Sculpt nouveau

[steve_g]

This is my first attempt at using Sculpt nouveau products and I’m hoping to gain some insight from others with experience. The attached photos show my results: The “Green man” clock works cover was coated with the “Iron B” metal coating and the “Tiffany Green” patina applied over that. This was to result in bright orange “rust” but I’m only getting token amounts of it. When the first attempt didn’t work, I really soaked the next one with the patina but got the same results. The scroll work example was coated with “Copper B” metal coating and also treated with the “Tiffany green” patina; this was to result in a traditional oxidized copper look. This time the results were STUNNING, exactly what I was looking for, until I clear coated it. Then the lovely green patina just went flat and uninteresting. Any insights by people who have tried this very interesting product line would be appreciated.

Steve

[billp]

Steve,
As you now know there are about a gazillion different possible results with Sculpt Nouveau. Things such as temperature, thickness of coating, time the coating is left on the subject piece, number of patinas applied, etc., etc. can ALL change the expected results.
Not surprised about the Iron results, out of all of their colors it is the one that seems to generate the least reaction when top coated with patina. Some guys use it more as an "accent" color to create streaks of "rust" on top of whatever base coat they have laid down.
Ron Young who created the system gave a great demo at one of our Jamborees down in Durham, and in a matter of minutes he laid 4-5 different patinas "wet on wet" right on top of one another. For the next half hour we could actually SEE each layer going through it's changes, and then reacting with the layer that was added on top of it.
Clear coating is usually not necessary unless you NEED some sort of gloss surface. It actually encapsulates the under coat(s) and stops them from going through further changes. if you want to try a top coat "Perm A Lac" is their favorite, but wait overnight before using it to allow the prior coats to complete their oxidation. And if you don't like the current result, just add another coat right on top of what you have, and things will change again !
Some people have worked out a "recipe" for getting consistent results by actually measuring the amount of each patina in relation to surface area ( (i.e 2 ounces per sq. ft, etc.) .The REAL beauty of this system is that it is somewhat like "firing" pottery after coating it with a glaze, you can sometimes get results that your eyes could NEVER "predict".
VERY easy product to use, and when one realizes that ALL of their coatings are rated for exterior use it really opens up some (rusty) doors in terms of the final pieces we can produce from foam, wood, etc. Joe Crumley has also added "texture"to some of his signage by applying "spackle/drywall mud" on top of a piece, and then coating it with SN, great results !
I usually use a Harbor Freight HVLP gun to apply it ( you NEED to remove the filter when shooting SN as it has too many solids to pass through the filter), although I have used a sea sponge, paint brushes, and when the pieces are small enough I just dip them...
Please post pix as you work your way through some more experiments...

[steve_g]

Bill:

Thanks for your comments and suggestions!

I was under the impression that clear top coating was necessary to stop the reaction from continuing long after the desired look was achieved. Not so? The Dallas area distributor feels like the local weather is to cold and dry to get good results now. Does this mean that all “Sculpt Nouveau” finishing stops for the winter months?

I experimented using the Iron coating, a spray bottle, and a microwave oven; the results are interesting/different. Even if this turns out to be a solution, it won’t work for the 30” diameter clock face I’m trying to “rust”. I’ll post a picture after all reactions are done.

The photo I have attached is one showing how I would like the copper finish to look alongside one that was top coated when it looked right.

Steve

[lstovall]

Steve,

You might try putting on the patina on the iron before it is completely dry. That has been working very good for me. I normally use the Light Green patina but have also use the Tiffany with equal results. I never put any top coat on and if I do it is after the part has dried for several days.

Marvin

[steve_g]

Marvin:
Nice looking sign! What kind of climate are you working in, heated shop etc?

I have been sealing the MDF with lacquer, letting the first coat of iron coating dry, putting a very generous second coat and spraying the patina immediately. My shop is heated to about 60 degrees and the RH is very low.

Do you think that the light green patina is more reactive than the tiffany?

Thanks for your comments.

Steve

[billp]

Steve,
I've used it when the temps are in the 50's and didn't have problems. Again there are SO many permutations ( and just plain old mutations...) when considering all of the variables in play here.
Some patinas DO work faster, with more final pigmentation than others. The good/bad news here is that they have a HUGE inventory of patinas to sort through. If you call them and let them know the "look" you are trying to achieve, they can probably steer you in the right direction.
Another finish that is VERY nice is to add some of their wax on top of your final patina when dried. I like the black wax/silver "B" combo the best. makes foam look like pewter.....AND it "seals" the final color of your patina.
PS- Have you tried it with something other than the micro wave for drying?

[steve_g]

Here is my clockworks cover after microwave treatment, I wasn’t drying with the microwave but boiling the patina that was pooled up in the recesses. After boiling the patina mix, I misted the part every 30 seconds in the microwave to try to keep the reaction active.

This look is very acceptable, but my 30” diameter clock face won’t fit in the microwave! I guess a phone call is in order.

Steve

[billp]

How about a heat gun instead?

[lstovall]

Hi Bill,

Thanks for the compliment. I'm located in south central Kansas. Yes, my shop is heated. I'm a wuss, I like it at least 70 degrees. I really can't tell the difference in the two patinas when used on the iron. Like you, I like to put it on immediately after the last coat of iron. The same with bronze. I like to put it on immediately after the last coat then when it is dry, I sometimes rub it and buff it with a soft cloth. That leave the green oxide in the cracks and crevices, kinda like using a glaze when doing wood. I've used a spray bottle and also just a brush to slobber the patina on with, both work well.

Marvin

[joe]

Good information all.

Here are a few tips with SN.

This is a natural oxidizing process and takes time. A heat gun will seldom allow the aging process look as well as it should. The reason, it removes the water, not allowing mother nature to do her work. Same thing goes if you leave your pieces out in the sun on a hot day. I absolutely love Iron and it left alone for several days you will see subtle values develope. It can be topcoated with their lacquer spray or you can apply one of thier exterior colored waxes. Either way it will instantly depress your colors. The beautiful powdery blue on Copper will instantly go away. Here's the good news. The color will come back with time. Under the surface coating, the oxidazing will start all over again and the color will return. This may weeks or months. So why topcoat them at all? It slows down the process and makes the effect last for years. However if you don't topcoat and apply letters on a light stucco wall, there will be plenty of stains down the wall.


I'm sure you know by now, the acid in patina's will disolve the little spring in spritzer bottles. You can get more life out of them by immediately washing them out with clean water.

Another little trick is to use their Liver of Sulfur to get a beautiful dark brown color. I like to use it on the edges and corners of panels. I use a soft floppy bruch. It can also be dabbed around letters to give a shadow.

Good looking stuff Marvin. Keep up the good work.

Joe Crumley

[lstovall]

Thanks Joe, learned it all from you. I like that Liver of Sulfur too, especially on the bronze. You're right about the rust running down the wall. I did some house numbers for a friend and we stood them off about a half inch to help prevent that. The numbers I did for my shop are running down the wood I used for the panel but it's an old piece of barn wood and it just makes it look older. I have coated some things with Perm a Lac, Frog Juice works too.

Marvin
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[steve_g]

Just thought I’d post some more results of my experimenting with Sculpt Nouveau. I had much better successes with the iron B coating this weekend, it appears to work much better on flat surfaces. The third image is iron B without a sealer, the last with. I like the Iron sealed.

I didn’t like the copper B sealed, but I do like it with a black wax over it. It’s an entirely different look but very pleasing. first photo un-waxed, 2nd with.

Steve

[joe]

It's good to see someone going through the experimentation with SN. As Bill P. posted there are lots of different effects possible.

I settled down to incorporating airbrush materials with this process. Like you I like Iron with a topcoat even if they will never be placed outside. Once a person has a good grasp of the process, there isn't any reason why other materials such acrylic artists colors or other materials can't be used to enhance the image. The sky is the limit.

At one time I would tell my clients about the process. Now I don't even mention how it's done.

Joe Crumley