Neon sign magazine or stockiest of supplies required

[Robert Lambie]

I can’t really help with the magazine side of it, but before getting involved in neon look into the limitations of neon these days on the high streets.

I am going back maybe "17-18 years" now but I looked into adding neon to what we offer and was very surprised about the cost difference in buying it directly from the USA. From my short list of suppliers back then, I think Daco Neon was who I planned sourcing everything from bombarding machine, ribbon burners etc and using UK sources for the supplies. Doing it via the UK sources my setup was from £17,000 – £23,000. Sourcing it from the states it was £4000-£6000. obviously there is a shipping fee on top, but still.
What stopped me pursuing it was the finding a skilled neon bender local’ish to me. There was a couple of reputable small neon sign makers not far from me and anyone worth their weight was working for them. I did advertise but the ones that did apply were wanting silly money and really didn’t inspire me with their C.V.
As interested in actually being able to make a neon sign myself, I had no intention of learning a new skill.

Probably the best person i know that could advise you is Chris Timmermans who is one of the old members of UKSB from back in the day. here is an old video featuring Chris from back then…
$this->BBvideo_pass(‘$8’, ‘$4’, ‘$7’)

$this->BBvideo_pass(‘$8’, ‘$4’, ‘$7’)

.

[Simon Worrall]

I did my neon glass bending course at PJ Mason and co, in Chatham, Kent back in the 1980s.
At the time they were probably the biggest and best known stockists of Glass, powders, transformers, and all other things neon, possibly in all the world.
I am not sure if they even still exist, but you could start by looking them up.

[Steve Maple]

hello
its
sign tek uk
neon supplies

I can loan you a burner
buy a box of clear 15mm tubes from them and have a play

no one will give you any information – in the whole wide world!!

the book you need to buy is called
neon techniques

its 30 quid.

the very LEAST you can glean from the book is setting up a burner and then practising tube bending

no one will help you

[Denise Goodfellow]

Hi Steve
Are you based in Wadhurst?