There are people who wanted to look good. But there are those who wanted to look unique. A unique body image can definitely make anyone distinguishable from the crowd. This image can be readily acquired by getting some intricate tattoos and body piercings.

Nowadays, we see a lot of tattoos and body piercing shops. These shops can be easily pointed out from other establishments because of their striking neon signs. People who wanted to look great and different can go straight to these shops to get their tattoos inked and their bodies pierced.

So if you want a tattoo on yourself then head straight to a tattoo parlor. There are so many wonderful designs you can choose from. They are even available in various colors. If you’re not ready for a permanent one, you always can go for airbrush tattoos. These tattoos are washable and can last up to two weeks.

For those not content of having tattoos, they can go for body piercings. Body piercings aren’t for the faint-hearted. We see people have their nose, cheeks, brows and tongue pierced and they all look quite painful. Although ear piercing is common for women but it has been taken to the extremes with lobe stretching. People who prefer these should go searching for body piercing neon signs.

Tattoos and body piercings have significant meanings to the ones bearing them. Most of the times they are forms of self-expression of things they like, memories of someone they love or words that have significant impact in their lives. People who usually get tattoos and piercings are usually artists like actors, musicians and painters who are more than willing to make their bodies their own canvasses.

Neon signs can be seen everywhere. Banks use those neon ATM 24 hour signs. Restaurants let people know what they offer with their food signs. Practically, any business whether it’s big or small utilizes these signs. They are simple but effective advertising tools and a big plus is that they are affordable. But ever wonder what’s inside the neon ad signs and how it’s produced?

Neon signs are filled with noble gases. Typically, neon gas is chosen thus the name neon. But pure neon gas is rarely used. With advancements in technology, neon sign makers use other gases such as argon, xenon, krypton or helium to produce vibrant colors. Despite using these other gases, the name “neon” in a neon sign is still retained.

Neon gas and other gases can be bought commercially. There are so many manufacturers all over the world that supply these gases to neon sign makers. The gases are extracted from the atmosphere through an intricate refining process.

Neon gas, for example, may be the most abundant element in our universe but interestingly enough it is rare in our planet. Pure neon gas is simply hard to extract because it is bound up in the atmosphere. What manufacturers do is extract this gas through the process of fractional distillation. They take a sample of air from the atmosphere to have it cooled.  After it solidifies, it is gently heated until it returns to its gaseous form. Neon gas is produced first out of this distillation process because it is more volatile. The gas is then placed under low pressures in sealed flasks or gas cylinders ready for neon sign makers to use.

Neon signs play an important role in making your business visible to customers. It can help customers find you easily and know that your business is up and running. These signs can effectively power up your store. And, like any piece of electrical equipment, neon ad signs use several pieces of electrical parts to power itself.

Electrical supplies needed for neon signs may include transformers, electrodes, wires and switches. There may be a few more but let’s just go for the basics. Transformers are used to convert raw electricity into power that would light up your vibrant sign. Electrodes are lead glass that has a metallic shell with two protruding wires through which sign wirings will be attached. Electrical wirings are used to conduct electricity, and switches are used to turn the neon lights on and off. Interestingly there are even neon light dimmers commercially available in the market.

In choosing electrical components for your signs, make certain that they are made of high quality materials. Since most neon advertisements are placed just right above the storefront windows, they may be subjected to strong winds, intense summer heat or freezing cold. Henceforth, it is important to know that the electrical supplies are safe and wouldn’t cause fire or any accidents.

With proper care, a neon signage can last a long time. However, we really can’t avoid that with prolonged use the wires will have torn insulations or the transformers would suddenly die down. But, it is nice to know we learned a thing or two about powering up neon ad signs.

Neon signs look festive and inviting. The use of these signs can definitely lure customers to any shop or enterprise. Taking a closer look at a neon signage, one can see it is made of tubes that are lighted and bent to form an intricate design.

Neon tubes are glass tubes. The glass tubes are hollow pieces of borosilicate glass. Initially, neon sign makers work with only clear glass tubes. They fill the clear tubes with neon and argon plus give it a touch of current so they can produce red and blue lights. But there is a demand for more colors. So, instead of using clear glass tubes, neon sign makers now use coated glass tubes.

Coated glass tubes are lined with phosphor. They can either be single-coated or double-coated. In double coated glass tubes, the insides are coated with a base color first and then a second coat is added to produce more brightness. These double-coated neon glass tubes are ideal for borders and curves because they shine brighter thus giving the neon signs more emphasis. Some glass tube suppliers even have triple-coated glass tubes using a blend of red, blue and green phosphors. These tri-phosphor coated glass tubes give more saturated luminous colors and can be operated at higher voltages.

Glass tubes come in various diameters. It can range from 7mm to 18mm to lengths of four to five feet. These tubes are often sold in bulk. Care should be observed in handling neon glass tubes to avoid breaking them in pieces.

Neon signs are attracting more and more people to check out stores and business units. They are often placed outdoors with covered canopies so that they are easily seen and highly noticeable. But placing these signs outdoors subjects them to a variety of conditions. With harsh weather and occasional power surges their transformers can easily get damaged.

Neon sign transformers are specifically built for the purpose of powering up neon signs. They are used mainly to convert raw voltages ranging around 120-240 volts but can go as high as 3-15kV. They can also generate currents between 20 to 120mA. The most common current for general use of neon ad signs, though, is around 30mA while high-intensity and brighter lights may require as much as 60-120mA. High currents are seldom used, however, because the electrodes cannot withstand the strong current.

In early years, the neon sign transformers are iron-cored. This design allows the signs to operate at much higher frequency but they are very heavy. With advancements in technology, modern transformers use switch-mode power supplies. They are smaller and lighter but still produce the same amount of voltage as iron-core transformers.

Safety is always a consideration especially with electrical supply units such as this. High currents used in transformers can produce electrical shocks which can prove to be fatal. Extra care should be observed in installing this item to avoid electrocution. With so many transformers to choose from in supplies stores, make sure to always buy high quality ones. Lastly to keep the transformers longer lasting and safe, place them inside transformer boxes made of durable electro- galvanized sheet steel.

The wonderful intricate designs seen in neon signs are made possible by the use of glass tubes. The skilled craftsman, who bends, cuts and takes these glass tubes into fascinating neon light designs, are known as glass benders. A lot of people are scared when it comes to working with glass because cutting them requires skill and the necessary tools and equipment so that they don’t break into a million pieces.

One of the most important tools a neon sign maker or glass bender needs is a cutter. Anyone who works on making neon signs needs this piece of equipment for cutting those clear glass tubes. A clean cut is necessary so that welding the two parts together would not cause leaks. Having uneven cuts with jagged and broken edges makes it very difficult to fuse both ends. It is very important that there are no leaks in neon glass tubes because they are used to contain compressed air.

Glass files are commonly used for cutting glass tubes. A glass file is made of hardened steel with cutting ridges. Neon sign makers prefer glass files that are double cut on the sides. In order to cut the glass tubes, the glass bender sets the file at an angle and files a groove on the glass. With application of enough pressure on one side, a clean break is achieved in one snapping motion.

Another cutting tool that neon sign makers can use is the electric glass cutter.  An electric glass cutter provides the easiest way to cut neon glass tubes. It is also the fastest.