Explore the Art of Neon Creation
Neon is an art form that has been around for over a hundred years and hasn't changed much in all those years. The design aspect now has computers to help with the creative process, but the actual art of bending the glass and building the sign or design is an age-old art that you will be in awe of. Contact us any time, and we will be happy to show you around the shop and give you a tour into the past of this incredible art form.
Step 1
We work from a given design or make the design ourselves.
Step 2
A full-size “glass” drawing is created from the artwork. This is always made in reverse, so that when the sign is made, the parts that need to be hidden are at the back.
Step 3
A straight piece of glass tubing is measured against the drawing and marked in the places where it needs to be bent. The glass usually comes in lengths of 1.5 m and diameters ranging from 8 mm to 25 mm.
Step 4
The straight piece of glass tubing is heated on a flame. Depending on the color of the sign, either clear glass, powder-coated glass, or colored glass is used.
Step 5
Keeping the glass on the hot flame, the glass is bent into the required shape.
Step 6
Once the required shape has been made, it is put into a cooler flame to help the glass cool down quickly.
Step 7
The bent glass is continually matched against the drawing to ensure that the design is replicated.
Step 8
Sometimes, if there are lots of letters, they may be made individually and then joined together to make one piece or section. This is done by heating up the glass in both sections and fusing them together.
Step 9
Electrodes are put on both ends of each section of glass.
Step 10
Air is removed from the glass sections by a vacuum pump and then the tube is subjected to high-voltage electricity, making the tubes and the electrodes very hot.
Step 11
The sections of glass are then pumped with either neon or argon gas, depending on the final color of the sign. The majority of colors use argon gas, with red being the main color that uses neon gas.
Step 12
The pumped sections of glass are then connected to a transformer. This is for the process of “aging in” to ensure that the gases have burned in enough.
Step 13
Parts of the glass section are then painted with block-out paint so that light does not shine through these parts. These are generally the backs of the letters and the spaces between the letters (if it is not joined-up style of writing).
Step 14
The neon then needs to be assembled. We usually do this in an acrylic case or on an acrylic panel. Tube supports, a transformer, silicone end covers, and HT cable are used in the assembly process.
Step 15
The transformer is fixed to the backing panel or inside the acrylic case.
Step 16
Tube supports are fixed to the backing panel to hold the neon in place.
Step 17
The separate sections of glass tubing are wired together to make a circuit.
Step 18
The bare wires are covered by silicone end covers, and the cables from the glass sections are then wired up to the transformer to complete the circuit.
Step 19
Final adjustments are made to the alignment of the sign and the final look.
Step 20
The finished sign is switched on! As can be seen from this sequence, neon signs are totally handmade by a skilled craftsman.