Hello again, As you've read in the first 2 posts, this is a huge project with several sub projects! Don't worry, I'll post the updates for each post as soon as I can!
Now, How I decided to name my Dream Game Room,
Let's take the Way-Back-Machine to 1980.... In Baytown where I grew up, a brand new shopping mall was built, The San Jacinto Mall! It was like a fantasyland for me! Of course, I've seen videogames before.. but I never seen anyting like this.. a massive room FILLED with videogames... I was in Heaven!!... You remember how yours looked: You walk in, several ceiling fans with dimmed lights.. cool colored carpet, and the wonderful sighs & sounds of videogames everywhere!!!
and POOF! you're lunch money is G O N E!
Our gameroom or arcade was called Yesterdays.. It was named like that kinda as a joke or pun, because it had an old fashioned soda fountain look, and it had state of the art videogames in it.
All through my teenage years, Any visit to the mall REQUIRED a stop in Yesterdays for some fun.. Then in 1990, the arcade did a renovation, and the Yesterday's sign was removed, and renamed Power Play. As the 90's progressed, and I started collecting, a thought crossed my mind...
"Dammit, I wish I would've asked the construction crew for that sign, I bet they threw it in the dumpster"
It would've been Soooooooo Coooooool To have that sign!
Around 2004, While we were saving and planning to build, I thought I would give it a try to see if somehow someway that sign may still exist! So, I went to the mall, and turns out that the arcade is still owned by the same people after all these years.. Upon reaching the owner, she said they might still have them, they were NOT thrown away! After a few years of searching, and putting up with my pestering.......
Success, the sign is FOUND!! (Summer 2006) It's in an old wharehouse in Mississippi.
"You're welcome to come and get it"
August 24, 2006:
That very day a roadtrip is planned!!!
Yes, Crazy me drove for 7 hours to get this sign!!! My wife, Stacy was happy that we were able to find it... We arrived in Meridan, MS about 10:00 or so... Checked into a local motel, we were to meet someone at the warehouse in the morining...
We arrived at the warehouse, and here is what we saw first...
As you can see, the body is in o.k. condition, but the Marquee is totally water damaged. I asked hoping that there was another..
"Under that pile of junk, if you want to move it there is another"
I'LL DO IT!!!!!!!
There was a lot of "junk" but I moved it!!
Heart breaking & depressing to see stuff like this: :cry: :cry:
While taking a short break, I got a peek in the wharehouse and saw this:
Arruggghhhh I want a TRON!!...
Videogame Related Goodies EVERYWHERE!!!!...
Break's Over... Back to work... Another Unexpected Find...
This is the original sign for the short lived second mall arcade "Fireworks"
I hope they will let me take this one too...
And right underneath is jsut what I'm looking for:
Just what I was hoping for... The marquee is fine, repairable shape!! So, I remove it and take the other sign body... An hour or so later... here I am.. tired & dirty...
Time to load the sign up in the truck:
The sign is 13' long.. looks like it will tump over my litte Nissan Frontier!
Now that I've got it home... First, Time to Sand, Primer and Paint the outer body..
Interior Primer Done.. Now for the exterior prep:
I'm sure by now you've noticed the light sockets that surround the marquee opening... Yep.. There are 82 Sockets...
82 lightbulbs to get
Exterior Priming: I was soo glad that the damage was not worse... Remember, (I can't believe it) That this sign has been sitting in the weather on this loading dock since 1990!!! 16 YEARS!!
Now for the COLORS!!... White trim around the marquee edge and red for the lightbulb surround...
Now, I know the back isn't all that important, but I want it all nice and neat, so now to make the back look great too!...
After several coats, the back now looks great!!
Now it's time to get the marquee looking like a champ!!!
First I had to flatten it out, (sorry no pix) They were a little warped (made of 1/4'' plywood) So I just sprayed them wet with the waterhose, and put them on a flat surface with another board on top with lots of weight, as the wood dries, it will flatten out.
Next, Sanding and wood filler:
Now that the sanding is done, Now it's time for the COLOR!!
Cool: The Painting made a mirror image on the cardboard protecing the sign:
Now it's time to attach the transparent blue pexiglass to the back of the sign: This gives the lettering the cool blue glow.
Lots of caulk to make sure it stays in place.. you can see the sign is in seperate 6' lenghts.. So I had to puzzle around to figure out how to glue it together while staying seperate pieces..
Piled alot of crap on top to insure a good tight bond on the caulk!
Success!
Now lets flip it over to glue on the small letter pieces!
Now, Here I sit untill I can be hung in the new gameroom.
Coming Soon... Buying all those lightbulbs... and hanging the sign....
Yesterdays... FOREVER!!!!!
UPDATE: 5-24-2007...
Time to get the sign up on the main support beam.... The first thing was to cut a section from a 4'X8' sheet of 3/4'' plywood. Had to use the strongest plywood, the sign is somewhat heavy!
Thank goodness, My friend Manuel was there to help me lift this beast!!
As soon as we lifted the sign into place.. I quickly moved in to get the mounting screws secured...
As you can see here, the sign will get lots of attention when you walk in the room...
Oh, and about those 82 bulbs to get....
Here they are!!..............
Next up... Plaacing the bulbs and installing the marquee!!
Stay Tuned!!
Please check in for updates in the "Final Part" posting. Thank you very much for reading my post on my dream coming true!!
