Making a Neon Sign
Step to Step Guide
Neon Signs - Where Science Meets Art!
Neon sign making is a hand-made product that involves a highly skilled craftsman, bending and shaping glass over a flame. A technique that takes years to master. The entire process has numerous steps, meaning each sign can take days to make from start to finish.
Here's a Step-to-step guide on the amazing craftmanship that goes into every neon sign.
Step 1 - Design
The neon sign needs to be designed and agreed. Once all parties are happy. The design is printed to scale and in reverse.
Step 2 - Mark out Glass
Every bend in the design needs to be planned and individually bent over a hot flame.
Mark out the glass tubing where to heat for each bend one at a time. Using the printed template as a guide for the exact lengths and bend angles.
Step 3 - Shape and piece the neon together.
Depending on the complexity of the neon sign it may need to be made out of several pieces and all joined together.
Step 4 - Fit Electrodes
Heat weld electrodes to the each end of the glass tubing
Step 5 - Bombarder
Remove air using vacuum pump called a bombarder
Step 6 - Apply Electricity
Apply electricity through the tubes causing them to heat up and activating the electrodes.
Step 7 - Fill with gas
The glass tubing is then pumped with neon, argon or a mixture of both gases.
When applying a high voltage it ionizes the gas, causing it to emit coloured light due to fluorescence.
Neon gas comes out red and argon is blue.
Step 8 - Aging In
The aging in process is keeping the neon connected to a transformer for 24 hours to ensure the gasses have burnt in and any failures with the glass tube can be spotted.
Step 9 - Blocking Out
Blocking out is when any parts of the tube you do not want light to shine through are painted black. This way you get a clear form and can be easily read.
Step 10 - Assembly
The neon is then fastened to the back panel with tube supports.
Step 11 - Wire up
Wire all parts of the sign together to create a full circuit and tidy any wires with silicon covers on connection points.
Step 12 - Switch it on & Enjoy!
Plug it in and switch it on and enjoy your new neon sign for years and years to come!
