| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
Bus Boy 39
Top Member
USA
1315 Posts |
 Posted - 06/21/2001 : 10:01:24 AM
|
What are the number and letters on school buses made out of? How do you get them on there? How do you cut them out?
"Bus 39--For Ever!" |
|
|
BlueBird44
Top Member
USA
1639 Posts |
Posted - 06/21/2001 : 10:21:26 AM
|
I know that people here has the body shop put them on there bus. Or the place I've seen it done is like a lettering place and body shop.
Tyler-Formly known as Wayne Lifeguard. |
 |
|
|
AmTranIntFE01
Senior Member
USA
84 Posts |
Posted - 06/21/2001 : 12:20:09 PM
|
AmTran and our Blue-Bird dealer puts our school lettering on all of our buses. :)
Will
aka International110
|
|
|
|
1983WardFord
Top Member
USA
1395 Posts |
Posted - 06/21/2001 : 6:58:44 PM
|
The letters and numbers on the buses nowadays are die-cut vinyl letters with a strong adhesive backing. Usually a bus dealership, and not the manufacturer puts all of that on the bus. The letters are mounted backwards onto some sticky (but not too sticky) paper, enough to hold them on. Then, that paper is taped onto the bus with masking tape and is rubbed with a rubber-ish spatula-type device and the letters are transferred from the paper to the side of the bus. It's kinda like a dry-transfer sort of procedure. Hope this helps.
|
|
|
|
Bus Boy 39
Top Member
USA
1315 Posts |
Posted - 06/22/2001 : 4:15:16 PM
|
They do that with the numbers too? What if they have an older bus that they want to change the number on?
"Bus 39--For Ever!" |
|
|
|
Bus Boy 39
Top Member
USA
1315 Posts |
Posted - 06/22/2001 : 6:41:59 PM
|
First of all, how did they mess up? And second, why didn't you just keep the number for a while? At the end of the 1999-2000 school year, when they re-designed the Blue Bird All American, we got two new ones. They retired the old buses they replaced and kept the numbers. So we had two bus 35's and two bus 37's.
"Bus 39--For Ever!" |
|
|
|
1983WardFord
Top Member
USA
1395 Posts |
Posted - 06/22/2001 : 7:58:25 PM
|
Since the old letters and numbers were painted on, they had to be painted over with yellow paint if a mistake was made. I'm not sure excatly, but I imagine that's what was done. Otherwise, the vinyl letters and numbers will peel off with a little bit of work.
|
|
|
|
Silas J.
Top Member
USA
938 Posts |
Posted - 12/13/2001 : 7:13:51 PM
|
We have several sets of recycled numbers.On the buses that have recycled numbers(with exeption of the new IC's)for example,00-6.Normaly,just 6 would be placed on the back, the front,and the right side.On the few recycled numbers,00-6 or whatever is placed on the front, the back, the right side and the left side.The recycled numbers are 00-6/87-6,86-28/02-28,87-4/00-4,and not too long ago there were two 24s.
Silas J.
97-12 It will outrun your bus.
Posts dedicated to 87-24 |
|
|
|
thomasvista2012
Top Member
USA
747 Posts |
Posted - 12/13/2001 : 7:31:26 PM
|
Our buses are lettered and numbered at the factory.
Although Broward County, my neigboring district, used to be cheap with the numbering and stenciled it on by hand. They don't do it anymore, but it looked tacky at the time. I'm also glad they changed their bus ID# system, they now use 96xxx, 97xxx and so on, instead of placing arbitrary numbers on them.
If it's big and yellow, then it's a school bus!
http://www.geocities.com/jasonsbuspage |
|
|
|
MdntDrmr
Active Member
USA
48 Posts |
Posted - 12/14/2001 : 06:30:58 AM
|
Our numbering and lettering is done from the factory. We never copy over numbers. We do ours in a simple way or so it seems. We got All Americans in 2000, numbered them 40-0 up to 59-0 and then for 2001 we got 60-1 up to 79-1 and then 2002 we got 80-2 through 99-2, next year it will be 1-3 through 20-3 so on and so on. We are pleading for more than 20 buses next year though.
Our mini's are numbered such as 9411, 9412, 9413, 9514, 9615-9618, 9719, 9820-9822, 9923-9927, 2028-2032, 2133-2138 and the new ones we are still waiting on are 2239 and 2240.
I am sure we will someday have problems, but they are working for right now!
BE SAFE!
BLUE BIRD and HENRY COUNTY GEORGIA ROCK! |
|
|
|
wagonmaster
Top Member
USA
2298 Posts |
Posted - 12/14/2001 : 09:34:57 AM
|
All of our buses including Bluebird, Thomas, and International/Amtran have vinyl letters and numbers installed at the plant where they are built. Florida has a spec for these and when a district orders buses we just include what numbers we want on them. Doesn't really matter that many districts use a different system, the factories just install what we tell them and that makes it easy.
Joe
|
|
|
|
Debusguy
Senior Member
USA
114 Posts |
Posted - 12/14/2001 : 12:13:58 PM
|
Our buses are lettered and numbered by the dealer just before delivery. Actually, the specifics of what we want are included in the 'specs', and are checked off as being in compliance when they arrive from the dealer. We have numbered our own, occasionally, if some sheet metal was damaged in the numbered area. The knack of putting on the vinyl stencils (which can be purchased with the exact spacing, size, etc)is in the use of a solution of soap suds sponged on the surface just before installation. When you get it in just the right position, you 'squee-gee' it dry, and it sticks. I wouldn't do it without the suds..the bubbles would drive you nuts. It's funny..we did accept a bus once as being lettered OK, then a week later, someone noticed that it read, "District School", instead of School District. Just shows you that dyslexic children can grow up to hold management positions!
|
|
|
|
Rich
Top Member
United States
5768 Posts |
|
|
skoolbus guy
Senior Member
Canada
160 Posts |
Posted - 12/17/2001 : 2:10:30 PM
|
quote:
One bus company near me is so cheap, they TAPED on the numbers with electrical tape!!!
"Blue Bird... Gotta Love Those Birdies!!!"
http://www.schoolbusstop.cjb.net
http://www.geocities.com/jasonsbuspage
http://www.busexplorer.com/schoolbus
That is horrible! It's amazing what some people will do to save money!!
In our district the new buses arrive un-lettered and un-numbered (except for the SCHOOL BUS letters). Our bus garage installs all the letters and numbers themselves.
"Wayne Buses ~ Rest In Peace." |
|
|
|
Wagonmaster1490
Active Member
USA
11 Posts |
Posted - 12/17/2001 : 6:18:08 PM
|
The owner of the company I work for bought a
software program and a computer controled device to cut the letters & numbers. The device works just like a plotter hooked to the PC, only it uses a small knife instead of a pen. You enter what you want the sign to read into the computer. The program then runs the cutter over a long sheet of adhesive backed vinyl. Then everything that isn't needed for the sign is pealed off leaving the sign attached to it'd backing paper. Next a wide masking tape like material is put over the sign to hold the letters in position. The backing paper is removed and the sign is applied to the bus. Each letter is pressed on tightly. Finally the masking tape is removed and the sign or numbers are on the bus. We have never had one come off, even when using a power washer. The vinyl can be removed by heating them with a hair dryer and pealing them off.
I drive the Blue Bird of Happiness! |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
Numbers & Lettering
