15 Facts you didn't know about Neon - Part 4

Welcome to part 4, not many more to go now (Scouts Honour). Used to love going to scouts, camping was always the most fun. Anyway moving on .... It always strikes me how little is understood about how a neon sign is actually made, there is almost an expectation of it being some automated or machine process that takes a small amount of time to do or is already pre-made. What people don't realise is that every single bend you see in a section of glass, is hand bent, the glass is heated in a hot flame given off by a burner. Once the glass starts to soften, it is removed from the flame, shaped over a pattern and blown into to keep the tubes shape, if anyone has worked with copper piping, its like putting in the spring to stop the pipe folding, except the air is the spring and the pipe is rather floppy. We will be doing a video and posting the process online at some point soon, hopefully it will give an insight to the skill and effort that goes into making a neon sign. Is the gas used in a neon sign poisonous? Neon signs contain either Neon gas or Argon gas, both of which are inert gases and as such have no reaction when inhaled in small quantities and are present in the air we breathe daily. The only thing that is harmful within an argon tube is the addition of a small amount of elemental mercury. Elemental mercury occurs widely in the environment, mercury causes damage when it is cumulatively absorbed into the body over time. If a tube is broken it is recommended to air the room in which it is located, and clean up any mess created. The NHS website states that the small amount of mercury in the tube is extremely unlikely to cause problems for your health and provides extra precautionary advice for clean-up, this is the same advice as for fluorescent lamps. Neon is expensive? Neon is hand-made product that involves someone standing over a hot flame turning a glass tube until the glass becomes soft enough to be bent, each bend is individually heated and shaped; this is a difficult skill to master that takes years of practice. Once the tube has been shaped it then has electrodes welded on to the glass, and is connected to a bombarder which then processes the glass by heating up to around 240oC whilst evacuating impurities given off by the glass. Once the tube has achieved this temperature and the electrodes have been activated, the tube is then vacuumed down to negative atmospheres. When the tube has cooled and a good vacuum is achieved, the tube is filled with the chosen gas and removed from the bombarder. The tube is then aged in and black paint is applied to the parts of the glass that don't need to be seen and provide definition to the design. The glass can then be mounted as necessary. When you consider the amount of time and expertise that goes into the manufacture of a neon sign, along with the life expectancy, it is not an expensive product. Will my neon sign cause a fire? Neon is no more likely to cause a fire than any other electrical item that is installed and manufactured correctly, using parts that meet and are constructed to EU and UK safety regulations. If there is a fault with a neon sign, it should be switched off and repairs carried out as necessary by a qualified technician, as you would with any electrical product before putting back in to use. This should be done before attempting to use the sign, as more problems may occur if the sign is used when faulty. Neon signs imported from outside the EU can be sub standard in quality and safety. Keep an eye out for the next article where we will answer a couple more questions. For more information about neon visit our showcase pages or visit our website https://www.a1designs.co.uk We manufacture all types of signage so if you have an enquiry please feel free to get in touch - enquiry@a1designs.co.uk