 Recreation of opal/milk glass letters?
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Does anyone know someone who can recreate custom opal/milk glass letters for a Flexlume sign? Asking for a friend...thanks!
Looking for better Gulf items: signs, globes, cans and paper - especially porcelain Gulf flanges, and Gulf A-38 & A-62 ad glass...
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 Re: Recreation of opal/milk glass letters?
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Joined: Jan 2009
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If they could or would, there is surely a market out there. Mike Slama might be able to help with this.
Craig
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Re: Recreation of opal/milk glass letters?
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Joined: Jan 2011
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Petro Enthusiast
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Mecum just auctioned off some of the remains of the Flexlume left overs on January 14, 31/2 weeks ago in Kissimmee Fla and there were several of the replacement letters there. Some of the nicest pre neon Ive ever seen. The GULF signs and the PURE were killer signs.
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Re: Recreation of opal/milk glass letters?
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Joined: Jul 2002
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These letters were made under vacuum.
Standard lens kilns do not have the ability to reproduce these letters.
I know, I spent six months trying.
Later . . .
Jim
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Re: Recreation of opal/milk glass letters?
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Joined: Jan 2012
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Those letters look like they are vacuum thermoformed. Have to make a mold out of wood or epoxy with strategically located vacuum sites to suck the heated plastic sheet to. After the sheet cools down then the letters need to be cut out with a cutting die made special for the letters. It’s not a difficult process but hard to do economically for one or two sets!
Process used a lot for packaging trays. I’d look for a packaging company near you that doesn’t mind doing small quantities. They’ll probably say no thanks though.
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Re: Recreation of opal/milk glass letters?
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Joined: Jul 2002
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Paul,
The original letters are opaline glass formed under vacuum in a steel form.
IMHO, plastic won't look correct - unless you replaced every letter.
Then the costs would probably exceed the value of the sign.
Jim
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Re: Recreation of opal/milk glass letters?
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Joined: Jan 2012
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Wow, yeah, that will make it even worse to recreate if you have to do it in glass!
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Re: Recreation of opal/milk glass letters?
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Joined: Jul 2012
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I am also looking for anyone who can make the letters .
Follow the Red Indian Trail
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Re: Recreation of opal/milk glass letters?
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Joined: Sep 2009
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I have seen some signs that have been restored and the letters are three-dimensional but made out of plastic. Looks great from afar but if you touch it you defintiely know. So some one out there is making them just not out of glass.
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Re: Recreation of opal/milk glass letters?
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Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 19
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I've been developing a process to recreate the milk glass letters.
I may be able to help you. PM me.
Last edited by bptexas; Sun Jan 13 2019 01:30 PM.
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Re: Recreation of opal/milk glass letters?
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Joined: Jun 2010
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Here is an example of some of my work
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Re: Recreation of opal/milk glass letters?
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Joined: Jun 2010
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Re: Recreation of opal/milk glass letters?
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Very nice! Are they glass?
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Re: Recreation of opal/milk glass letters?
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Joined: Jul 2005
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OP
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...looks great - are they glass?
Looking for better Gulf items: signs, globes, cans and paper - especially porcelain Gulf flanges, and Gulf A-38 & A-62 ad glass...
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Re: Recreation of opal/milk glass letters?
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Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 19
Member
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Member
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Yes, opal sheet glass formed in a glass kiln. It took me two years to get it right.
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