[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]
Excited to join the list...
Greetings fellow Neon enthusiasts!!
Was very excited to read about the list in Signs of the Times today and am
sending this brief intro as requested.
I'm Tom & I'm a 31 yr. old tubebender in Boston, MA. I collected any and
everything neon that I could find for years. This included any odd (and I do
mean odd, old, scuzzy, and weird) pieces of glass that would light from old,
abandoned signs, old beer signs, clocks, pieces of glass that neon shops were
willing to give or sell to me for small change, etc., etc. I'd built up a
basement full of neon odd's 'n ends.
After about 15 years of doing this, I decided to quit my office job and make
the neon happen. Got a job in a shop that was willing to let me do anything
in order to get them to teach me some bending, pumping, etc. Well, that was
the spark that lit the fire, but after about 9 months they said they couldn't
afford to keep me on & I was let go. I turned back to the office job &
suffered for about 4 years, all along craving to do neon.
Again, I quit my rarely fulfilling office job and decided to make the neon
happen. This time I talked my way into an existing setup in a full service
sign shop w/ no one to run the neon plant. I was up for the challenge,
although my experience other than admiring was limited. The equipment had
sat idle for 5+ years and took quite a bit of fine tuning and cleaning.
After a good couple of months of cleaning the mess, I had myself up and
running. I'd spend every minute I could @ the shop practicing, practicing,
and doing a lot of cursing and swearing as I tore through stick after sick of
15mm trying to make decent looking bends. I've been a human sponge to
anything I can find on neon; reading, talking to anyone who is willing (and
for some reason, sometimes this seems hard with tubebenders).
At any rate, about a year and a half later I'm more passionate than ever
about my work. It's been a slow process learning and getting the business
flowing in. Lot's of trial and error, but I love everything about it (well,
most everything, of course).
I have lots of questions and look forward to getting to know other neon
people who are willing to share their experience. Hopefully, I too will have
experience to add.
Thanks in advance to those who thought to bring this to the 'net...
NeonThom
NeonThom@aol.com