Making a Neon Sign By Hand | WIRED

Inside Shawna Peterson's neon tube bending studio where puffs of air, charred wood, and glass tubes meet to make brilliant custom signs and art.
Shawna Peterson bends glass tubes for a living. She makes neon art, and has put glowing faces on a giant wall of recyclables for artist Erik Otto, bent two-inch circles for a wall sized circuit board for Dolby Labs, and created a sign that simply says "Wash Me" for a San Francisco laundromat. The shining remnants of her past and future projects can be seen scattered throughout her workspace. It lies on the border of Oakland, California, and neighboring Emeryville, just blocks from Pixar Studios in an area dotted with warehouses, workshops, and art studios.
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Making a Neon Sign By Hand | WIRED

[@UltraDoug]

That was cool. I love learning about off hand careers and the people that work at it. Very interesting

[@MortyMortyMorty]

These neon signs are stylish af.

[@liudean4809]

yes ,Very magical, unique, colorful, different in style, very envious 。welcome to purchase the neon glass tubes materials www.rundaelectronic.com

[@valerioliva9872]

Neon signs are awesome

[@valerioliva9872]

I love neon on old vintage signs, like drugstores etc, very nostalgic

[@GarageWoodworks]

More of this type of video!

[@mads-jr]

I recently told myself to lay off the interest in becoming a tube bender/neon sign maker because it would take a lot of time and cost a lot. I was *done* with it mentally. But lo and behold, the very next week here's this video and yet another thing telling me I should really go for it.

[@TheIntie]

go for it!

[@tristanwilke8808]

Go for it

[@bryanr4338]

It is hard and expensive. Its gonna consume your life! But it's worth every bit

[@KidTheweird]

Nah it’s just your cookies saved on your computer getting your search information and purposely showing you these videos.

[@xSincerelyBeautifulx]

It’s been 2 years since this comment. Did you go for it?!

[@0090Blue0900]

she would be able to make some kickass water cooling setups

[@macdel69]

Paul Jones this is exactly what I thought

[@jlev505]

So cool. LED doesn’t have the same feel as neon lighting. Never will. Neon is awesome.

[@TheMovieMyLife]

Glad she loves it. I don't think I'd have the patience.

[@giaa2884]

It looks like a meditation, almost.

[@dreamchaser3012]

People say the same thing about drawing. It isn't...

[@Scarlettsmeal]

Why are you pointing out that you wouldn't have the patience?

[@See-nr2zh]

Scarletts meal cos they can now eat your meal

[@ContinualImprovement]

I found this enlightening.

[@shavonegranville6004]

i see what you did there

[@paulhewson4600]

I use to be a bender at a place called "Enlightened Neon" ,,,,no shix

[@erroldillon1548]

I worked with a person who made neon signs. He made me love neon. I love your video. Thanks for your inspirational story. I will make a neon shop very soon!!! Thanks for everything ❤

[@adrianferrette]

Not gonna lie, I was kinda hoping/expecting to see a WIRED neon sign there at the end :( Very awesome video all the same!

[@SPcamert]

That is incredible. I tried a borosilicate glass making workshop with my wife a few years ago and it's a lot of fun but to be really accurate requires some incredible skill.

[@vagizz]

gotta love the neon

[@paulhewson4600]

I did it for 20 years ,,,best Gig,,loved it

[@joshuadelmoro221]

Neons are a e s t h e t i c

[@boy638]

her job is lit

[@m.printes6123]

My dream come true to learn this beautiful art.

[@joeyrobinson380]

I found that interesting

[@AamirBilal]

GLOWING COOL

[@ritelitesigns5658]

This is FANTASTIC!

[@ruijnsilva]

Such a beautiful art!

[@Deucehoru]

This was an intro to an epic documentary! Awesome and interesting

[@KaiCyreus]

She's pretty badass

[@777Mikos]

the ultimate water cooling tubes shop

[@hansolodolo92]

sooooo cool...better than bending conduit that for sure

[@HydeMyJekyll]

I need to learn how to do this. I can weld, I can do some carpentry, I need to add neon

[@sanskarsingh9538]

Neon bender!

[@accesser]

This was cool

[@af252]

WIRED literally goes from interviewing celebrities with google questions to how to create a bloody neon sign.

[@gleenfales]

And? These hard working people are necessary in this world.

[@macizzyy]

Do you have a problem with that? I think it's very cool!

[@JoeyGnarly]

With her skills and mine combined we could make the coolest Bong $$$

[@GnarlyArtClub]

Jipse Glass that would be amazing !

[@GnarlyArtClub]

Jipse Glass I'd hit it

[@Jx-sg3vm]

Jipse Glass lol yes

[@JoeyGnarly]

710surfer haha Wired ! Hit me up if you want to do one on Making A Dab Rig or Pipe by hand ;)

[@JoeyGnarly]

@wired

[@FranciscoDuarte]

Soo cool

[@TheEjaay]

Damn someone should hire her for some crazy water-cooled PC-Build

[@Gio-sv9wf]

Nice

[@ronniedepp3184]

the title should be neonbender

[@MeliaMimi]

Soooo this is why neon lights are so expensive...

[@andyuh7085]

bay area? how do i get in contact with her business?

[@Abdulaziz2003]

warp stabilize x100

[@ОлександрСавченко-т6й]

This is an amazing woman!

[@manullim]

Cool trade...

[@parbonsenga9296]

Hey do u do special requests ?

[@conjurehoodoo8529]

The US country needs to get with maker apprenticeships. It is the future, both science and art.

[@alejandravargas3084]

she is a bad ass

[@capableloop82]

From the title I thought she makes Stop Signs...

[@jonaspetersen362]

Hi Like to visit U to learn the job! Best 🇩🇰

[@dancoulson6579]

A form of art that is rapidly being lost. A shame.

[@jackshreeve8287]

Wait this isn’t Tested

[@Dungeron]

wooooow

[@ihsanbajwa3974]

نیون گیس ڈیکوریشن لائٹس میں استعمال ہوتی ہے ۔۔۔۔

[@KennethRosenstroem]

In DK they last 50+ years...

[@Lullabbbyyy]

Mom: What do you work as? Me: I bend neon tube

[@cybermsantos]

This art died in Brazil, in part because it was never well paid.

[@imaspier3]

And too expensive for a professional to make one?

[@Wagmiman]

Not a single example shown of her ready work. Just nonstop talking about her career. Im disappointed

[@adenmercado1564]

I had a neon guitar and i broke it :(

[@rRobertSmith]

I guess looking for a medical glass blower was out of the question.

[@TheNortical]

neon = inert = corrosion am i missing something or is she missing something here?

[@davidbuschhorn6539]

Neon doesn't interact with anything. It's a noble gas. The impurities would interact with the electrodes at their high voltage points though. That'd ruin it pretty quickly. And probably change the color.

[@potatoesandtomatoes6817]

Wait... Isn't smelling all those gas bad for your body?

[@Anticrystal88]

It's neon, and therefore inert. It doesn't react with anything, including your body.

[@tldeee]

My dog died like if you agree

[@SumanTiwariNamaste]

Why make video about what this woman is when you could make indepth video on the art of Neon Lighting???!

[@kscdanx8774]

1st

[@CptPatrik]

KSCDANX 2nd

[@byronedmondson4583]

3rd

[@watronic_2189]

fuck off

[@sanskarsingh9538]

for the few seconds i thought she was a he

[@bombaya85]

Her job blows...