Had a strange call today. An old german lady called up asking if I new where to find Sign Painter's cotton.
Her church is in need of a banner and an old congregation member offered to paint it for them if they could get this specific material. They aren't interested in buying a new banner, just the material so this old timer can paint it for them. He has no idea where to get it anymore. I told her I'd ask around and let her know if I found anything.
What exactly is it? Is there a comparable product still available?
[ August 18, 2003, 07:47 PM: Message edited by: Terry Whynott ]
Posted by Joe Rees (Member # 211) on :
Maybe she means "Sign Cloth". Still a common material with suppliers as far as I know.
Posted by Stephen Deveau (Member # 1305) on :
Do you have a yacht club handy?
Sail cloth (cotton/hemp)
They will start you in the right direction.
Depending if your local Sign Supplier doesn't have the oz. weight you are looking for.
Also don't know the length or width you are looking at? Posted by Kelly Thorson (Member # 2958) on :
My new book says "Sign painters muslin cost's about 25 cents per yard; it is 36 inches wide and comes in rolls of 60 to 100 yards or you can purchase it in smaller quantities at department stores. Muslin signs are worth $1.35 per yard on up. Cut-in work or signs with pictures or a great deal of lettering are worth a great deal more." Hope this helps - but then the book was written in 1892 so I suppose not. Yuk yuk
Posted by Monte Jumper (Member # 1106) on :
Sounds like "Sign Muslin" they still make it but may be refered to as "Drill Cloth" basically it is a heavily sized "cheese cloth"...we used to use it for interior banners (altho it could be used on exterior jobs if they were for short term use).
Basically if it rained the `"size" would deterioate form the fabric and leave a really ragged looking banner that would last till the first time a wind would blow...then it was all over.
During the 20's thru the 80's there were two types of banners available Exterior use was "Ducking" a manilla colored canvas (usually a 12 oz. material)and lettered with oil based enamels usually 1/2 flat and 1/2 gloss was a standard recipe and Interior use was "Sign muslin" in two or three grades all were made of cotton and were usually lettered with a flat oil based Japan color or "Dolfinite".(Sign muslinn was usually stretched over a wood frame and stapled in place around the edges).
Hope this helps!
Posted by Roy Frisby (Member # 736) on :
Monte, you bring back memories in mentioning the muslin banner stretched over a wood frame. I did one of those for none other than Bill Clinton the first time he ran for governor of Arkansas. They were a pretty economical way to make a nice looking sign for short term use.
Posted by Michael Boone (Member # 308) on :
I painted banners for years on a product called Tara cloth.it was weather proof and cheap. took the oneshot well lasted cant find it anymore.. figures vinyl didnt stick well to it....no wonder its gone
Posted by Terry Whynott (Member # 1622) on :
Thanks for the info, everyone. Posted by jimmy chatham (Member # 525) on :
we used to go to the cotton mill and buy mill cloth to make banners out of.
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