How Your Neon Sign is Made
Locomocean is now one the largest manufacturers of handmade glass neon signs in the world and we are focused on being able to offer the coolest and most authentic, quality neon for an affordable price.
Our Glass neon signs have a few key differences to the usual type of neon sign that people think of. Locomocean neon sign signs are low wattage, like a normal household bulb. This is important for a few reasons. Firstly our neon lights are very safe because they do not need high voltage to power them and do not get hot. They are also energy efficient and do not cost anymore to run than a usual lamp.
Something we get asked frequently is how are glass neon signs made?
Each neon sign is made by hand from the traditional technique of glass blowing. Starting with a long tube of glass, each design is expertly blown into shape by hand by heating over an open flame.
Take a look at the video below to see our craftsmen at work.
Following a template, the glass blowers must bend the glass into shape just as the glass is hot enough. To stop the glass from breaking or shattering when being bent they blow into the glass tube to stop the glass from flattening and so it keeps its regular tubular form.
Through this traditional process of shaping the design by eye and manually molding the glass you get a light that is unique and special.
How neon signs work and get their famous color and glow.
Glass neon signs get their color from either colored glass or from Neon or Argon gases filling a coated clear glass tube. Neon appears Red and Argon Blue. When applying a high voltage it ionizes the gas, causing it to emit colored light due to fluorescence. Coating the inside of the glass with fluorescent powder creates alternative colors.
Once the color and brightness are chosen the glass is sealed with a metal electrode on each end and carefully placed within our acrylic box casing and connected to a low voltage electrical driver which is thoroughly tested before boxing and shipping.