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  • Trade only sign Fabricator, recommendations only..

    Posted by Leon Winslade on 22 February 2012 at 07:54

    Trade only sign Fabricator, recommendations only.

    Hi All

    I have been wait for a quotation for Ashby Trade signs and still waiting for the last 2days. After calling 4 or 5 times I am still waiting for my quote. The sign is only aluminium tray with opal acrylic push though letters and with silver aluminium comp face.

    So does anyone know of a Trade only supplier like Ashby who can fabricate signs.?

    Lorraine Clinch replied 12 years, 12 months ago 14 Members · 25 Replies
  • 25 Replies
  • Gary Birch

    Member
    22 February 2012 at 08:27

    You could try Applelec Signs. Usually more expensive but quality is good

    Cheers

    Gary

    ps I have just waited almost 3 weeks on a 7-10 lead time order so I know that they are busy down there.

  • Martin Cole

    Member
    22 February 2012 at 08:27

    http://applelecsign.co.uk

    try Appelec Leon, always very good imo

    I knew Gary would beat me to it 😀 still highly recommended though

  • Gary Birch

    Member
    22 February 2012 at 08:38
    quote Martin Cole:

    I knew Gary would beat me to it 😀 still highly recommended though

    :lol1: 😉 Need to make your coffee stronger mate

  • David Rogers

    Member
    22 February 2012 at 09:36

    Agreed, Applelec are very good in terms of quality & service.

    Dave

  • Hugh Potter

    Member
    22 February 2012 at 15:12

    Glad it’s not just me and ashby then!

    To be fair, the quotes are quick enough but communication is abysmal.

    Recent job- I paid the online pro forma invoice and emailed the ral code for the powder coat, the quote also said holes needed to be drilled for the coating process so, I sent final artwork with the points makes for holes…

    Several days later the payment is confirmed but they’re asking for the ral code, I expressed polite and mild disappointment at the delay, cancelled the install as lead time was ‘from confirmation of order details’, had no reply at all. Two rays later my panels arrive – quick, granted but, courier arrived at gone 6pm and i had no notice it was coming. Only opened yesterday (5 days after delivery) and instead of holes where I’d marked, they’d drilled two small holes in the corner – totally unusable holes as so close to the edge. I’ve not bothered complaining or getting in touch.

    Thing is, my biggest gripe is their communication, no ‘hi Hugh’, no ‘regards, joe bloggs’, usually just an attachment with some waffle about a new catalogue, I appreciate they’re busy but is it too much to ask for a little attention in their correspondence?? If I sent out quotes like that I do t think I’d be very busy!!

  • John Harding

    Member
    22 February 2012 at 15:49

    Good me too – fallen out of love with Ashby, dont use them anymore and its their loss running into thousands, havent used appellec in a long while but will give em a go on my next order 😀

  • Gary Birch

    Member
    22 February 2012 at 16:09
    quote John Harding:

    Good me too – fallen out of love with Ashby, dont use them anymore and its their loss running into thousands, havent used appellec in a long while but will give em a go on my next order 😀

    So who do you use now John, just curious that’s all. I have a fabricator who gets the bulk of our work but always good to have other alternatives.

  • John Harding

    Member
    22 February 2012 at 17:24

    Gary ive done loads of roadsigns recently etc ive used signtrade maidstone and rbli both of which are local to me anyhow 😀

    John

  • Tim Painter

    Member
    22 February 2012 at 17:37

    Hugh holes probably drilled by the powder coaters and not Ashby, although Ashby should specify or drill themselves if it’s critical.

    Panels etc are hung off the production line as they go through the powder spray booth and then the oven.

  • Hugh Potter

    Member
    22 February 2012 at 18:23

    I understood that Tim, hence showing where I want the holes drilled!!

  • Kevin Flowers

    Member
    22 February 2012 at 23:07

    Problem is the holes need to be in a place that allow the trays & panels to hang correctly, different ovens dictate how trays & panels can hang so powder coaters will normally drill the holes to suit their ovens, which don’t always correspond to what you want.

    Kev

  • Stuart Miller

    Member
    23 February 2012 at 08:03
    quote Kevin Flowers:

    Problem is the holes need to be in a place that allow the trays & panels to hang correctly, different ovens dictate how trays & panels can hang so powder coaters will normally drill the holes to suit their ovens, which don’t always correspond to what you want.

    Kev

    So? Ashby should tell you that and send a proof. I have always had good response from them until a job they are doing for me at the moment. A small print job and then application to acrylic. It was important to try & match some vinyl so sent artwork & vinyl samples to them & requested proofs. Didn’t hear anything for several days then got a payment request. I rang and asked for proofs to be to be told I wouldn’t get them until it was paid for. So paid and again requested proofs for the 3rd time only to then receive a notification of dispatch.
    I rang again and eventually managed to get proofs sent to check after the order was already packaged and on the road to me. !!!!

  • Leon Winslade

    Member
    24 February 2012 at 16:21

    signtrade maidstone – Do they have a website or any other information I can find them but no information regrading them.

  • John Harding

    Member
    24 February 2012 at 16:47
    quote :

    signtrade maidstone – Do they have a website or any other information I can find them but no information regrading them

    not sure if they have a catalogue or website they seem to do quite a bit over the counter trade sales

    Give em a call 01622689410

  • Gary Birch

    Member
    24 February 2012 at 20:17
    quote John Harding:

    Gary ive done loads of roadsigns recently etc ive used signtrade maidstone and rbli both of which are local to me anyhow 😀

    John

    Will give signtrade a go next time we have a requirement. Just back from Wales where we installed a couple of fret cut trays from Ashby and to be fair they were spot on albeit late on delivery and no notification that they were going to, other than that they were bob on!

  • John Harding

    Member
    25 February 2012 at 14:06

    Gary – Just to put you straight and anyone else ive inadvertently misled :oops:, I think signtrade only do flat ally panels and composite trays I dont think they do ally trays. Applelec may be the better bet for those

    John 😀

  • David Hammond

    Member
    28 February 2012 at 08:49

    Sent an enquiry over to Ashby, and a few other suppliers yesterday.

    Illuminated sign, fret cut face, backed with acrylic.

    All of the quotes were back within a couple of hours, two were back probably within the hour (Northern Sign Cases & E Thorn & Sons), which surprisingly worked out cheaper.

    Come in this morning, to have an e-mail from Ashby, saying "all of the text is too small to route", and have just quoted for a 3mm aluminium folded sign tray with digital print??

    I don’t know what set up Ashby have, but I find it strange that of the 3 other companies I have contacted Ashby are the only ones who cannot supply it?

  • Stuart Miller

    Member
    2 March 2012 at 11:19

    Ashby seem to be getting even worse.
    My acrylic panels came with prints on standard white vinyl despite putting Transluscent in Bold in communications and verbal discussions.
    Waited another week for reprints and then a completely different set of prints come reversed on clear!!!! Where are they getting these mistakes from !!!
    Thats 3 completely different mistakes on one job which should have taken a few days now stretching over three weeks.

  • Warren Beard

    Member
    2 March 2012 at 11:24

    I’ve had small issues with Ashby’s in the past before but nothing major BUT I must also give praise where praise is due.

    I had a rush job for 3 colour specific trays, they delivered on time even though they said they had a 3 week lead time and I got them in just under 2 weeks. The quality was excellent and can only praise them on this occasion.

  • Cheryl Smith

    Member
    20 August 2012 at 06:20

    Ashby Ashby….was searching on the boards for another supplier as after 3 weeks of waiting they have only just gotten round to telling me they dont do lit built up lettering anymore as they dont make enough money out of them….what crap….very unhappy bunny here…

  • Cheryl Smith

    Member
    26 September 2012 at 16:14

    Ashby does it again… placed an order yesterday for urgent need of screw caps for today….it gets to 4.45 and no delivery…call them and they say they are awaiting payment…. now ive accounts everywhere and as they hadnt asked for my credit card details I assumed i had an account with them…only to discover I had to reply to an email which they sent to my spam email account…I wish the person I had placed the order with had at least mentioned this….
    When I phoned and complained…the guy said…well you dont expect to have these things for nothing do you…? how freekin rude…I never suggested i wanted anything for nothing!!!
    fuming…again 👿 👿 👿 👿

  • Lorraine Clinch

    Member
    27 September 2012 at 13:23

    Cheryl, have you tried http://www.prodec.biz for screw caps? They have an amazing array of varieties and colours.

    Lorraine

  • Peter Geddes

    Member
    27 September 2012 at 13:40

    Hi Cheryl,
    I am sorry to hear of your problems getting screw caps from one of our distributors.

    You could try Jagsigns or MDP Supplies who hold stock of some of our colours. They are both on our website http://www.prodec.biz

    If you have a need for a certain colour we have a colour chart on our website as well as a colour matching facility for several vinyls and composite boards.

    Many thanks Lorraine for you kind recommendation.

  • Cheryl Smith

    Member
    10 October 2012 at 12:30

    cool…thanks Lorraine… I ended up having blue stickers stuck over the screw caps…

  • Lorraine Clinch

    Member
    11 October 2012 at 16:33

    I ended up getting my sign made by Blackburns metals. Looks to be a good job, and now I know how to go about it, I shall have a go at making the next one myself. 🙂

    Lorraine

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