A customer of mine, wants me to make about 12 decorative Holloween type displays. The kind that you poke our head through a hole and someone on the other side takes a picture. Witch, scarecrow, ghost, like that. And he wants them freestanding, no problem,,,not exactly. I was thinking what if some kid leans on the sign too much and knocks it over and knock out a tooth. Or say he scrathes his mouth or head in the opening. Or someone leans on it and knocks it one someone else? I don't want to be liable. I have seen what the general public can do to things and how they love to sue. So I might have to say no to this one. Any comments?
Posted by jack wills (Member # 521) on :
Leave it. Make space for a better project. If you have doubt, do without...
Posted by Sonny Franks (Member # 588) on :
Maybe you could paint the graphics on plywood, PVC, or whatever and let the customer have the frames built elsewhere - all you're liable for is paint.....
Posted by W. R. Pickett (Member # 3842) on :
You worry too much.
Posted by Kevin Gaffney (Member # 4240) on :
I would use 10mm cortex board, digi print, and let customer collect and supply bases or whatever mechanism for keeping upright. Hardly any liability on your par then no matter what the outcome? If we over worry about these things, we'd be turning away most of our work
Posted by Joy Kjer (Member # 3026) on :
Alicia, I have a customer asking about the same thing. I guess they're called carnival cutouts. They just want one of a frog or a frog couple to be specific (she has a frog in her logo). I have questions like - how big do you cut the face hole and of the course theirs the problem with a support frame? If anyone is willing to share their experience I would appreciate it. I was thinking about Kevins idea of a digi print, but I actually think this would be fun to paint!
Posted by Alicia B. Jennings (Member # 1272) on :
When I used to run the signshop at Wild Waves Amusement park,we had a few of those canival cutouts about the park. They were all mounted to a pernament structure. Even today, when I see a carnival cutout, I get behind it and stick my head into the opening. They are kinda fun. If I do them, I'm thinking chinese dibond and a digital print. He wants to use them year after year.
Posted by Rusty Bradley (Member # 6938) on :
Sounds suspicious to me...like you're being setup...and you might want to check your local sex offender list as well...this person could be a pedophile that will use these props to lure innocent children...then you'll really be in hot water...you could even do time.
Posted by Preston McCall (Member # 351) on :
Yeah, then the issue of toxic waste chemicals in the Chinese dibond causing the sweet kiddies to develop Moco of the Loco. That could really get you.
How about the mental anguish lawsuits when the kids become traumatized over seeing their friend look like a ghoul? Some lawyer could get you for that, for sure. Blind justice!
Then there is the one where some kid tries to crawl through the hole and gets stuck. The fire dept gets called and some errant felon EMT slips on the sidewalk outside after arriving on a double hit of crack. He could sue you, claiming he was so traumatized by the thought of your scary work, that he fell?
All you can do is make every effort to provide as safe an environment for the kids as possible. The client is the one who has to worry about liability. I would do them. Maybe some 'Hidem strip' rubber moulding around the hole or even just some foam of some kind? Make the client sign a work order that states you are not responsible for any harm caused and maybe print on them somewhere "To be used with only close adult supervision"? If you still feel funky, pass. Take no chances with Moko of the Loco or EMTs on drugs.
Posted by FranCisco Vargas (Member # 145) on :
Make em, have fun paintin em, and have them sign a waiver that you are not responsible for nuthin...
Posted by Checkers (Member # 63) on :
It sounds like a job that would be too much fun to pass up. I would go for it too and just let the client deal with the frame and installation. If you're worried about liability, add a clause to your invoice that states something to this effect...
"BUYER ASSUMES FULL RESPONSIBILITY THAT THE PRODUCTS PURCHASED FROM SELLER MEET THE SPECIFICATIONS AND/OR INTENDED USE OF BUYER AND SELLER MAKES NO REPRESENTATION WITH RESPECT THERETO."
Havin' fun,
Checkers
Posted by stein Saether (Member # 430) on :
mabe you can do it on soft material like taxtile, canvas or plastic and hang them from a line with some weight at the bottom?
Posted by Alicia B. Jennings (Member # 1272) on :
Okay, maybe I could build them, three sided, 2x4 interior, 3/4in.floor, on top of a pallet. It'd be a big 4'x4'x7' three sided box. This way the guy could move them with his forklift. he has a forklift. The person would stand inside of the structure, thurs elimitating the problem of it falling over. It just might work.
Posted by David Harding (Member # 108) on :
If you plasma cut them out of 3/4" steel plate and they fall over, their won't be any survivors to file lawsuits. Of course, there's always next of kin...
Posted by Michael Gene Adkins (Member # 882) on :
Maybe work in a guillotine on a hair-trigger. Have everyone sign a waiver and put up extra signs (extra money!!!) warning about no horseplay.
That would keep things calm.
Posted by Brent Logan (Member # 6587) on :
Cisco's got a great idea about a waiver. I wouldn't worry. I used to do 4 or 5 of those a year for different events. Cut out MDO with a quick splash style cartoon and 2 x 4 frame. Nobody ever got hurt... I won't tell where I hid the bodies.
Posted by Kevin Gaffney (Member # 4240) on :
Having thought about this again Alicia, why not print these on banner material. Eyelets around four sides for client to use for hanging from whatever they want. No sharp edges in cutout holes. No danger of anyone getting hurt
Posted by Bill Lynch (Member # 3815) on :
I made a "temporary" one for my daughters 6th birthday party. About 5'tall x4'wide corex with a digital print ( a Tiki) with the mouth cut out, two "wings" of coro on the back for stands and another piece of coro for the base, All held to gether with dbl stk tape. It was in our yard over 4 years before she let me throw it out, and it would've lasted another 4 easy. I also did a similar job on coro about 10 years ago using 1shot, before I got my printer.
[ September 16, 2011, 05:26 PM: Message edited by: Bill Lynch ]
Posted by stein Saether (Member # 430) on :
Louis the 16th look
Posted by Alicia B. Jennings (Member # 1272) on :
Now I'm thinking about what to charge, he's not gonna like it. Each one is gonna take 1 4'x8'. The cutting, the painting, gotta do em fast to make money. He might jus throw a rotten pumpkin at me when I give em the price.
Posted by W. R. Pickett (Member # 3842) on :
I saved the client a bunch of money on a project like this, by having them get the plywood and have some other flunky cut them out. Then, he brought them to my shop, and I painted them. Which is the fun part anyway.
Posted by Joy Kjer (Member # 3026) on :
Printing on banner vinyl or canvas wouldn't be ideal because it would show ripples in photos. Any kind of material would have to be stretched on a frame, and then the face hole might be a weak point.
Posted by Ray Rheaume (Member # 3794) on :
Simple solution...
Charge accordingly. If he doesn't like the price, you're off the hook. If he agrees to the price, you point out the safety concerns, make them and let him know you won't be liable if something bad happens...he will as it becomes his responsibility as to how they are used.
End discussion. Rapid
Posted by Elaine Beauchemin (Member # 136) on :
