posted
I applied slow size to my signs,, waited 40 hours (normally I wait 40-48 hours) before applying the gold leaf. On a bunch of the letters the sizing is dry in some spots and just right in other areas. They look kind of splotchy. Do I resize with quick size or should I resize with the slow size? I don't want to proceed without some greatly appreciated advice.
I did call Francis L and Bruce Deveau- left a message.
Thank you ahead of time for any advice.
Diane Balch
-------------------- Balch Signs 1045 Raymond Rd Malta, NY 12020 518 885-9899 signs@balchsigns.com http://www.balchsigns.com Posts: 1701 | From: MaltaNY | Registered: Jan 2000
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Hi Diane, I don't know why it would dry uneven. I recenrly gilded an 18" diameter brass ball for Corning Inc. I could see lines where the sheets came together, so I regilded using slow size. It came out beautiful. I see no reason why you could not simply regild. The only thing, try to get the size on evenly. That may be why some set up sooner in spots, it was too heavy.
-------------------- 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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when i was at a meet one of the masters suggested lightly heating it with a heat gun just to reactivate when the size seemed to be drying too quick. worth a try maybe.
-------------------- Karyn Bush Simply Not Ordinary, LLC Bartlett, NH 603-383-9955 www.snosigns.com info@snosigns.com Posts: 3516 | From: Bartlett, NH USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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What a great place this is! Where else would someone who does the same type of work as you return a business related phone call on a Friday evening. Thank you Francis and Bruce Deveau.
Mike, I was using a new can of LeFranc slow size.
I figured it must have not been put on evenly. So, come Monday, I will resize with slow sizing. Thank you everyone, and have a great weekend.
posted
Diane... add a couple of drops og yellow or imitation gold to the size! That way, you will be able to see how thick that you are laying on the size.(It takes very little color to show thickness....don't over do it with the color.)
-------------------- Si Allen #562 La Mirada, CA. USA
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Brushasaurus on Chat Posts: 8831 | From: La Mirada, CA, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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so I guess Karyn's heat gun idea didn't work? I'll try to remember it though, might come in handy someday.
Recently switched from 24 hrs dry-time to 48 hours before gilding - what a difference! If anybody doesn't know this, the extra day is worth the wait. Much smoother gild, and you can really burnish it down without dulling.
SONGPAINTER Original Sign Music by Sign People NOW AVAILABLE on CD and the proceeds go to Letterville's favorite charity! Click Here for Sound Clips! Posts: 1974 | From: Orleans, MA, Cape Cod, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
I've also been told to warm it with a heat gun to get a bit of tack back into dry size.
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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Everyone has their own way ...but I have found applying the size in the am of one day and laying the leaf in the pm of the next day gives me approx 30 to 32 hours and I don't have to get up at some ungodly hour to lay the leaf. Not only that it eliminates the chances of the problem you just experienced.
You want to be careful too about a second coat of size...it will look great when you apply it and the gold will go down good but the burnish will be "iffy" from the softness of two layers and you face the real possibility of some wrinkling around the edges where the size builds up (sometimes not right away, but a few days or even a month down the road). Any time you can avoid second sizing...do it!
A person laying gold every day of their lives devlopes their own little recipes for sizing and they know (absolutely) what their size will do...for those that do it only occasionally, it would be prudent to stay in that 24 to 32 hour window of time and end up with a perfectly acceptable gild as opposed to going for the optimum burnish and failing.
Just a few thoughts!
[ November 08, 2003, 09:16 AM: Message edited by: Monte Jumper ]
-------------------- "Werks fer me...it'll werk fer you"
Along the same lines, I did a project at FKAB, my first attempt with leafing and missed a few spots with the sizing. Is the "fix" for this to patch it or to redo the whole line of type?
Along another line, I was wondering if you could mask off your lettering and apply the sizing with an airbrush? Probabbly a dumb idea, but just curious what that would do for smoothness of coverage.
Thanks in advance. Rapid
[ November 08, 2003, 10:57 AM: Message edited by: Ray Rheaume ]
-------------------- Ray Rheaume Rapidfire Design 543 Brushwood Road North Haverhill, NH 03774 rapidfiredesign@hotmail.com 603-787-6803
I like my paint shaken, not stirred. Posts: 5648 | From: North Haverhill, New Hampshire | Registered: Apr 2003
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Ray...it would work very well....but...peel off the mask as soon as it stop being "runny" or wet! That way the edges will round out smooth, rather then having a sharp ridge that looks terrible.
-------------------- Si Allen #562 La Mirada, CA. USA
(714) 521-4810
si.allen on Skype
siallen@dslextreme.com
"SignPainters do It with Longer Strokes!"
Never mess with your profile while in a drunken stupor!!!
Brushasaurus on Chat Posts: 8831 | From: La Mirada, CA, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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We CNC route our signs right through the paint mask. Thn I sand the letters, vacuum, blow with the copmpresser, tack then size. I don't remove the mask until I am finished guilding and cleaning up all the gold flakes.
Tonight, about 3+Days after sizing some wooden pineapple fineals, I applied some gold leaf. Much to my surprise, it was the perfect time. They burnished up to a brilliant shine. I applied the size to these after the other 3 signs. Go figure!
Thanks for all the advice. Someone called me today and said perhaps there was some oil left on my brush. Interesting comment, Frank.
Diane
-------------------- Balch Signs 1045 Raymond Rd Malta, NY 12020 518 885-9899 signs@balchsigns.com http://www.balchsigns.com Posts: 1701 | From: MaltaNY | Registered: Jan 2000
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Several years back the varnish formulas were getting messed with and the spotty drying was becoming a problem. That's when many of us were turning to the French formula that was not supposed to do that. Many also mix the quick size and the slow size together to get the toughness of the quick and the brilliance of the slow. Varnishes do require stirring...not shaking. Sometimes when we miss that window for gilding, and just miss it, a quick wipe with alcohol followed by immediate gilding works. Never tried it on large areas, but for patching we use Q-tips.
-------------------- The SignShop Mendocino, California
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. — Charles Mingus Posts: 6718 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Dianne, you said you rout, sand and size. How about the prime and finish? I'm sure you just firgot to mention it.
-------------------- Bill Riedel Riedel Sign Co., Inc. 15 Warren Street Little Ferry, N.J. 07643 billsr@riedelsignco.com Posts: 2953 | From: Little Ferry, New Jersey, USA | Registered: Feb 1999
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Bill, After we route, I sand, vaccuum, blow with the air hose, tack then put on 2-3 coats primer (now using Signfoam brand), Before putting on the size, I sand,vaccuum and air blow and tack. I do not put any top coat paint down in the routed areas. Should I?
Diane
-------------------- Balch Signs 1045 Raymond Rd Malta, NY 12020 518 885-9899 signs@balchsigns.com http://www.balchsigns.com Posts: 1701 | From: MaltaNY | Registered: Jan 2000
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Hi Diane, If you would add a coat of One Shot to cover the prime, you will find that the size will flow out much smoother and the final results will be a brighter guild. It works for me. Try it, you'll like it.
-------------------- Bill Riedel Riedel Sign Co., Inc. 15 Warren Street Little Ferry, N.J. 07643 billsr@riedelsignco.com Posts: 2953 | From: Little Ferry, New Jersey, USA | Registered: Feb 1999
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I'm with Bill. I always put a top coat of One Shot enamel before sizing. Even with several coats of primer, there is still a certain degree of "absorbency" and the areas where the size is dry is where it soaked through the primer and into the substrate.
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Thank you all, this last idea of (top coat/even dry time for the size) sounds like a good idea to me... I'm loading up on all you thought's. before my first attemt at this.
-------------------- REBEL with a cause, and a loaded Airbrush! Posts: 73 | From: Ruthven Ont. Can. | Registered: Aug 2002
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