The first step is design. It is the most important part. What are the aspects of design? Composition, balance, letter weight, and styles. I was looking for a letter style that had an antique look that would lend itself well to gold leaf. Ephemera was the type font I chose.
The outline is to be in mirror gold and the centers or the body of the letters are surface gilded with 12 carat "white" gold leaf. All the mirror gold is outlined a second time with black, and that time we will add the drop shadow. The letter heighth of the script copy is 3 inches, the "fine" copy is 1 1/4 inches and the "wines" is 1 3/4 inches. In addition to the gold leaf work the glass is ornately etched, and glass glue chipped.
The border graphics were aquired from "Walter", who had a shop in Newport Beach, California, in the fifties. He said, "If you take care of these, I'll give them to you." There were stacks of blue prints of etch work, and sign proposals. The guy who drew them; "Manny" worked for, and was friends with "Walter", and now Walter was giving his designs to good homes, because Manny had reciently died. His sadness was heart`felt, on my part, and I said, "I would put them to good use."
I covered the areas to be blasted with Continental sandblast mask; "butter`cut", as we call it, spray glued the pattern down, and started to cut away. This is by far is one of the most important parts, and special care must be given to the detail. Yes! I know, you can get snadblast mask for your plotter, but I wanted this to be done by hand, and its easier to make corrections on the fly.
Once the pattern was cut I took the glass to the backyard for sandblasting. Armed with the nozzle at hand, looking like one of those guys from the "Haz`Mat" team, I slightly etched the glass along with the portions I wanted to Glue Chip. This process used #60 grit sand, and a low pressure of #70 PSI. The blasting took about 1/2 hour. I have a Sears 6HP upright compressor, hooked up to a 20 gallon pressurized home sandblasting unit.
[ February 24, 2003, 10:16 PM: Message edited by: Richard Bustamante ]
Posted by Richard Bustamante (Member # 370) on :
I met Walter Methner in Pollock Pines, California during a letterhead meet at Gary Rhodes, of Rose Art signs and graphics. There Walter brought out some blue prints, and was giving them away. He said that his good friend Manny had made them for his sign company he owned during the fifties. There was a stack three inches thick, with all kinds of drawings including, glass etch work, sign blanks and layouts, artwork from his home; Spain, decorative iron, and mounting systems, plus too many more to mention. I was looking at this guys whole life's work, all from the fifties.
The design below was amoung the many patterns he gave me.
This step by step is dedicated Manny.
--Richard Bustamante
Posted by Deb Fowler (Member # 1039) on :
BUMP UP!!!! Great post
Posted by vance galliher (Member # 581) on :
good post richard !....there's nothing finer then glass, glue and gold........ seeing gary's name mentioned is always fun for me ..we have a long history......santa cruz 75-81.....he spent the night here just last month....or was that george washington ...and i'm not sure if he even has a computer...... hahahaaaaaa ...he's a amazing guy.........soooo much talent , and a lifetime friend........vance
[ March 02, 2003, 12:51 PM: Message edited by: vance galliher ]
Posted by Richard Bustamante (Member # 370) on :
>>Vance Gary's place was a big boys playhouse. That was the first time I've used a forge. Bending iron, for me, was very interesting. It was one of the best times I've had at a letterhead meet. He lives directly south of me, about 60 miles away.
Thanks Richard for a great step-by step, filed this one for future reference
I'm just hoping to see more or more commentary.
This's got me interesed enough to start picking up materials, I'll definitely be experimenting and reading more on this subject... (soon as I get a chance)
Posted by J & N Signs (Member # 901) on :
