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I have a repaint job to do on a painted MDO sign. The sign has an ivory painted center section and a painted dark green outer section. Over the years the ivory has started to streak down over the dark green, like it has turned chalky or something and the rain washes it down over the green. I tried wiping the streaked area of the green to see if it would clean up. I wiped it with 409, didn't want to use something too strong, like thinner, to start with. The dark green smeared and even wiped off to reveal thin spots. The question I have is should I continue to wipe the green off with the same stuff before I repaint it or should I use something different? I will probably need to do the ivory also so I can repaint it (around all the lettering) so it won't continue to streak over repainted green.
-------------------- Dana Blair Blair Signs Wooster, OH www.blairsigns.com
If sign makers go on strike, is there anything written on their picket signs? Posts: 835 | From: Wooster, OH, USA | Registered: Jul 1999
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Dana, You mentioned painting AROUND the letters. Are they vinyl? Why not make a pattern and repaint the entire background and then reletter? In any case, I would sand the background since there is so much chalking. That way you will get down to a decent layer to paint over. Then Prime and Paint.
-------------------- Gene Golden Gettysburg Signs Gettysburg PA 17325 717-334-0200 genegolden@gettysburgsigns.com
"Art is knowing when to stop." Posts: 1578 | From: Gettysburg, PA | Registered: Jun 2003
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Hi, I would use a car washing brush and a bucket of TSP and water. That's an industrial detergent found in all hardware stores. Then just topcoat.
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For repaints, I'd suggest cleaning with water, then Windex, then alcohol until the underside of the rag shows clean. Scuff it w/ a Scotch-Bright pad, & give it a final wipe. Painting around the letters? Unless it's bold and minimal copy, I vote for a new sign. Prep labor vs: new material could be a wash.
-------------------- Mike Auto Graphix New Jersey graphix@nac.net Posts: 32 | From: Butler New Jersey | Registered: Oct 2003
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I have found that a repaint is only as good as what is under it! How old is the board? Are the edges cracked? Has moisture gotten in? Take into consideration the time it takes to sand down a panel, remove the old paint, apply primer and base coat and it will be cheaper to just to make a new sign. If the sign is fairly new and in "good" shape I would repaint it. But in most cases I have run into, I do not repaint them.
-------------------- Tony Vickio The World Famous Vickio Signs 3364 Rt.329 Watkins Glen, NY 14891 t30v@vickiosigns.com 607-535-6241 http://www.vickiosigns.com Posts: 1063 | From: Watkins Glen, New York | Registered: Sep 2001
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OK, heres a secret from an ole`time reapinter. I would get these customers that are just too cheep to buy a new sign. So what the alternative? Repaint. If the panel is still in good shape? And theres still enough green to have some kind of contrast? This will work!
Take the sign, and repaint the whole thing with 1-shot Beige that has been thinned just a little too much with paint thinner. Paint over the WHOLE sign! Don't worry about a pattern, or the design...
Heres what happens. The beige paint will make the beige paint, thats faded, come alive. However, the paint is just thin enough to see the design, and you'd be able to stabilo out the graphics.
Next, letter the green graphic, and your done.
Heres the good part. Since you've thinned the paint so much, it will dry in about an hour. So, if you time it right, you could paint, go to lunch, and when you got back, it'll be ready to letter.
-Rich
-------------------- Richard Bustamante Signs in the Pines www.signsinthepines.com Posts: 781 | From: Nevada City, California | Registered: Nov 1998
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