Two More Done..

We've used 2x cover Rust-oleum primer paint and the other was fusion flat black by Krylon. These two are new to us. We've also used Marsh Ink. Ken says he's still trying to find the right one for us. He's been watching You Tube this Winter, and wanting to try what others have said work well. Personally, I think Ken and I both got over zealous and forgot to sand the wood with a high grit sandpaper to make the paint come off easier. We had this problem before a long time ago. We cured it by sanding with like 220 or so, then used wood conditioner, so the wood wouldn't be so porous, but I think we forgot a step here, or we didn't let the wood conditioner dry long enough before he painted it.

He also used the oil-based varathane spar urethane, but was really disappointed with it. It left the wood feeling rubbery; didn't feel right, and didn't give the shine he was expecting. He said he's going back to the Helmsman high gloss that we've used for so long.

honesttjohn said:

Use acrylic paint. Most any will do. The spray stuff is expensive but Wal Mart has bottles of it really cheap. 1/2 the price of Michael's. You'll have to brush it but to me the extra time is worth it, and you get pretty good at it after a while. Less mess, less bleeding, and the excess sands off pretty good. $2 and change for 8 oz. Water clean up.

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Didn't know they had spray acrylic. I use oil paint when I paint metal, otherwise all I use is acrylic, works well for me, love the water cleanup, and smells better than oil paint. Don't paint so much anymore, but found out if you thin the acrylic, a lot, and paint it on wood it shows the grain nicely, and if you spend time in mixing colors, you can wind up with cheap wood looking like expensive wood. Last well also. Those times I do paint, I seldom use the stock colors, usually mix some custom colors, even if it is only a hair from the stock colors. I get the small metal cans in black, white, red, yellow, dark blue, dark green, and those colors will let me come up with any color, or shade (or close enough), that I want/need. I did try to mix some orange one time, but no matter how many times I tried, all I could come up with were various shades of pink. Never could figure out how that happened, I know how to mix for orange, and even consulted color wheels, and anything else I could think of. And still came up with pink. Finally just said to Hell with it, and bought a spray can of orange.

The acrylic makes an excellent fabric paint by the way, and cheaper than regular fabric paint. When my younger son was still at home, painted my initial on the pocket of all my T-shirts, so I could tell which were mine - no initial his.

Gene Howe said:

Those two are very nice, Barb. A friend, Eric Rhoten, has been carving signs for about 30+ years. He sprays his with sanding sealer before carving. For inset carving, he uses the spray black primers or Marsh ink without bleeding. Then sands with a 40 grit belt sander, then 50 and, finally 80. Depending, he may use an ROS at 220.
If you haven't seen his You Tube videos, here's his channel. https://m.youtube.com/user/oldave100

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I know all about Eric and his dad, Gene. Found their site years ago, and follow his videos. Some of their techniques don't work for me, unfortunately. That's why we tried the Marsh Ink, and the black primers; because I watched Eric and Dave use it, and figured we would try it. Eric and I have emailed back and forth a few times; we're friends on facebook. Eric, Dave, and the whole family are really good people.

As for the belt sander, for whatever reason, it gouges my wood; Ken can't get an even sand out of the belt sander, and the sander is new. the edge creates gouges. Ken and I both watch and have followed many of his videos, I've seen how he does his signs from beginning to end :grin: . I've watched as he's found new techniques for transferring patterns, different techniques, tricks, etc. In his last transfer video (for inkjet, if I remember correctly) I told him that was a lot of work to get to the process, and told him again about the Wintergreen Oil, and sent him my video on how to use it. I love watching their videos. Ken does all the sanding, painting, and poly work on the signs. I do the creating and cutting.

As for the Sanding Sealer, he (Eric) uses that on his pine pieces soon as he purchases the wood to help prevent cupping. Sanding sealer has done nothing for my cedar boards except to aggravate Ken. Haven't gone out and replenished my pine wood supply yet to see what it does. Eric also uses their cut outs for their patterns; he places them, then uses the paint to get his lines. I use my printer, and transfer my entire pattern. His way, I would be constantly buying cutouts, because they get gunked up, or many layers of paint on them. Then you have to buy more. Using my printer and wintergreen oil is more cost effective for me. :wink:

Jimmy Dee said:

Barb,
What kind of CNC are you using?
Don

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Don, I don't use a CNC. I freehand cut all my signs. I create my patterns on my laptop, reverse the image, transfer it to the wood, then cut them with my router.

I've been asked to make a video, and I've promised to do it, but I don't have anyone to record me from start to finish. I can record how I make my patterns, but no one to tape me cutting. :'(

No lessons. I've been blessed to be able to follow a line with my router. Back around 2000 maybe, (Ken reminds me) that my friend drew out a Scooby Doo on a piece of wood, and I took a router, and cut it. That was my first time using a router. I've basically practiced at what I cut, and learned from people like oldave100 on youtube for techniques on cutting. My friends here have been my lifeline quite a few times in my quest for router knowledge. They tell me I've started something with making my signs... another thing to be added to the list of things I'm blamed for :lol: :grin: :haha: