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Ok, so I got this PAB sand blaster and I have blasted some cool signs out of this high density foam board..... so I want to paint it, Right? What kind of paint are you guys using.. I have tried the deka waterbase sign paint, and it just soaks it up.... Do you use a sealer first? if so, what kind are you using. thanks Chuck
-------------------- Chuck Coupland Coupland Signs 426 N. 11th Laporte, Tx. 77571 copesigns@aol.com Posts: 36 | From: LaPorte, Tx. USA | Registered: Feb 1999
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We generally use 2-3 coats of high-quality flat exterior latex for the background, then will use 1-2 coats of latex or 1shot on the lettering depending on the desired finish.
Personally, I like the look of gloss letters against the flat painted background.
We don't use a primer of any kind, unless we are wanting to build it up to sand it nice and smooth. For most jobs, we go straight to paint.
[ June 09, 2004, 11:37 PM: Message edited by: Joe Endicott ]
-------------------- Joe Endicott NEXCOM (Navy Exchange Service Command) Signing Programs Specialist Virginia Beach, VA jeendicott@msn.com
"I want to be Stereotyped....I want to be Classified." Posts: 681 | From: Virginia Beach, VA USA | Registered: Mar 1999
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I really like to use the FSC-88-WB made by Coastal Enterprises. It is a great high-build primer - has a high concentration of solids in it. I always spray the primer on my sandblasted sign with a HVLP. You have to thin it with water to reach a sprayable viscosity. That doesn't really defeat the "high-build" properties, it just means you spray a few more coats. I lay the sign flat and spray from all four angles. It dries quickly (especially here in Colorado) and you go back and recoat in a few minutes. Then, when it's dry you sand the areas where you want a smooth finish. The solids fill in the pores. You don't want to sand down past the primer because then you are back to the open cell structure of the foam. Another great feature is that it doesn't ball up when you sand it like many of the other primers I've tried. I like to finish my sandblasted signs with 100% acrylic satin latex paint. I've also had great success with Matthews Acrylic Urethane.
-------------------- Dan Seese Dan Seese Studios, inc. 3830 Capitol Drive Ft. Collins, CO 80526 (970) 226-0618 danseesestudios@qwest.net Posts: 18 | From: Fort Collins, Colorado | Registered: Mar 2003
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My only experience with Deka on a sandblasted sign was a disaster. The dark green turned to blue and half of it was gone in 2 years.
We use True Value latex stain for the backgrounds since I prefer a flat finish on the background. Two coats will give it a long lasting finish. I've found that primers are a waste of time and money 99% of the time. Any paint or stain sticks very well to raw HDU. Latex stain is basically colored primer anyway.
On the graphics (raised portions) we only use PB Resin from Coastal Enterprises. It is a 2 part epoxy that you mix in a little One Shot for the color. We flow it on and spread it. It gives a glass smooth finish, hard as a rock in 24 hours. You can prime the surface toward the final color, lay it on the raw HDU, or stain the entire sign and lay the epoxy over the stain.
Some air pollutants can oxidize the epoxy. We have overcome this with a couple of methods. One is to simply give the epoxy one final coat of One Shot. This is necessary with white anyway since the epoxy darkens any color slightly over a 30 day period. (Example: If we want dark green for the final color, we mix in medium green. It will be dark green in a month or so of being outside.)
Method 2 is to clear coat with Frog Juice, Krylon clear, or One Shot's new anti graffiti clear. FG should hold up for 6 to 8 years in my experience. Krylon I think about 2 or 3 years. You simply spray the epoxy with 2 coats. The clear does not effect the stained backgound at all.
The anti graffiti clear is going to be our regular method but with an upcharge since it is more expensive and a very long lasting topcoat.
Edit I forgot to mention that Coastal Enterprises (check the merchant section) has a great product called Hard Coat. It is a 2 part (resin & powder) that we've mixed to make repairs on HDU. I've had golf tee signs with chunks missing from golf ball impact. One chunk of border was missing so we made a dam using masking tape and filled in the missing area. after curing & some sanding and paint, you couldn't tell the sign had been damaged.
[ June 12, 2004, 01:27 PM: Message edited by: Dave Sherby ]
-------------------- Dave Sherby "Sandman" SherWood Sign & Graphic Design Crystal Falls, MI 49920 906-875-6201 sherwoodsign@sbcglobal.net Posts: 5401 | From: Crystal Falls, MI USA | Registered: Apr 1999
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