The Letterville BullBoard: painting for floor...antique look... HELP!!

This is topic painting for floor...antique look... HELP!! in forum Old Archives at The Letterville BullBoard.

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Posted by Dana Aaron on :

Well, need some real help on this one. Here's the deal...

A while back I painted an antique looking sign for a clothing store. Used plain old plywood and went to the craft store and got regular waterbased craft paint and some two part crackling stuff. Worked great, looks great, customer loves it.

Now they are having an old tongue-in-groove hemlock floor from an old auditorium installed in their store, starting Monday. They basically want exactly what I did before, but a bit larger, then will inlay it into the 'new' flooring. (No, they don't want it painted on.)

I told them I would check with you guys for suggestions on paint, crackle finishing and clearcoat. It will be totally up to them and floor installer to figure out how to inlay it down.

They want it old looking... no really shiny stuff... and is in the direct entrance path, so will get a TON of wear and tear. They have it in mind that since it will be inlayed, that they will be able to pull it up and refinish in the future, because of the wear.

Soooo, what in the heck do I use to paint this thing?!? I told them I have 1/2" mdo sign board in the shop. Installer said fine, he will make it work. What do I prime the board with? What do I paint it with so it isn't shiny like new enamals? How do I crackle it?

What do I use for a clear on top? Is there something compatible and strong enough to cover waterbased craft-type paints as a topcoat?

Yikes, what did I get myself in to? OH, well, I have faith in you guys that you will come up with some ideas... and by the way, I could use easily obtainable stuff... since they would like it ASAP... hahahaha, what else is new...

Thanks!!!!

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Dana Aaron
Sign-A-Saurus
Nevis, MN
ICQ# 37949659

It was recently discovered that research causes cancer in rats.

Posted by bruce ward (Member # 1289) on :

it would seem that your bottom or basecoat
would be the concern...no, not really. I
would do the plywood as you did the sign. the
deciding factor in the durability of it, is going
to be on the clearcoat. There are several
great floor finishes that come in satin, or
semi-gloss. If that does not appeal to you,
you can always use a high gloss polyureathane
and put some gloss modifier in it to kill the
luster. Depending on how much you put in, will
determine the outcome of the shine.
kinda weird, you paint on a floor you worry
about the wear of it. you spill paint on the
floor...you cant get it up!

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Posted by PKing (Member # 337) on :

Glad to see ya back Dana
IF you really want to turn some heads and raise some eyebrows on this one.Why not cut different colored wood(oak,ceder,pine,mahogany,teak,ect,etc)that will seperate and form whatever design or words you have in mind.Put together like a jigsaw puzzle,inlaided into the floor,then the same wood sealer used on the toung and groove will work!
Heck you could even use the shaffings from different colored wood and put down like a mosaic that would work also.
I have seen an Eagle done this way and it is sooooo cool,my first thought was heh this can be done with letters and logos!!!! Ought to be fun and challageing too

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PKing is
Pat King of
King Sign Design in
McCalla,Alabama
The Professor of
SIGNOLOGY

Posted by Dana Aaron on :

Gee thanks, Pat... been a long couple weeks. For those of you who don't know, my hubby's father passed away after a 5 day round the clock bedside vigil by the family, and I was with his sister and her husband (hubby's aunt & uncle) when he died. Never saw anyone die before.

Thanks for the idea, but the design is really just a silhouette of trees and a couple words... in a really bad hand-written font, but they want the logo to be the same.

They are going to finish the flooring THEN inlay the 'sign'. It is 18"x60". So they want it completely done when I deliver it.

I was hoping there would be a clear to go overtop craft-type waterbased stuff, then I could use the same techniques as before.

How can you tell - what to read for on the label - on compatibility between products? I usually only use one shot and chromatic paints on signs, and that craft stuff on indoor odd stuff.

More ideas??
THANKS!!!

------------------
Dana Aaron
Sign-A-Saurus
Nevis, MN
ICQ# 37949659

It was recently discovered that research causes cancer in rats.

Posted by Ken Henry (Member # 598) on :

A red flag should be waving here. This request is one of an "experimental nature" if ever there was one. If you duplicate what you previously did, and the clearcoat has a negative effect on your work, they may not be happy campers. If the high traffic wears out this feature prematurely, this may also cause some future unpleasantness.

For your own protection, I'd advise spelling out the possible drawbacks to your customer, and then, let them know that you will do this on a strictly experimental basis...AT THEIR RISK. That way, if all, or any part fails, you are covered. Sometimes ideas like this will work, and if so, great. There are several unproven and untested situations at play here, any of which could prove to be the undoing of the project...especially if haste is introduced into the equation. I hope that you can successfully pull this off, and that your customer is tickled pink with the outcome. On the outside possibility that something runs amiss, make sure that you cover your posterior well.

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Ken Henry
Henry & Henry Signs
London, Ontario Canada
(519) 439-1881
e-mail kjmlhenry@home.com

Posted by PKing (Member # 337) on :

How bout a clear sheet of plexiglass layed on top of the painting?? That should protect it!!

------------------
PKing is
Pat King of
King Sign Design in
McCalla,Alabama
The Professor of
SIGNOLOGY

Posted by PKing (Member # 337) on :

Hey Dana,
This is Bobbie K, did you know that they make a waterbase varnish? I use it all the time in my work...Decorative Artist-Crafty Stuff as you call it...There is a product called Ceramcoat by Delta Tech Coatings. It comes, satin, matte, or high gloss.. it is an acrylic polymer that forms a tough flexible clear colorless coat..can be used over or under oils when thoroughly dry and it dries fast. Hope this helps.
Good Luck!!! : )

------------------
PKing is
Pat King of
King Sign Design in
McCalla,Alabama
The Professor of
SIGNOLOGY

Posted by Joe Rees (Member # 211) on :

Hi Dana, the picture that came to my mind while reading your post was of separate pine boards rather than a sheet product for the inlay pieces.

Weathering, scuffing and aging stresses could be done so some wood grain or texture shows through Dennis Garrity style, and cleared with a water based polyurethane floor finish which holds up incredible. Since the whole thing has a faded and scuffed look already, even if traffic wore through your protective coat it would just get more worn and faint - complimenting the desired effect.

ps, sorry to hear about your father in law.

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Joe Rees
Cape Craft Signs
(Cape Cod, MA)
http://www.capecraft.com
http://www.dave-joe-show.com
e-mail: joerees@capecraft.com

[This message has been edited by Joe Rees (edited January 22, 2000).]

Posted by Bill Dirkes (Member # 1000) on :

Dana,
ya got some good ideas to kick around here. I just want to add a compromise on substrates. consider using some 3/4" oak or poplar plywood. you'll get the grain aging effect of flooring and one piece inlay on install.
also agree with Ken-watch out, them variables can rear up n bite ya on the backside!

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Bill Dirkes
Bethel Hill Signs
Pay NO Mind to the Idiots-There is more Beauty than Pain

Posted by Terry Teague (Member # 796) on :

Hi Dana!

Here's how I would do it. I se no problem using the MDO at all. Prime with latex primer, finish with a latex background, maybe even blend it a little using horizontal strokes. Letter using your lettering enamel. Let this dry thoroughly and then sand the entire piece with a pad sander, even allowing the sander to cut through the lettering randomly, this helps to give the piece some age, then for even more age take a piece of sandpaper in hand and sand horizontally creating some grooves in the finish. Clean the sign and then takes a shade of latex that would be a good shadow color (grey or brown range), thin with water and wipe over the whole sign, this will stain the bkg. and even further age the piece, be sure to wipe the excess off in a horizontal manner, maybe leaving it a little darker around the edges. Then using a flat black can of spray paint mist the sign lightly in places (and I mean lightly) paying more attention to the edges. In your case I strongly recommend trying these effects on sample pieces first. You should have a sign that looks nicely aged after all this to which you can then apply two or three coats of waterbased clear polyurethane in satin.

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Terry Teague
James River Signs
Reeds Spring, MO
tlteague@tri-lakes.net

Posted by Dana Aaron on :

Hey guys - thanks for all the great suggestions.

What makes me feel good is when you come up with stuff I already thought of!!!

I have a couple ideas in mind - gonna run to the big whopping town of Park Rapids, pop about 2500, to check out the fleet store and what they carry for matte clears for floors. I would check the paint store, but I don't think they are open long, if at all, on Sats in the winter. I will let you know what happens.

Thanks again everyone - you guys are THE BEST!!!

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Dana Aaron
Sign-A-Saurus
Nevis, MN
ICQ# 37949659

It was recently discovered that research causes cancer in rats.

[This message has been edited by Dana Aaron (edited January 22, 2000).]

Posted by Rick Sacks (Member # 379) on :

Something that I've never seen mentioned on this BB before, that we use periodically, is Chromatic's Flattening Paste. You add it to enamels and varnishes to reduce the gloss. This could be added to the tougher "gym floor" type products.

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The SignShop
Mendocino, California
"Where the Redwoods meet the Surf"

Posted by Suelynn Sedor (Member # 442) on :

Hi Dana,

Finally, a question I can answer!!

Pete and Marge at Canadian Signcrafters carries a "flattening powder" that you can add to any clear to take away the shine. I have added it to both frog juice, and to one-shots clear. The more you add, the duller the finish.

Only mix as much as you need, and then strain it well, as it will leave tiny white bumps that will "powder" if you don't. You could even add a tiny bit of brownish yellow to antique the sign.

Give Pete a call at Canadian Signcrafters...they support this BB and are terrific people to work with.

Good luck,

Suelynn

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"It is never too late to be what you might have been." -George Eliot

Suelynn Sedor
Sedor Signs
Carnduff, Sk Canada

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