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Many of our tools have gone the way of the screwdriver and hand saw. Now and then I look at tools that were ultra essential at one time and never get used any more. It's been many years since I've used my sky hooks or falls and stirrups and swing stage, or opaque projector, or pounce wheels. Remember those air brushes with a tube and hinge and you blow through them? Home made ladder stand off's? All the templates for cutting ovals? After typing letters and spacing them for use and blowing them up to size and pushing a button and watching the plotter punch the holes for a pattern, I sometimes feel like a part of my brain is in the obsolete-unused category.
-------------------- The SignShop Mendocino, California
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. — Charles Mingus Posts: 6868 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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What a topic! I feel exactly like this and have for a while. Deciding to semi retire and relocate from Wisconsin to Tennessee, I left everything vinyl related behind. Just brought my sign kit, paints etc.
Yea, technology has in a way been good and earned us a decent living, but people never seemed to appreciate it quite like hand lettering. Customers seemed to equate it to quickness and cost.
By the way Rick, just what are home made ladder stand offs? Sounds like I could have used them at times.
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I'll try to take a photo of some. Basically, a block of hardwood six or so inches long with one end cut to a miter to meet the ladder and the other end rounded and covered with a thin tire tread. This is then sandwiched between two pieces of 1/4" aluminum and bolted to the top of the ladder at a 90 degree angle.
How are you liking Tennessee? How were you received there? Tere were some from this BB that moved from mid west to warmer southern places and then went back for differing reasons. Remember Mike McCloud? He went to the Florida keys and was destroyed twice by hurricanes.
-------------------- The SignShop Mendocino, California
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. — Charles Mingus Posts: 6868 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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The furterest I can go back would be 1985. But I still use some of that old stuff. I even have 8 bars of BonAmi cake soap. Yesterday I used some very old BrandyWine candy on some silver leaf. It was given to me back in 1990. It's still good.
-------------------- Signs by Alicia Jennings (Mudflap Girl) Tacoma, WA Since 1987 Have Lipstick, will travel. Posts: 3988 | From: Tacoma, WA. U.S.A. | Registered: Dec 1999
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I have a 1980-81 Signwriters guide to easier pricing. I was still working another job and dong a little amateur sign painting on the side. It says 4x8 plywood: Plain - $195 Custom - $221 I'm sure I wasn't getting near that. I was once chewed out by Jack Rumph, the publisher, for giving away a free sketch when I called him to ask a pricing question.
-------------------- Chuck Peterson Designs San Diego, CA Posts: 1089 | From: San Diego, CA USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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