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This is an interactive Bulletin Board on the topics of Sign making, design, fabrication, History, old Books and of coarse Letterheads, Keepers of the craft. The Hand Lettering Forum features links to resources, sign art history, techniques, and artists profiles. Learn more about Letterheads at https://theletterheads.com. Below you'll see Mchat has been added as a live communication portal for trial, and the Main forum Links are listed below.

Search found 345 matches

by Raymond Chapman
Sat Jun 26, 2010 12:34 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: The Wenzel Book: Large photos in this post>Worth it!
Replies: 6
Views: 6805

Re: The Wenzel Book: Large photos in this post>Worth it!

50!!!!????

Good grief.

Nice book, though.
by Raymond Chapman
Tue May 25, 2010 12:59 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Dave Smith Video???
Replies: 23
Views: 12359

Re: Dave Smith Video???

Can anyone tell me what Larry just said? :)
by Raymond Chapman
Tue May 25, 2010 10:56 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Dave Smith Video???
Replies: 23
Views: 12359

Re: Dave Smith Video???

Sadly, this was the attitude of the old sign painters when I started trying to learn this trade. Don't share anything with anyone because they might take your livelihood away. Many fine craftsmen took their abilities and knowledge to the grave with them. In my opinion, we never hurt our craft by sha...
by Raymond Chapman
Sun May 23, 2010 4:14 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Dave Smith Video???
Replies: 23
Views: 12359

Re: Dave Smith Video???

Dave, that was just our generic Mexican food that you ate. I knew that your stomach probably couldn't handle the real stuff.

Keep me posted on the video stuff. I'm ready when you are. Leaving a Dave Smith instructional video for future generations would be a dream come true.
by Raymond Chapman
Fri May 21, 2010 7:49 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Dave Smith Video???
Replies: 23
Views: 12359

Re: Dave Smith Video???

Sounds like a great idea to me - I would get to see England and spend some time with The Master. Priceless!

And it would be a win-win for you since could share your talents with the rest of us...and make a few bucks in the process.

We may need someone along to translate from Texan to English.
by Raymond Chapman
Thu May 20, 2010 8:16 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Dave Smith Video???
Replies: 23
Views: 12359

Re: Dave Smith Video???

Dave - I have video editing software and would be glad to assist in editing whatever you film. You could film a little bit of everything and then I could splice things together to make if "flow" better.

Or....you could just send me a ticket to England and I could come and film it myself.
by Raymond Chapman
Mon Apr 19, 2010 5:22 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Lincoln Highway mural number 7 . . . Byron, IL
Replies: 5
Views: 3220

Re: Lincoln Highway mural number 7 . . . Byron, IL

Exceptional talent in Bill and Jay. Congratulations on a job more than well done.
by Raymond Chapman
Mon Mar 15, 2010 12:36 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Rick Glawson
Replies: 6
Views: 3885

Re: Rick Glawson

Time goes by so quickly, but the memories remain. It was hard to put Rick into words while he was alive and even more difficult to sumarize who he was now after all these years. He will always be an icon that grows more important with the passage of time. I said it at his memorial and will mention i...
by Raymond Chapman
Mon Feb 22, 2010 11:24 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: My Website Design
Replies: 15
Views: 9240

Re: My Website Design

Just mind boggling....what else is there to say? You take us all to new limits. Congratulations on a splendid design. The legacy you will leave for future generations is fantastic.
by Raymond Chapman
Sat Feb 20, 2010 5:46 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: My Website Design
Replies: 15
Views: 9240

Re: My Website Design

Beautiful work, Dave. The finished product will be fantastic.
by Raymond Chapman
Fri Feb 12, 2010 9:00 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: the shop
Replies: 17
Views: 10008

Re: the shop

Amen to what Duncan said - Doug is just a great guy and a tremendous talent. He's kinda old but that just means he has a lot of experience.
by Raymond Chapman
Thu Feb 11, 2010 10:02 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Ornate Cut panels
Replies: 8
Views: 5275

Re: Ornate Cut panels

Amazing! I can't even begin to understand what it must take to accomplish a piece like that.
by Raymond Chapman
Tue Feb 09, 2010 1:02 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Brushes and uses, some questions...
Replies: 22
Views: 12201

Re: Brushes and uses, some questions...

Sorry Erik, I misunderstood what you were saying.

I have my own professional video camera and editing equipment, so it will all be done in-house.

Now, all I have to do is to do it.
by Raymond Chapman
Tue Feb 09, 2010 12:30 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Brushes and uses, some questions...
Replies: 22
Views: 12201

Re: Brushes and uses, some questions...

Just what would you consider too much? Kinda sounds like our customers who come to us and want a first class sign but don't want to spend any money. What is 50 years of lettering experience worth? If you can learn something with which you can make a living for years to come, what is that worth to yo...
by Raymond Chapman
Tue Feb 09, 2010 10:54 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Brushes and uses, some questions...
Replies: 22
Views: 12201

Re: Brushes and uses, some questions...

Thanks for the suggestions, Erik. Those have already been considered, except for the left handed stuff - that might be hard to do since I'm right handed. I learned most of what I know from a left handed sign painter and had to convert to my way of doing it. That was probably a good thing because I h...
by Raymond Chapman
Tue Feb 09, 2010 10:19 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Brushes and uses, some questions...
Replies: 22
Views: 12201

Re: Brushes and uses, some questions...

My articles in SignCraft were some basic stuff that might help to get you started but seeing it done in motion is much better. You Tube has some tutorials that could help - just do a search for Hand Lettering. Right off the top of my head I can't remember the issues of SignCraft. Tom McIltrot may ha...
by Raymond Chapman
Tue Jan 26, 2010 12:47 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: the shop
Replies: 17
Views: 10008

Re: the shop

Great looking shop there, Old Man. Like Mike said, it's always interesting to see the work place of the folks you really admire. It seems like only yesterday that we opened the door to the magic kingdom of Gary's studio. We all walked around quietly, almost in reverence, with our jaws hitting the fl...
by Raymond Chapman
Sat Jan 16, 2010 11:58 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Copper Leaf?
Replies: 3
Views: 3425

Re: Copper Leaf?

The copper from Hobby Lobby is a leaf and looks similar to gold leaf but thicker. I've used white cotton gloves when handling it to avoid getting any body oils and tarnishing the copper. I have some One Shot Acrylic Clear (4005) in a rattle can that worked well on some scrap samples. Also, I have a ...
by Raymond Chapman
Thu Jan 14, 2010 6:53 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Copper Leaf?
Replies: 3
Views: 3425

Copper Leaf?

OK...here I am trying to surface gild copper for the first time and I can't get it to stick to the size. I went the cheapy route because I just had a little bit to do for a customer that specified copper leaf - went to Hobby Lobby and bought what they had. Put down One Shot Quick Size and waited abo...
by Raymond Chapman
Fri Sep 11, 2009 8:55 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: What would you do
Replies: 17
Views: 8861

Re: What would you do

The level of my response often has to do with the balance in the bank. For the most part I try to convince my client that we are both on the same side and my job is to make them look good...and in turn that makes me look good. If I can tell them a little bit about "why" their artwork could...
by Raymond Chapman
Wed Aug 12, 2009 1:48 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Surface Gold Failure
Replies: 17
Views: 10497

Re: Surface Gold Failure

Hey Kent...you're just supposed to tell me what's wrong, not ask all those questions. :) The size had been sitting on the shelf for several years, so that could be the problem. There are no sprinkler problems, just Texas heat. The gold that is still on the letters looks good but has just separated f...
by Raymond Chapman
Tue Aug 11, 2009 12:44 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Surface Gold Failure
Replies: 17
Views: 10497

Re: Surface Gold Failure

Thanks Danny for the post and especially for the phone call. You've given me good advice and I'll follow up on it.

I'll let you know what happens.
by Raymond Chapman
Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:35 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Surface Gold Failure
Replies: 17
Views: 10497

Surface Gold Failure

Yesterday I was informed by a client that a dimensional sign we had done about 18 months ago had failed. The structure is still sound but the surface gold has begun to turn loose. We used LeFranc 12 hour size. A few other jobs have shown some similiar failures. If I remember correctly, there was a d...
by Raymond Chapman
Mon Jul 06, 2009 2:16 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Happy Mid-Year!
Replies: 7
Views: 3966

Re: Happy Mid-Year!

Well, I've tried always to be the eternal optimist - seeing the glass as half full. After 50 years in this business the good and bad times have come and gone in regular cycles. We've always weathered the bad times and enjoyed the plentiful ones. At the end of '08 the outlook was bleak here in our pa...
by Raymond Chapman
Mon Jun 29, 2009 10:19 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Gerald Whittaker Signs
Replies: 33
Views: 18885

Re: Gerald Whittaker Signs

Show off!
by Raymond Chapman
Sat May 23, 2009 12:40 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Sandblasted redwood signs
Replies: 7
Views: 4201

Re: Sandblasted redwood signs

At some point we must get away from the idea that we are selling a commodity (letters by the pound) and advance to selling an image that will enhance the clients business. Of course, in the process the idea is to make money also.
by Raymond Chapman
Sat May 23, 2009 10:12 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Sandblasted redwood signs
Replies: 7
Views: 4201

Re: Sandblasted redwood signs

While I agree with Kent about the intrinsic value of this type sign, they do have a tendency to fall within a price range that is acceptable to us and our client. We do a lot of this type dimensional work so a square foot price is not a bad beginning - just to get in the ball park, because we know w...
by Raymond Chapman
Tue May 19, 2009 4:40 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: gilding on acrylic painted signs
Replies: 3
Views: 2347

Re: gilding on acrylic painted signs

Gary Anderson was telling me of a problem he had after using size directly over acrylics. About the same time I had experienced the same problem. The solution seemed to be to paint a layer over the acrylic using One Shot (ivory, imitation gold) to put a barrier layer between the acrylic and the size...
by Raymond Chapman
Mon May 11, 2009 1:46 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: What are chances - tempering glue chipped glass?
Replies: 10
Views: 5079

Re: What are chances - tempering glue chipped glass?

Thanks for the answers. It seems that it is not quite as "chancey" as I first suspected. I'll pad the estimate a little for the off-chance that something may go wrong....which it normally does.
by Raymond Chapman
Sat May 09, 2009 3:25 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: What are chances - tempering glue chipped glass?
Replies: 10
Views: 5079

What are chances - tempering glue chipped glass?

What has been your experience of glue chipping and carving plate glass and then having it tempered? We may possibly have a job the would include some intricate stage etching and glue chipping but the buiding code requires tempered glass. Does breakage happen often, seldom, randomly, or what? I just ...