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It was time to deliver the steel sign today at long last. Unfortunately the polar bear still languishes on the trailer as that customer isn't ready yet.
The sign will aquire a rust patina over time and the coast mountain lettering is painted silver. The sign is almost 9 feet long, 7 feet high and 16 inches thick. Its all welded steel construction.
So we decided to deliver the sign in the back of the truck instead. The measurements checked out OK and the new raised gantry on the liftbeam in the shop handled the sign no problem.
As we lowered the sign into the truck I wondered just how low the springs would sag...
Turns out the sign wasn't an overload (by my standards ) I decided to take the backroads to my customers... the load did LOOK massive enough to attract attention I didn't want if I ran into authorities.
The customer was delighted and the sign will have the final install on the same day as the bear. (its going into the same industrial complex) The sign is currently tucked into the wearhouse) The media will be there for the installation event. It should be a fun day!
-grampa dan
[ May 17, 2005, 09:36 PM: Message edited by: Dan Sawatzky ]
-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!! Posts: 8738 | From: Yarrow, B.C. Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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I understand how these things get into the trucks or trailers- but how do you get them OUT at the other end?????
-------------------- Catharine C. Kennedy CCK Graphics 1511 Route 28 Chatham Center, NY 12184 cck1620@taconic.net "Look at me, Look at me, Look at me now! I't's fun to have fun, But you have to know how!" Posts: 2173 | From: downtown Chatham Center, NY | Registered: Feb 2004
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Here's a pic of the truck before we balanced the load by filling the front passenger cab with bricks...
My client had a fork lift and it was out of the truck in two minutes without a scratch to either the truck or the sign. We lifted it with the chain which is looping around the top. My concrete pieces generally have a lift point built into the top and we screw out the eyebolt when we are done and patch the little hole.
The truck handled reasonably well with the load... it musta been the heavy gold leaf on the doors which kept the front end down.
And yes folks tend to stare at my truck when I make a delivery.
-grampa dan
-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!! Posts: 8738 | From: Yarrow, B.C. Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!! Posts: 8738 | From: Yarrow, B.C. Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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"cool" stuff Dan. Your work is so unique, everybody picks "who done it" in the "Sign of the Month" entries you send me.
Tell me a secret. How do you convince your customers to spend the $$$$ you have to charge for a sign like that?
Mine start baulking at the four figure barrier. But, when you point out to them what they are spending on TV, Radio and Newspaper Advertising that is here today for 30 seconds and gone forever!
Our work is only sold to a few select customers. But that's OK because I can only do a limited number of pieces each month.
The customers who approach me already know the type of work I do. They've most often sought me out because they saw my work somewhere. I invite them out to Giggle Ranch and into my office which as you know is FULL of eye candy. We give them a tour through the shop where there is always at least one project in the building stage... and by that time I don't have to do much talking.... Before we get back into the office they are sold. The only question is what am I going to design and build for them.
Each project seems to be more outlandish than the last. And money isn't the primary concern. My customers want a landmark.
When I delivered the polar bear sign yesterday afternoon there was an instant crowd. And not a small one. The owner of the sign will be my biggest salesman. He's already talking of two more projects. He handed me my final check before I had even untied the straps on the trailer.
Build it and they will come.
-grampa dan
-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!! Posts: 8738 | From: Yarrow, B.C. Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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![[Smile]](smile.gif)
) I decided to take the backroads to my customers... the load did LOOK massive enough to attract attention I didn't want if I ran into authorities.
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
![[I Don t Know]](graemlins/dunno.gif)
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