Thomas Beer Sign & Clock Repair

Thomas Beer Sign & Clock Repair I have a passion for bringing vintage beer signs back to life. I buy signs too!

Located in the NW suburbs of Chicago, my goal is to revive memories and enjoy signs for many more years!

Another quick kitchen counter repair, my wife is very understanding! šŸ˜‚ Found this on marketplace, super clean. Seller di...
06/19/2026

Another quick kitchen counter repair, my wife is very understanding! šŸ˜‚

Found this on marketplace, super clean. Seller disclosed the clock didnā€™t work but light comes on perfectly. No problem!

This 1991 clock is so 90s, it could wear Zubaz to match the font and neon orange hands.

The plexiglass surround is very cool too, both the face and the glass got sprayed down. Very important to not even touch the glass on the viewing surface when itā€™s wet or youā€™ll likely scratch it! I spray it, rinse it and then compressed air to dry it. Absolutely no sponges or paper towels here.

The electric clock motor moved freely but the gear set was full of old grease. 45 minutes in the ultrasonic and they came out like new. Oil on the pivots and reassemble. The removable sides are so you can manipulate the pivots into their holes without destroying them.

All put back together, itā€™ll look great on the wall. Another sign back in service! šŸ»

Another neat local find, I wanted this one to hang over my workbench. Bulbs look to be original.Working, just wiped down...
06/15/2026

Another neat local find, I wanted this one to hang over my workbench. Bulbs look to be original.

Working, just wiped down. I enjoy out of market signs very much!

My journey started with jukeboxes, leading to pinballs and then beer signs. Starting off your Monday with Barry is a fan...
06/15/2026

My journey started with jukeboxes, leading to pinballs and then beer signs. Starting off your Monday with Barry is a fantastic idea, have a great week!

Friendly reminder on slip rings, this one is the dirtiest Iā€™d ever seen. So much that zero electricity was getting thoug...
06/12/2026

Friendly reminder on slip rings, this one is the dirtiest Iā€™d ever seen. So much that zero electricity was getting though. Independent testing on the components below showed they were working but nothing was getting through this slip ring.

If you have a hanging sign with issues thatā€™s supposed to rotate, addressing the slip ring would be my first suggestion. It may not be the culprit but it likely needs service anyway if you want reliable operation in the future.

Iā€™ll ultrasonic both halves of the slip ring, wires included. No need to desolder them. This is one of the few times where the cleaner does only some of the work. More often than not, Iā€™ll have to follow up with 99% isopropyl alcohol on qtips and paper towels to finish it off.

You likely donā€™t want to do this a second time, so do it right the first time!

So many memories are connected to these old signs and folks just want to see their signs lit up again and relatively aff...
06/11/2026

So many memories are connected to these old signs and folks just want to see their signs lit up again and relatively affordably!

This one came to me dirty and the insides all cut up. We can always do a full fluorescent rebuild if you prefer but LEDs can do the job with less heat, less power and sometimes less cost!

I like to reuse the original cords when I can to keep the exterior look correct, assuming itā€™s in good shape. This cord looked good and the switch worked.

I cleaned the face plate and while it was drying, I removed all of the old fluorescent items and installed the LED.

Another sign back in service!

06/10/2026

The motion on this Burgie sign is very subtle and very cool! Had to adjust it slightly to get the two scenes to move independently but itā€™s definitely a fan favorite!

My wife is on a roll this week! Sheā€™d seen this for sale a few months ago, went back last week and brought it home.When ...
06/10/2026

My wife is on a roll this week! Sheā€™d seen this for sale a few months ago, went back last week and brought it home.

When she got it home, we noticed all the scenes moved as one, instead of independently. We solved that problem and then realized that someone had glued the 1st and 2nd scenes together, so the boat doesnā€™t move independently from the dock.

So, we removed the yellowed first plate that had no scene and the sign is very vibrant now! We contemplated removing the glued scenes but sometimes you can do more harm than good for that last 1%. Two boats move opposite each other, itā€™s a win and looks great on the wall! šŸ»

06/09/2026

New mounting screw holes on top and an LED bulb so we donā€™t have to open it back up any time soon. She hangs & rotates very nicely now!

Itā€™s a real treat to get your hands on an out of market sign like Grain Belt. A gentleman on marketplace in Minnesota wa...
06/08/2026

Itā€™s a real treat to get your hands on an out of market sign like Grain Belt. A gentleman on marketplace in Minnesota was so helpful in shipping this to me and I knew the clock wasnā€™t working.

Little did I know that it was a late 70s Heileman sign or I wouldā€™ve been more prepared!

Itā€™s been my experience that the reason these sunbeam motors fail is because of the little pinion gears. Iā€™d used my last one recently and need to resupply, so Iā€™ll wait for the tiny gear to arrive and reassemble!

In the mean time, the super flexible outer shell got a good cleaning and Iā€™ll use some low power LED bulbs in those sockets.

These signs were usually stapled together, you have to be careful when removing them so you donā€™t break the plastic.

Iā€™ll follow up when itā€™s back in service!

06/07/2026

Fluorescent style LED tubes can still give that warm yellow vintage bar look. Donā€™t be afraid to give it a try!

Address

Coral, IL
60152

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