Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums Showcase and Stories, Petroliana Just popped my NEON cherry, IN A BIG WAY!!

I gotta keep the kids because, again, my oldest WAS EXTREMELY HELPFUL!! , and his friend just happened to show up and help out when we were about to drop that beast! My son in on the left as your looking at the pic. They are both pretty big kids for 15yrs old.



Here is the other side of the sign. It has many access doors to get to the many ballasts.
Now it is in the spot it will be until I figure out everything.
No rust because the entire thing is galvanized.
MAN, THIS THING IS BIG!!

Looks GREAT!! Nice little set up you got there!

Thanx to all for sharing your thoughts.
I did some measuring yesterday and started taking off access panels to see how many transformers were in it and what voltage they are and WOW, it's a lot of both!!
There are 8-10, 15,000 volt transformers in it that probably weigh about 45lbs each. I can't imagine how much lighter it will be with out those in. I will probably take all of them out and do what with them, I don't know what but I will enjoy moving the sign around a lot more after they are out!
Anyone know of a place to buy new transformers wholesale???
I did a very rough mesurment of the neon tubing and it came in at 275 feet so for a rough estimate for myself I will round up to 300 feet. again, WOW, and this thing must've been bright!
I guess that is why Neon signs are considered the "Big League" for signs. Porcelain Neon would be better but I'll take what I got and this one I can get back to original compared to matching the colors on old porcelain!
Take care all!

I wouldn't mess with those old transformers they have oil in them which contains PCB's. Need to be disposed of properly.

Well, I got some time to work on this one today and I've got 5 dirty, ugly and dingy transformers. There 3 different types or maybe they are from different decades from replacing the dead ones with new. I thought there would be 10 but I guess not. That means the sign is about 450 lbs with out the transformers in.



I've found a couple of old ads the have matching font and it looks like this sign was made in 1949ish. That is the year the Mercury switched over to the rounded M and the 1948 Ford font on these 2 ads matches my sign.
This is what I'm thinking happened. Pure guessing here.
It might have been built in 1949 and put up on a new dealership that did not make it and the sign might have went back to Ford and then given out to the dealership in Othello when they opened up in 1957. Or, maybe it was made in 1949 and then no dealership bought it from Ford until the dealership in Othello in 1957. ???
I am still doing research every once in awhile.

Enjoy the great summertime weather if you can!
Dave

you think Ford had that built, to me it looks more like a local sign shop hand made sign.

I didn't think of that because I thought Ford controlled all the signage at all the dealerships. HMMMM a new curve ball. I'll have to check that out.