posted
Ok guys, I did it again. I used some smith's with 1 shot, & it came out a lot better. Rick Glawson, I should have listened to you, sorry! Ok one thing: I applied the cream/paint with a foam roller & in order to make it thick & it ended up with some wavy lines. Not bad, but they're there. I also tried it with a regular cheap brush & the same. Foam brush...Same. Is there a certain techinque or brush I'm supposed to use for applying this stuff? Thanks in advance!
------------------ Marcano-Welch Signs Luquillo, Puerto Rico 787-889-6608
Posts: 2287 | From: Luquillo, Puerto Rico, USA | Registered: Nov 2000
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posted
I've used Smiths Cream (Jacks Cream for black smalts...It's cheaper) & One Shot and never had a problem. The first one I did ended up with smalts stuck up the sides of the letters. Cured that problem by putting the paint mixture in a plastic bottle with a long tip. I use tint & toner bottles from the beauty shop. I cut off some of the tip to open the hole a little. Squeeze out a small amount of the cream/paint mixture while tracing the letter edge and spread with a small brush, or something flat like a cut off popsicle stick. That way you keep the mixture from going up the sides of the letters. Then the bigger brush can stay a half inch to an inch away for faster application away from the letters. The bottle tip also gets the mixture in the insides of "O's" "R's" etc. real easy. Just squeeze a little paint and push it around with the tip.
I paint a couple feet worth of the sign then shake on a thick layer of smalts stopping 6 inches or so before getting to where you stopped painting. Then paint on another couple feet, then some more smalts. Continue this across the sign till done. Then I lift one edge of the sign about 6 inches off the table and drop it. Then the other end. This drives the smalts into the paint mixture. Shake in more smalts where the smalts is too thin, the paint mixture will show and be shiny. You can even pat down the smalts with your hand. I usually leave my sign sit for a couple days then lay down some clean white butcher paper and dump the excess smalts onto it tapping the back to get most of the loose smalts off, then pour the excess back into my container.
I made a smalt shaker out of a coffee can. Drill a bunch of holes in the bottom in about a 2 to 3 inch circle. I get a second lid and cap both ends. The second lid on the bottom keeps the smalts in when you fill it. The first lid keeps the smalts in when you take the second lid off to shake, and both lids keep dust out of the smalts while in storage.
Good luck with your next one.
------------------ Dave Sherby "Sandman" SherWood Sign & Graphic Design Crystal Falls, MI 49920 906-875-6201 ICQ: 21604027 sherwood@up.net
posted
Dave - Great tip about the tint bottles. The worst part of smalts is getting the goop neatly around the edges of the letters. So hard in fact, that I've been avoiding smalts lately. Your trick is just the ticket to motivate me to go sell one. Thanks!
posted
The trick is to do a 1/2 inch outline the letters with a paint the same color as the smalt! Then apply the "goop" to about 1/4 inch from the letters!!!! That way you wind up with a nice clean edge, and it doesn't look like the smat is protruding into the letter when viewed from an angle!
------------------ Si Allen #562 La Mirada, CA. USA (714) 521-4810 ICQ # 330407 "SignPainters do It with Longer Strokes!"
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Posts: 8831 | From: La Mirada, CA, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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