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What is the best type of paint for sandblasted sign foam signs? I have used Benjamin Moore Soft Gloss Exterior, but I am becoming increasingly frustrated with dry time (as are my customers), as well as that eternal Tackiness associated with the finish. I wait, and wait, forever it seems, yet feel I'm often re-coating prematurely. Is it me? Are others using One Shot? I worry about the time and financial expenses associated with cleaning up oil paint mess. Your advice will be most appreciated. Cheers, Sarah
-------------------- Sarah F. Evans Appalachian Signs and Design 186 Parkside Road Boone, North Carolina 28607 Posts: 97 | From: Boone, NC | Registered: Dec 2006
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I personally use 1shot. You could ask ten different people and get as many different answers.
The key with any paint is to wait the appropriate amount of time before recoating and to scuff between coats.
good luck & have fun!
-------------------- Ryan Culbertson The Sign Shop at Quick Copies Greenwood, SC
Rock and Roll means well, but it can’t help tellin’ young boys lies. Mike Cooley - Drive By Truckers Posts: 453 | From: Greenwood, South Carolina | Registered: Apr 2007
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I'm sure that many folks have different preferences. I guess that somewhere deep down inside I am praying that someone says "DON'T USE OIL PAINT WHATEVER YOU DO!" I know that's just not going to happen. Maybe it's time to develop a new paint! Thanks for your reply. Cheers, Sarah
-------------------- Sarah F. Evans Appalachian Signs and Design 186 Parkside Road Boone, North Carolina 28607 Posts: 97 | From: Boone, NC | Registered: Dec 2006
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I think you'll find your problem stems from the fact that HDU foam doesn't absorb anything, so all the drying has to occur from the surface outwards. Good ventilation is a must - have you tried directing a fan or two across the signs to assist drying?
-------------------- Graham Parsons Signs 'n Such Ltd Swift Current Saskatchewan Canada. www.signsnsuch.com
"Saskatchewan - hard to pronounce, easy to draw" Posts: 710 | From: Saskatchewan, Canada | Registered: Oct 1999
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Sarah - we use acrylic latex for almost everything, especially on dimensional HDU. Yes, the paint might take some time to cure , especially in the humid summers, but it will long outlast 1-shot. Be patient..... You can expect it to feel tacky for about a month, especially the more vibrant colours. Para (Canada) & Porter / Rhino (US) are my preferences, because they actually flow off a quill nicely. Some ( including Benjamin Moore, I believe) have a type of silicone in them to keep dirt & bird droppings from sticking to them - this interferes with how well they hold an edge, & it's difficult to get a paintmask to stick unless you let it cure for a few days. TR
-------------------- Rodger MacMunn T.R. MacMunn & Sons C.P.207, Sharbot Lake, ON 613-279-1230 trmac@frontenac.net Posts: 475 | From: Sharbot Lake, Ontario | Registered: Nov 2003
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Sarah.... Your prayers are answered! Don't use oil paint whatever you do!!!!
Latex is sweet from one coat of primer to 2 coats of background color, layered over the entire project...
Now you can use enamels for the raised letters if you chose, but latex will work great.
Your "Benjamin Moore Soft Gloss Exterior paint" that never dries should be used when slow drying paint is needed! Which is... NEVER! Get your money back!
Flat to Satin colors on sandblasted backgrounds are a must! The raised letters are up to you...
Do you have a deep enough background to use a roller over the letters with a latex? If not, you may need to coat the letters with a quill?
Enamels & acrylics work well when using a quill.
Latex paints dry within an hour when temps are above 65 degrees.
#1 - One coat of latex white primer over the whole thing. #2 - 2 coats of satin background color over the hole thing. #3 - Roll or letter the letters with high gloss enamel or satin latex... your choice. #4 - touch up with the background color.
25 year Latex hardware paint will do just fine! Good luck to you Sarah.
-------------------- Michael R. Bendel Bendel Sign Co,. Inc. Sauk Rapids, MN Posts: 913 | From: Sauk Rapids, MN | Registered: Jul 2005
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I treat the HDU the same as I used to do our redwood signs. With very few exceptions the back grounds will be flat acrylic latex. Hopefully a good deep color for contrast(Duron Forest green for example)- raised lettering one shot and the posts and border is the only place we'd use the semi-gloss types of latex. Yes it seemed to stay 'tacky' forever but was great for touch-up ability and wouldn't peel like oil based paints. Years later you can go in and re-coat the posts and border and it would look brand new with no sanding or scrapeing...er...scrapin...awww....without having to remove a bunch of flaking paint!
-------------------- John Byrd Ball Ground, Georgia 770-735-6874 http://johnbyrddesign.com so happy I gotta sit on both my hands to keep from wavin' at everybody! Posts: 741 | From: Ball Ground, Georgia, USA | Registered: May 1999
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A few thoughts. A pure acrylic (acrylic/latex) is preferrable as subsesquent coatings will adhere well. Any latex that has vinyl, silicone or silicate in it is made as a final coating with repels most contamination as well as subsequent coats of paint, especially enamels. These formulas tend to be slower drying as well. I prefer using a suitable, high performance acrylic primer, often high build to smooth out the finish, which allows any paint to be used as a topcoat.
-------------------- Kent Smith Smith Sign Studio P.O.Box 2385, Estes Park, CO 80517-2385 kent@smithsignstudio.com Posts: 1025 | From: Estes Park, CO | Registered: Nov 1998
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This question comes up from time to time, with the usual assortment of answers. And so I'll add my usual answer.
We use only 100% acrylic latex water based paint - mainly Porter or Sherwin Williams (Super Paint). Although a primer is not necessary on HDU we still prime with Coastal Enterprises water based primer/filler in order to start with a good, hard, smooth coating.
Our choice is a satin or semi-gloss finish, although a flat leaves a rich looking appearance. If you are going to put on any vinyl I would suggest either gloss or satin....and high performance vinyl.
One Shot Lettering enamel will leave a slick, glossy finish, but in time will fade and chalk...expecially the deeper colors.
We spray the primer and background color with a HVLP spray gun and then brush on the smaller panels and trim work with brushes made for water based paints.
A shop fan directed over the signs will help the paint to cure faster. Normally we can put on a primer and finish coat the same day and then all the other trim stuff the following day. Sand lightly between coats.
Good luck with your dimensional signs. They can be the most creative work you produce.
-------------------- Chapman Sign Studio Temple, Texas chapmanstudio@sbcglobal.net Posts: 6306 | From: Temple, Texas, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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I agree with Ray on everything except the background. Our favorite background paint is Mautz or True Value acrylic latex STAIN. The first coat we mix in a little Wagner extender and brush into raw HDU. The extender breaks the viscosity down which helps it flow into all those little craters. The second coat goes on straight from the can. It has a nice flat finish, you can touch up any part of it and not see the edge of the touch up when it dries, and you'll get 14 years out of it.
-------------------- Dave Sherby "Sandman" SherWood Sign & Graphic Design Crystal Falls, MI 49920 906-875-6201 sherwoodsign@sbcglobal.net Posts: 5403 | From: Crystal Falls, MI USA | Registered: Apr 1999
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