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I'm so sick of these cheap little towns. Why didn't I move years ago? We were commissioned to do one entrance sign, by I-10, at the south end of the city. They asked for, and we gave them 2 designs; one large and one humongous. For reasons I have yet to determine, the administrator of the project gave the smaller design specs to the DOT which they eventually approved. Then, at a meeting with town council, DOT officials, and myself, this dude tried to slip the larger sign into the plans. One of the DOT men called him on it and he tried to blame ME in front of them. Anyway, they got the project coordinated and, in addition to drawing up the plans, and compiling the material lists, I was to CNC cut the lettering and install when the monument was finished; Inmate labor would be used for the main construction.
They made the forms and poured the foundation; several tons of concrete. But a DOT inspector came out and discovered they had tried to use the larger plans anyway; he made them tear the whole thing out. I wonder if he blamed me again?
When the sign was finished, I was again asked to submit more drawings and plans for the other three entrance signs but these were to be less expensive but nice. So I did. https://www.facebook.com/237891425708/photos/pb.237891425708.-2207520000.1430760511./10151380817395709/?type=3&theater After stringing me along with more drawings and specs promising to let me know when the meeting was, so we could proceed, he never did. I made a trip through the city, Saturday, and found these sticking out by the road. Would Letterhead Fonts be happy that they tried to copy one of their fonts without paying for it?
[ May 04, 2015, 01:38 PM: Message edited by: Wayne Webb ]
-------------------- Wayne Webb Webb Signworks Chipley, FL 850.638.9329 wayne@webbsignworks.com Posts: 7403 | From: Chipley,Florida,United States | Registered: Oct 1999
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It's stuff like this that makes me happy I'm less and less involved in signmaking these days. I've had a similar thing to happen to me a few years back. It still burns me up.
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In spite of the headaches, Wayne, the sign you did looks great!
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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In reality, any good sign maker could recreate any sign we make. Even if you didn't do those drawings, you did create the original. I've been asked to recreate stuff from other sign makers and I've had jobs I created, recreated at other sign shops. One thing I've learned over the years is to take it less personal. Sometimes we screw up and people go elsewhere, sometimes it's no fault of our own. But as artists we always have some attachment to our creations. I don't think based on the information provided you could've done anything to stop that from happening. I'd be interested to see if you do get compensated for your design time.
-------------------- Bob Rochon Creative Signworks Millbury, MA 508-865-7330
"Life is Like an Echo, what you put out, comes back to you." Posts: 5149 | From: Millbury, Mass. U.S. | Registered: Nov 1998
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Thanks Bob, The thing that got me was, the guy kept stringing me along. He promised me the job. He asked for the drawings with measurements. He needed drawings and measurements to get his DOT right of way permits and whether he used those or not, I don't know. But after he promised me several times he would notify me of the final "committee meeting" to start the project. he never did and just had the convicts do it so he could get his signs dirt cheap. I was just aggravated because my time was wasted (again).
I do this sometimes when I need work really bad. I bend over backwards for someone to get a job and they leave me with nothing. I installed a jobsite sign, yesterday, and I have a lighted cabinet, with EMC's on it, in the works. Other than that, it's slow again. I'm going back out to the shop to work on my foam cutting machine.
[ May 07, 2015, 03:10 PM: Message edited by: Wayne Webb ]
-------------------- Wayne Webb Webb Signworks Chipley, FL 850.638.9329 wayne@webbsignworks.com Posts: 7403 | From: Chipley,Florida,United States | Registered: Oct 1999
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Your sign looks awesome which shows how a good designer can make a image awesome instead of ho hum like what they did on the cheap even with trying to duplicate yours.
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