tips and tricks for painting letters

[Greencarvings]

Cut out some 6" tall letters from 3/4" extira. Anyone have tips and tricks for painting them?

[joe]

You're going to need a primer on Extira. I'd suggest a light sanding with P120 followed up with two coats of shellac. One more sanding will be needed.

Are you going with latex?

[Greencarvings]

I was going to run them through the drum sander with 120. Then prime with kilz water based primer then use valspar latex enamel.

Is this brush work or is it easier to spray?

[billp]

Patrick,
As Joe, and a number of us have discovered the hard way, you HAVE to use shellac which is an alcohol based sealer. Extira's ONLY redeeming quality is it's water resistance so if you use the water based sealer it won't take long before paint adhesion problems will surface ( pun intended) and then you will probably have to do the job all over again, at your expense...Once you have sealed it with shellac you can use whatever method of painting is most convenient for you...

[joe]

I agree with Bill.

You can use Kils without the shellac if it's the shellac based kind. The water base Kils primers won't attach to the oily Extira surfacel. Brush on a couple of coats and you'll be fine.

I don't know of any way to salvage brushes from the original Kils. Use the cheap chip brushes and throw them away.

Joe Crumley
www.normansignco.com

[Greencarvings]

awww ****! I guess I will have to buy another gallon of seal coat. I am out. I do appreciate all the tips and tricks though!!!!

[beacon14]

If it's shellac based Kilz, soak the brushes in alcohol for a day or two and see if that doesn't soften them up to where you can clean them.

Or as Joe suggests use disposables - it's just primer.

[michael_schwartz]

sometimes the necessary cleanup solvent costs more than a disposable brush.

[joe]

David,

I don't know what all is in that primer. I do know shellac is in the mix but what ever it's made from it's the devil on brushes. I love that primer except for one thing, it doesn't sand very well.

Joe Crumley
www.normansignco.com

[jhedlund58]

i do use the paint and roller cleaner from the hardware stores.... does a good job on everything even contact cement... washes out with water.... i put it in a pound plastic coffee container.... lasts a long time.... and it stinks to high high heaven. probably 8 dollars a quart.

plastic handles will disolve... leave big goo glob on bottom of container.... comes out easily

[joe]

Patrick,


Don't give up on your sealer. It may be very good. What type are you using?

[Greencarvings]

I normally use bullseye seal coat, but I am out. So I just sanded with 80 grit and rolled on water based kilz primer. So I will have to stop and get some seal coat and sand it and shellac it again!

[joe]

Patrick,

Hold on! You may be ok. Lets give it a quick test to see how well your Kils is doing. You can apply a strip of masking tape on your sign and pop off in a snapping manner. Do this on several parts of the sign. If the primer doesn't lift you may be good to go.

Please let us know how it works.

Joe Crumley
www.normansignco.com

[Big-Tex]

Patrick,
You can apply a strip of masking tape on your sign and pop off in a snapping manner. Do this on several parts of the sign. If the primer doesn't lift you may be good to go.

www.normansignco.com

Here is what you will have keep in mind when finishing wood core or in this case fiber core product. Some type of sealer to fill cross section of Extira. Keep in mind this product is made from 12" of fiber and resin/binder compressed down to 3/4", center section is most porous and absorbs most moisture. Once properly sealed you need to sand it as it will cause fibers to raise, following with one more coat of sealer or primer. You will notice there is no more fibers raising! Light sanding to give it a tooth for final finish 1 or 2 coats. Here is how I feel! Proper prep is 95% (priming/sealing included) final finish is 5% and any auto finisher will tell you same thing. Better job you do on prep better finish and durability you will achieve. That = less headache in long run and happy customer that may refer you to someone else and that in my book is a best advertisement.

[Greencarvings]

Like oreos and milk, just dunked them in bullseye seal coat, let the excess drip off and let em dry. Should be interesting.

[joe]

I visited my local Lowe's to find the price of Shellac went up by 30 percent. Dunking those letters with strait shellac would be expensive. Most of us older shellacers cut it with alchohol from 20 to 30 percent. That gives a much less sticky finish and is dry in minutes. Works just as well as strait.

Joe Crumley
www.normansignco.com