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Re: Oven Annealing

Posted By: Joel Schultz
Date: Wednesday, 9 August 2006, at 7:48 p.m.

In Response To: Oven Annealing (Dana)

I use to ship 50 window signs a day, and you quisey stomach is on to something! We tried annealing w/a small furnace, such as you are considering, and the benders would anneal their tubes in an open flame at their bending stations. Neither had any impact on our breakage percentage. Neither UPS or Fed Ex will insure neon, if you are honest about what you are shipping. We went through packaging testing etc. with both companies. The safest way is by truck (pallet), but that is expensive. You would be surprised what you can get that negotiated down to on large contracts though. Make sure you create space between the sign and the outter box, keep light pressure of the face of the neon (for whip lash effect or pulling out of the supports), and use foam with good density/memory. And as the other poster indicated...pray! Seriously, we had about a 4% breakage rate when things were going good. Christmas time...forget it w/the temp help used at the shipping companies.

> Does anyone here oven-anneal their finished
> neon sign work? Shipping tubes is going to
> be very common next year and I am petrified
> of breakage.

> I have been stress-testing (dropping) my
> rejects to see where I am putting strain in
> the tubes and for the most part, I must be
> doing something right because most tubes
> will take a 6" fall to a hard surface
> without breakage.

> The part that will break on direct impact is
> usually a double-back or drop-turn.

> I have read and observed every rule of
> avoiding stress, but the whole shipping
> issue makes me queasy.

> Since the oven I need would be fairly
> small-I only will be shipping window signage
> and individual units won't exceed 30",
> mostly a lot less-it seems like a worthwhile
> consideration.

Messages In This Thread

• Oven Annealing -- Dana -- Monday, 17 July 2006, at 6:25 a.m.
  • Re: Oven Annealing -- Gavin -- Monday, 17 July 2006, at 11:44 a.m.
  • Re: Oven Annealing -- Joel Schultz -- Wednesday, 9 August 2006, at 7:48 p.m.

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