This is Steve from Signs of the Times. For the September Letterhead News column, I'd like to focus on crackle and/or distressed sign finishes. Does anyone have experience with these? I've read David Kynaston's step by step on the Website, and I'd like to find someone who's done similar work. If you'd like to take part in the article, you can get back to me directly at my e-mail, steve.aust@stmediagroup.com. Thanks again, and I look forward to seeing many of you in Mars next month.
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I used a lot of crackle finish for the Heritage News bookstore at the Mpls/St. Paul airport. We made stacks of carved giant books, and I painted them so they looked old and decrepit. The effect worked great for the dried leather look. There are two different crackle methods: The two-color method and the varnish method. The two-color method is done with water-base paint- a base coat, a coat of clear crackle medium (hide glue works good) and a top coat of a contrasting color. As I understand it, the hide glue sucks the water out of the top layer of paint and swells, creating the cracks. The base color is then visible at the cracks. Go to Home Depot and check out the Ralph Lauren display for some good color combos and a detailed instruction sheet. The second method, which I am less familiar with, uses a one or two-part clear varnish that cracks in a similar manner, and then a tinted glaze is rubbed into the cracks. Both methods are suspectible to humidity variations and should be clear coated or varnished over when complete.
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I posted quite a wordy 'splanation on how I do it, a year or so ago - don't know if it's still available in Steve's cyber archives or not. I sure don't care to get into all that again, but if you use any of the glue methods you HAVE TO seal it REAL GOOD or it will remelt and make a big mess. Even indoors, I'm finding out the hard luck way. For outdoors use layers of oil base & water base paints and no glue, tricky to get the right results but it will last. A big serious heat gun helps.
Posts: 1859 | From: / | Registered: Nov 1998
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I tried going by the step-by-step on the board but found some of the supplies almost impossible to find. I use the 2 step crackle stuff I found at esoteric sign supply in california. I haven't done much with the signs, but I've had a ball doing antique signs for family weddings/anniversaries. (I would do more with it, but unfortunately, my calendar only shows 7 days in a week instead of the 9 or 10 I would need to get all my projects done) Mostly I think it's just really neat to watch the crack form. (Who woulda thunk you could have fun watching paint dry??) If I can be of any help, let me know. Be patient, I've gotten really horrible at checking email.
-------------------- Chris Welker Wildfire Signs Indiana, Pa Posts: 4254 | From: Indiana, PA | Registered: Mar 2001
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