advice on making a sign
 

Hey guys, I want to make a sign for my bar dio, but i don't want it to have a 2 dimensional printed and pasted look (as the exterior brick already looks that way).

Is there a way that anyone knows of to make a sign "pop" or maybe give the effect of a neon sign?

Off the top of my head you could take pipe cleaner and wrap it in the colors you want the sign, then past them to the black background (as most neon signs have). That is the only thing I can think of since the pipe cleaner would be able to bend to what you want easily. Otherwise maybe some wire but Pipecleaner is more maliable.

If you don't mind putting in the work, take a piece of clear blister pack cut down to the size you want. wrap a little tape around the end of a superglue gel tube so you get a smaller amount coming out. Work it like you would a pastry tube of icing and write out (or draw a picture) of what you want. Let it sit and dry and that part is ready.

The one thing about using clear is that you can lay it over a pattern if you need to, and the the next thing is you can light it up. Once it's dry you can us paint and lightly apply it so it's sort of translucent. If you build a small box, paint the inside black, and put a small LED inide, the clear part can be on the front and have exactly the look you want.

It still looks fine without the light. Just get a piece of plastic and cut it a little larger than your clear piece and glue it on. Paint the plastic piece black before gluing of course.

thanks guys, J man, i'll give that a try, but my patience may wear thin. lol

are there any paints that apply translucent? I know some model paints have the "tint" style but that probably wouldn't work on glue.

I just always use the paint from Wal-Mart for everything. The Apple Barrel stuff. If I need it translucent I just add some water and test paint it. Just a little water at a time until it's the way you want it. I work with a pallet so I have plenty of space to test paint.

so you use the super glue to write out the letters? I will have to try that.

Yeah, you get that rounded bubble look like a neon sign. You just have to go slow and make sure to use gel. Regular superglue will go everywhere. Once it's dry, it's as good as if it were a piece of plastic. You can use an accelerator to speed up the drying too.

for the neon sign you could try with round wire ties (that things that comes with many toys, there are ones with translusent plastic), and bend them to form the letters, just like a real neon sign, then you just paint them with fluorescent paints