中拥有的超高口碑，才为我们取得了越来越多的业务机会。一般情况下，承接了项目后，我会与客户进行一些交流和探讨，挖掘他们的喜好以及想法，从而清楚其品味和爱好，与具体的要求融合在一起，并贯穿在整个项目的制作中。在这个过程中，还可以了解到其他的东西，若在一个项目中，则可以清楚客户的意图。圣马科斯是一座距离奥斯汀大约30英里的一座悠闲的小镇，镇上有各式各样的商店，还有一条纵横交错、美丽的小河从镇中心穿过。同时，这也是德州州立大学的所在地。在该镇的街上有充满活力的大学生、各行各业的人士以及各种新奇想法的人，这种奇妙的组合，烘托出一种创造性的氛围和独特的外部环境，对独特标识的制作有很重要的影响。
A cool customer 激发人灵感的客户
We particularly enjoyed meeting Katinka Pinka, a jewelry designer, seamstress and antique dealer who also owns Bower Bird Antiques & Curiosities (www.curiousbowerbird.com). Her business is located in an early-1900s, two-story building in downtown San Marcos. A self-proclaimed “cool junk collector”, she’s very adept at recognizing relics and giving them a second chance for discovery. Research after our first meeting elucidated the store’s name. The actual bower bird makes elaborate nests and decorates them with colorful found objects in hopes of attracting a mate.
我们非常享受与卡廷卡·皮恩卡的合作，她是一名珠宝设计师、裁缝师和古董商，并拥有属于自己的古玩店，其店位于圣马科斯镇中心一栋19世纪早期建造的两层小楼上。她自称是一位“很棒的垃圾收集器”，擅长识别发现文物，并为他们提供第二次面世的机会。在我们首次实地考察了商店的名字后，就开始对其进行研究。最终决定按照鲍尔鸟的造型进行制作，其中包括精心设计的巢穴以及采用彩色内容装饰的标识面板，寓意为希望能吸引到更多的顾客前来。
So, I created a rough sketch with pencil and paper of a sign that would reflect this bird’s quirky personality, her shop’s vintage vibe and the historic building. Gabe Hedrick, Blackout’s one-man design team, cleaned up the rough sketch following more research on this crafty bird, and created scaled shop art to use as our template for shop drawings and neon patterns. Pinka wanted the sign to be slightly distressed – appropriate for a shop that sells vintage trinkets. We settled on a double-sided, 5 x 3-ft. (the maximum city codes allow), projecting, vintage-looking sign with multi-colored neon, handpainted metal and goldleaf – with a nest, of course.
在创意确定后，先在纸上使用铅笔勾画出大概的草图，并对其进行描绘，这样，可以很好地呈现鸟独特的造型、古董的氛围以及建筑的历史性。同时，通过对这个造型的深入了解，Blackout设计团队工作人员盖比·德里克对其细节处理，使其在建筑施工图和霓虹模式增加的情况下，也能轻松制作。此外，皮恩卡希望标识可以展现一种古朴的感觉，这样，可以更好与其售卖的古董饰品相搭配。最终，该项目是5×3英尺的双面标识，悬臂式、有多种颜色霓虹装点的复古式效果，手工绘制的金属色和金箔色，巢穴同样用该种颜色喷涂。
Hatching the bird 绘制鸟造型剖面图
After having transferred the pattern with carbon paper, we cut the 0.063-in.-thick faces with a jigsaw. Next, we welded the sign’s steel, 2 x 2-in., angle frame and 1 x 2 tubing. We MIG-welded the components together with a Millermatic 252 single-phase welder.
借助复写纸将绘制的模型转移，并使用拼图切割出0.063英寸厚的标识面板。接着，将2×2英寸的标识钢角框和1×2大小的钢管进行焊接处理。最后，还使用Millermatic252单相焊机将焊接而成的MIG组件组装在一起即完成。
We painted the face with a corrosion-resistant, epoxy primer. We formed the 0.040-in.-thick, aluminum returns by hand and riveted them to the faces. Next, we ran the returns through our well-worn Ruoff notcher, a punch press with an adjustable, automatic feed, and then bent them into a U shape on our manual brake. Jason Mathis crafted the “nest” out of ¼-in.-diameter, aluminum rod and made mounting brackets for it.
对于标识面板的喷涂，我们采用具有耐腐蚀性的环氧底漆产品。0.040英寸厚的铝质返回，使用铆钉手动焊接在标识面板上。接下来，穿过整个返回以及老旧的Ruoff开槽器，其中，冲压床具有可调节性、自动给料功能，而且可采用手制动将其折弯成U型状，以方便使用。杰森·马修斯采用直径为¼英寸的铝杆精心制作成巢窝，并将其固定在支架上。
Once we’d formed the cans, we masked the sign with transfer tape, and transferred the pattern with carbon paper. We cut out the areas intended to receive background color to prepare them for handpainting and airbrushing. We sprayed the background with 1Shot® lettering enamels, which we enhanced with lacquer thinner to improve their spraying. We painted it with an inexpensive HVLP gun and an Iwata gravity-feed airbrush. To help the paint cure, we also added PPG’s MH101 universal hardener. Sometimes, those enamels take forever to dry.
整个框架组装完成，使用转移胶带对标识进行包裹，并使用复写纸转换模式。其中一些部分需要采取切割的方式，以确定背景板的颜色，从而方便使用手工彩绘和喷枪进行处理。接着借助1Shot®对背景板进行喷涂，使其标识字呈现瓷漆的效果，同时增强对喷漆稀释剂的使用，以改善喷涂的附着情况。其实，这一部分制作简单，普通常见的工具，售价亲民，比如HVLP喷枪和Iwata重力供给喷枪。有时，这些瓷漆的固化时间需要很长，为了加速喷漆的固化，我们会添加PPG推出的MH101通用固化剂。
The hardener helps the paint cure overnight instead of requiring days. Just a bottlecap full of the hardener with a quart of paint works wonders and prevents headaches. To provide a matte finish and texture, we painted the bird with automotive-undercarriage, black paint, a PPG product sold in a spray can. This coating functions well as matte-finish, textured paint, prevents reflection and “soaks up” light.
硬化剂的使用加速了油漆的固化时间，仅需几个小时就可以完成。一般情况下，普通瓶盖量的硬化剂搭配一夸脱油漆就能呈现出绝妙的固化效果，并可有效防止脱落。此外，为了制作出哑光和纹理的效果，鸟的部分使用全自动式的黑色油漆喷涂，随后使用材料进行覆膜处理，其功能就如哑光效果一样，以防止反射和吸光情况的发生。
Next, we applied goldleaf to the Bower Bird sign’s lettering. We always use slow size; even in March, Texas can be hot, and these conditions would cause quick size to lose tack quickly. We used 18K surface goldleaf, which we purchased from Letterhead Sign Supply, and applied it with a gilder’s tip brush – the kind you wipe across your hair for natural oil and static electricity. Thanks to Gary Martin for teaching me that trick. We applied the gold “wet” – meaning with heavy size – because we’re trying to recreate the effect of an aging mirror, where the silver on the back has begun to decay. We followed this with an outline of 1Shot robin-egg blue straight from the can.
接下来，采用金箔对上面的标识字进行包裹处理。一般情况下，使用金箔裁剪的都比较小；因为德州三月天气比较炎热，多出的部分极易丧失粘性，弱化其附着效果。因此，我们会使用18K的表面金叶，该材料是从Letterhead标识供应商那购买，借助于gilder笔尖画笔，犹如穿过头发而产生静电那样，操作起来非常简单。也多亏了加里·马丁教我这个技巧，否则肯定会影响制作效果。与此同时，我们正试图重建老化的镜面效果，其背面的银质材料已经开始慢慢脱落，因此，最终决定采用1Shot对标识边缘处进行加固包层处理。
A bright nest 亮丽的巢窝造型
We outsourced the neon tube-bending to Kirk Tunningsley, the owner of Big Dog Neon in Lockhart, TX. We incorporated various colors of Tecnolux luminous tubing, which ranged in diameter from 10-15mm. We used both penetrating electrodes in PK housings and double-backs in some of the tighter areas.
柯克·塔斯勒是Big Dog霓虹的老板，公司位于德州的洛克哈特。霓虹折弯灯管部分采用的就是该公司的产品，其以独特的外包形式处理，直径范围在10-15mm之间，Tecnolux发光管的颜色多样。除此之外，我们还选用穿透电极的PK外壳，这样，即使在紧凑的区域仍能采用双面背板正常工作。
Next, we dry-mounted the tubing to determine the number of feet of wiring we’d need for each transformer. We like Allanson 12,000V electronic, channel-letter transformers because they are compact, light and self-adjusting. We installed four of them in the sign. For the border, we used core-and-coil 7,500V transformers, which we purchased from West Coast Custom Designs, which stocks several, hard-to-find neon products.
接下来，固化完成就可以进行灯管的安装，这一部分最重要的是注意布线的长度问题，同时还需要准备变压器。我们比较中意Allanson 12000V电子设备和标识发光字变压器，因为他们不仅紧凑、亮度够，而且具有自动调节功能，在该项目中，我们安装了四个。而标识的边缘处，我们选用核心线圈式7500V变压器，是公司专门定制而成的，由于市场上类似这种霓虹的产品比较少，因此，库存了一部分备用。
We installed glass PK housings for the lettering, and, for the rest of the glass, we installed double-back tubing with ceramic bushings for the wiring penetration. We’re glad FMS Sign Products still offers these items; we realize that neon has become a lost art for many. We’ve had good luck with our local supplier, Reece Supply Co.’s San Antonio branch, and we also try to stay stocked with special-order items from FMS and West Coast Custom Designs.
标识字上我们安装了玻璃材质的PK外壳，而至于剩余的部分，则利用套管技术安装了双面管，用于布线的渗透。令人高兴地是，FMS标识产品公司还提供这些项目的服务，因为我们发现，霓虹在很多的业务领域慢慢退出。非常幸运，当地一家供应商还提供相关产品，由于该类型产品的稀缺性，在购置时，我们计划的比通常使用的量都要多，以备不时之需。
The installation proceeded quickly. Under threatening spring skies, three of us needed approximately four hours to install the sign. We installed a custom-built bracket with 3/8 x 4-in. lag bolts onto the building’s front, and then creatively muscled the sign into place on the bracket. Once this was bolted in place, we installed ¼-in.-diameter, stainless-steel cable and turnbuckles for support.
安装进程还是很快的。春天天气比较温和，户外作业的条件优越，在这样的环境下，整个标识的安装，三名工作人员差不多需要将近四个小时。安装的标识支架采用3/8×4英寸的材料定制而成，将螺栓固定在建筑上，以便安装时固定，然后，往支架上安装标识时需要一定的技巧，这样，标识既稳定又美观。螺栓位置固定后，就可安装直径¼英寸的不锈钢电缆和螺丝扣，对标识主要起支撑作用。
We also completed a little handlettering on the building with my old Mack Brush Co. fitches and 1Shot. To support the flag-mounted sign and secure it to the roof, we applied NP1 sealant heavily to make the sign as water-resistant as possible. Our coating combination created the distressed look Pinka wanted. Sorry, the exact mixture is proprietary; we can’t give away all our secrets!
此外，使用fitches和1Shot还处理了一些建筑上的手工字，使其外形更美观。为了支撑旗帜标识的安装以及将其固定在屋顶上，我们使用大量的NP1密封剂，使标识尽量达到防水的效果。至于涂层的组合，则选用皮恩卡想要的复古外形。令人遗憾的是，具体的操作有专门的工作人员负责，相关信息并不能公开。
Finally, we wired the sign to a previously installed, weatherproof, 20-amp circuit, and hit the switch. The client was excited to showcase the sign to customers. As we loaded up to head back to the shop, I bought two unusual items at Bower Bird – an early-20th-Century fencing panel and a huge steel ring. So, Katinka got some of her money back. I’m not sure what I’ll use them for, but I have a feeling they may yet end up on a sign or project we fabricate. It’s always satisfying to work with a client who shares your creative passion. I wish all jobs could be this fun.
最后一个步骤，就是对之前安装好的标识进行布线，以防水为主，将20-amp循环电路和开关连接上，并对其测试确保其运转正常。届时，可以将最完美的亮化效果展示给前来的顾客。在我们将标识运送到安装现场时，在该店购买了两个对我来说非同寻常的物品，分别是20世纪早期的击剑面板和一个巨大的铜环，虽然不确定我会用他们做什么，但总有一种奇妙的感觉：他们会成为以后标识项目中的重要组成部分或灵感来源。我很喜欢，一件令人满意的工作可以与那些拥有创作激情的客户分享，因为分享是相互的。而我则希望，所有的工作都具有这样的属性。 |
