Trying to spice up your bar or family room a little? Give it some kick? It's own personality? Could your bar use some neon lamps?
The concept of neon signs dates back to 1675 when Jean Picard a French astronomer saw a glow in a mercury barometer tube. Barometer light might not have been understood but that didn't stop it from being investigated.
As the principles of electricity were discover scientists began to invent different types of lighting. 1855 saw the invention of the geissler tube named after a German glass blower.
Glass was placed into the tube under low pressure and an electrical charge was applied which made the gas glow. By 1902 the first neon gas lamp had been created and in 1910 the first neon lamp was shown to the public in Paris. The Packard dealership in Los Angeles was the first to use a neon lamp for display.
Hollow glass tubes are used to create neon lamps in lengths of either 4, 5, or 8 feet. The glass is heated so that the tubes can be shaped. There are several different compositions of glass are used depending on who supplies the glass.
Soft glass is made of lead, soda lime and barium glass, while hard glass is from the borosilicate family. The temperature the glass is worked at ranges from 1600 F to over 2200 F depending on the glass composition.
The tubes are partially cut, called scoring, while they are cold and then snapped apart when hot. The artists creates the curves and angles and then when the tube shaping is finished it's processed. This process is called bombarding. The tube is partially evacuated of air then it is short circuited using a high voltage current. When the tube reached 555 F it's evacuated again and its reaches a vacuum, then the neon is back filled into the tube and the tube is sealed.
The result is those gorgeous neon signs we see. Today there are more than 150 colors to choose from and your design choices are only limited by the artist.
Your bar would look great with neon signs displayed on the walls. Get creative, shop around and see what you can find. A pizza sign, bear, tattoo parlor, Cheers, restaurant, or any other sign you like. Mix and match colors and sizes.
Some neon signs are special orders by companies or special edition like some of the beer signs. Shopping online is a great way to get your hands on some of these rarer finds. Try eBay for some interesting choices.
Because of their cost neon signs are usually targeted towards a commercial market. And as businesses change or products or marketing changes these used one of a kind signs often appear on the market so watch for them too!
You can also check out the many new signs that are available. There are a lot more manufacturers catering to the home market so you can find all kinds of interesting and creative new neon lamps to choose from both online and at retail stores like Spenser Gifts.
So what will your bar say? Corona, Budweiser, Beatles, Harley Davidson, Miller Time, Cheers, or how about Open? You choose. Let your personality fill your room and have a little fun with your choices.
Neon lamps are a great way to express yourself. It's your bar why not live a little?
