A while back a friend of mine stopped by the shop and informed me that he was on the board of a small rural cemetery about 10 miles from town, which I was very familiar with as we both had family members buried there. He also said that the board was interested in getting a new entry sign, since the very old existing one was really deteriorating.
不久前，一个朋友到店铺里找到我，跟我说起他在乡下小墓地的委员会工作，那个地方距离城镇大概10英里，因为我有家人埋葬在那个小墓地，所以我对那个位置比较熟悉。他说墓地的入口标牌已经破损的很严重，委员想要做一个新的标牌。
A few days after that I met him out at the cemetery and looked over the situation, agreed that what was there needed to go, and I took some measurements with the intent to come up with a plan to replace the worn old entry sign with one that was much improved. And, if we got the job, I intended to use some simple sign building techniques that would make the new structure last even longer than the old one, which was probably there when I was born.
几天后，我在墓地外面见到了他，并观察了周围的状况，对需要制作的东西达成一致后，我按照他的想法制定了一套方案，把破旧的入口标牌换成改进后的新标牌。另外，再用简单的标识制作技巧让新标牌能够保存更长时间，因为旧标牌是从我出生起就存在的。
I sent him a proposal, but didn't hear back from him for nearly a year. Then, as is often the case in the sign business, when my friend came back with instructions to get it done, he informed me they wanted it up in less than a month before their annual homecoming and spring cleanup day. The shop was very busy right then, so the race was on.
我跟他说了我这个提议，但是近一年都没有收到他的回复。最近他才把对新标牌的想法与我说明，并告知我要在一个月之内，也就是在他们的年度同学会和春季清洁日来临之前完成。从那之后，我的店铺就忙碌起来了。
Now, this project really wasn't a typical sign job. It was more of a fabrication job that happened also to be a sign. But, the main thing was this place wasn't going out of business, and this project had to last and last. It needed to be the eternal sign, and certainly needed to outlast the signmaker who would construct it.
这项工作不是一个典型的标识工程。它更倾向于加工制作而非标识。然而，主要问题是，这个地点不是一个开放性场合，它需要一直延续下去，成为永恒的标牌，并且一定要能保存更长时间，比制作它的作者的年龄还要长。
Well, we can make signs that last, and will certainly outlast a 60-year-old signmaker. So, this month we'll use this odd job as an example, and we'll detail the simple but significant steps that were taken to produce a sign that will endure.
当然，我们要做一个比60岁的标牌工匠年龄还长的标牌。这个月就把这项工作当做一个案例，详细列出制造标牌过程中所需要的步骤。
The sign structure was steel, for strength and ease of construction. But steel rusts of course. So the first priority would be to prevent any rusting for as long as possible. The sign also needed to look appropriate, and provide a decorative arch over the old rock entry way. This would require getting some tubing bent by a subcontractor in the radiuses that were required.
此标牌用的是高强度、易变形的钢型材。当然，钢型材容易生锈。因此首要任务就是尽可能长时间地防止生锈。如果要使标牌的外观看起来更合适的话，就要在破旧摇晃的入口标牌上加一个装饰性的拱形物。这就需要一些合适半径的弯曲框架。
We knew a contractor who could do that for us, but the one thing that was learned was the pieces needed to be quite a bit longer than the finished length, so they could move back and forth in the tubing forming machine, which works best only if you are not having to bend something all the way to the end. So, the pieces were delivered to them an extra five feet long, and this was important.
我们找到一个商家可以为我们提供弯曲框架的制作，这样我们也学习到，我们需要的零件要比成品长一点，这样它们就可以在制作框架的机器上反复移动。当弯曲的零件能进行双向操作，那工作效率就是最高的。因此，提供给他们的零件多出5英尺是很重要的。
Because we knew we wanted to powder coat everything, and it had to fit in an oven less than 16 feet long, the project was made in three sections, two identical rectangular sections at the ends, and one main piece that constructed the arch. A set of brackets was made to bolt these pieces solidly together, as we did not want to do any welding in the field, or have any parts modified after coming out of the powder coating process.
我们打算用粉末喷涂所有的零件，它需要匹配一个不到16英尺长的烤箱。这项工程分为三个部分，主要部分制做拱形，两个完全相同的矩形部分在两端。把这些零件用螺栓固定在一起，不在现场做任何的焊接，或其他任何不使用粉末喷涂的工作。
One important aspect to building a steel structure that does not rust is to make all welds solid and basically sealed water tight. Spot welds of any kind are totally off limits. No overlapping metals welded in place are allowed, so all pieces that overlap (such as the expanded metal screens) are not welded in place. Instead they would be powder coated separately and riveted in place onto a fully powder coated framework.
制作钢型框架的一个重要环节就是不能生锈，那就需要所有结点固定在一起并且密封。因为钢型材的特殊性，不能有任何的焊接斑点，所以重叠部分不能进行焊接，只能用其他方式结合在一起。因此，要把他们放到粉末涂层货架上分开进行粉末喷涂。
The building process was fun as far as I was concerned. After designing the sign, getting the roll formed tubing, and making the brackets that would mate the pieces together, we were off to the races. The whole construction process lasted about one day. My dad, an 83-year-old wonder, had previously done most of the welding on the posts and what we call the“stubbies”that go in the ground.
我认为整个标牌的制作过程非常有意思。在设计完标识、做成拱形框架、再把所有零件固定在一起之后，就只剩下最后喷涂的工作了，整个过程持续了大概一天。而且我83岁的父亲已经预先把框架上需要焊接的部分完成了。
These“stubbies”are the short posts that are set in concrete, typically with ¾” to 1” diameter studs, protruding up. These studs are welded to the bottom side of plates that match plates on the bottom of the real posts. Having a two-part pole arrangement means the poles are much shorter and will also fit in a powder coating oven without difficulty. Everything steel would be powder coated.
短桩被稳稳地嵌入在地下，并附有直径为3/4英寸到1英寸的螺柱。这些螺柱安装在短桩的底部，以便于短桩能和框架匹配。制定两节杆意味着这些杆要更短，并且要刚好适合粉末喷层炉的尺寸。所有的钢型材都要进行粉末喷涂。
The main sign was built on a 12' worktable, assembled and tack welded, and after checking everything the serious welding began. Again, no tack welding was kept, just solid welds were used in all places. The decorative scroll work was cut on a plasma table from 3/16” plate steel, and welded into the centerline of the framework away from the expanded metal screen. Once all the serious welding was done, the expanded metal was cut to fit so it could later be secured to the back side of the framework.
框架主要部分是在12英尺工作台上操作的，用平头钉固定组装，检查完之后，重要的接合过程就开始了。所有位置牢固地接合起来，在3/16英寸厚钢板的等离子台上切割装饰卷轴，然后固定在框架的中心线上，与网形铁之间有一定空隙。一旦所有重要的接合过程完工，网形铁就变成可以安装在框架后面的形状了。
We chose a flat-style expanded metal, which had diamond shaped openings about 1.5”x 2”in size. There were two main arched pieces that fit in the middle, a right and a left piece, but the seam where they met would be concealed by the vertical member that formed a cross at the top. Then there were two rectangles of expanded metal cut for the end sections. All the cutting of the expanded metal was done simply and easily with a pair of bolt cutters.
我们选择的是平直的带有大约1.5英寸 x 2英寸菱形开口的网形铁。两个拱形左右各一个，在中间接起来，它们之间的接缝要用竖直的杆固定，在顶端形成一个十字架，然后两个矩形网形铁在最后进行固定。所有的网形铁都是用螺栓刀具切割的。
After all welding and fabrication was complete, the parts were sent off to the sandblasting room. Actually there is no sand involved as they were blasted with steel grit in a system that recycles the abrasive over and over. With steel structures, some type of preparation is much preferred over cleaning and or scuffing and then painting with primer. All parts were totally blasted to a“near white”profile, hung on racks and cleaned with dry compressed air.
所有固定工作都完成之后，把这些部件都移至喷砂室。其实那里并没有砂子，只是一个反复回收研磨料的可以喷出钢砂的设备。对钢性建筑来说，最好先完成清洁或变形的准备工作，然后再用底漆着色。在所有部件都被喷涂成白色之后，放在货架上用干燥的压缩空气清洁。
We were able to hang all the parts, even the two-part posts and expanded metal parts, on one rack for powder coating. This was almost too much, as we like to pre-heat these types of parts, and then powder coat while still hot, which makes the powder draw into corners better. The thin parts were coated first (expanded metal) and then the structural parts that hold heat better were coated last. A metallic silver made by Tiger Drylac, which did not require a clear coat, was used for the color.
我们把所有的部件都悬挂在一个货架上进行粉末喷涂。先要把这些部件预热，然后在它们还有热度的时候进行喷涂，这样就能够让粉末更好的喷到角落里。先喷涂较细的部件（网形铁），最后喷涂耐热性好的部件。然后用Tiger Drylac公司生产的透明图层的金属银来着色。
The letters, which you can tell from the accompanying photos, were the only part of the old sign that was saved. They were made by a board member's grandfather back long ago, and we were required to save them and recycle them into the new sign. These were made of thin galvanized steel with several coats of old paint on them, and each one had small loops of metal soldered on their backs, which held the letters to the original wire mesh. They were a mess, and no two exactly the same.
你可以从附带的照片中看到，旧的入口标牌上的字母是唯一被保存下来的。这是很久之前一个委员会成员的祖父制作的，这些字母需要被用到新的标牌上。它们是用薄的涂有几层旧漆的镀锌钢做成的，每一个字母的背面都用小环来固定在最初的铁丝网上。
But, the customer is always right and we used a sanding (flap wheel) disk, or several, and cleaned them to bare metal. We straightened them, flattened dings in them, and prepared them for powder coating with a Cardinal brand stain black polyester exterior powder.
我们用一个或几个砂光（翼片砂轮）磁盘把这些字母清洁成表面光滑的金属，然后把它们拉直压平，再喷涂成黑色外表的聚酯式Cardinal样式。
Both powders we used (exterior polyester) will last many years, especially in black, but we could have used what is called a“super-durable”powder that is designed to last at least 30 years, but found we did not have any in stock and no time to order. Rats! But, it is very unlikely that I will be around when these parts finally need some maintenance.
我们使用的两种粉末（外部聚酯）都能保存很长时间，尤其是黑色。本来打算使用至少能保持30年的“超耐久性”粉末，但是我们没有任何存货也来不及去订购。
The lettering was riveted to our flat profile expanded metal, using plenty of aluminum rivets. Again, the powder coated expanded metal was not welded in place where neither paint nor powder could get between the layers. It was secured with rivets, with only coated metal touching coated metal and small stainless steel washers were used to offset the layers a bit as well.
这些字母是用铝钉固定在网形铁上的。同样的，粉末喷涂网形铁时，在涂料和粉末不能填满层级缝隙之间的地方也没有使用焊接。它们是在金属相接处用铝钉固定的，然后用小的不锈钢垫圈来填补面板的分层空隙。
Out in the field, the posts were set over the studs protruding from our short posts already in concrete and leveled carefully. The arched entry sign was lifted into place and bolted with stainless steel bolts and washers. It only costs a bit more to use stainless hardware, but this step saves future rusting and staining, and is many times worth the difference in price.
在墓地外面，框架被小心地对准放置在已经安置好的短桩上面。拱形入口标牌用不锈钢螺栓和垫圈固定在上面。只是会用五金器具多一些，但是这样就能防止以后生锈和掉漆，而且价格上也会物超所值的。
The way this sign was constructed in sections, the type of welds used, the prep work and blasting, the powder coated finish on every surface with no voids or overlaps, and even the type of hardware used were all critically important to producing an entry sign that will gracefully welcome visitors and family members for many years to come, just what the customer ordered. We even made it on time and had some fun doing the work; a win-win for everyone, just the way we like it.
分步制作这个标牌的方法包括：焊接点使用的方法、制作前的准备工作、喷砂处理、每个表面无遗漏无重复的粉末喷涂，还有五金器具的选择都是很重要的。此入口标牌是为了欢迎参观者和多年后归来的家庭成员设计的，这就是顾客想要的标牌。我们按时做成了这个标牌，并从中获得了很大的乐趣，我们想要的就是这种双赢的局面。
