Varnish Blobs

[Nancy]

Hi Folks
Ive just finished varnishing 4 house signs, Ive given them 3 coats each using yacht varnish on the fronts and with having to give 16 hours between coats its taken forever ( well... 3 days)

so... when the final front coats were dry I turned them over to give the backs a coat and now thats drying ive found that on one of them the varnish has run leaving a gummy blob that is visible on the front - I must have put on to much varnish though I did did run around the edges with an unloaded brush to wipe up any drips but i must have missed one.. will i be able to sand it out when it is properly dry?

and do you think one coat of varnish on the reverse is sufficient?

cheers
N

[bodrighy]

Yacht varnish is a pig to use, we used to warm it up a bit first. When you apply it put it on with an almost dry brush and put several coats on making sure that it is dry, not just touch dry, before the next coat. Personally I would never use it, even on yachts:) I'd use a sealer or an oil and buff. I assume it is on bare wood that you have burned?

Pete

[Nancy]

Hi - yeah its on bare burnt wood - i went for the Yach varnish as it has a UV Inhibitor though i think there is some question as to whether it actually protects the Burn From UV or just the wood ( or neither as is probably the case !!!)

I have managed to sand it off, it made a bit of a sticky mess but i got there in the end - ill have to take more care in future
Cheers

[bodrighy]

UV inhibitor only lasts a while. There is no such thing (to my knowledge) as a totally effective one. Best bet for outside work is oiling it with teak oil or danish oil. For interior stuff I often use simply veg oil form the kitchen then buff up. Gives a lovely stin look and is dead cheap and easy to maintain.

Pete

[Nancy]

Danish oil is really protective enough for outdoor signs ? - the first sign i did i coated with danish oil and it looked nice, i do like the look of the varnish, it kinda enhanses the burn nicely but as you say - its a pig to use. A friend of mine has one of the first ones i did with Danish oil so i can keep an eye on it !

I think i got a bit scared by the effects of UV on house signs, the last thing i want is for somebody to have spent their filthy lucre on something that fades to a blank sign after a while so i thought id better take all the precautions available, But if Danish oil is as effective then then thats the kiddie for me, as you say its a darn site easier and a Heluvalot cheaper too!!

[bodrighy]

Think about it, he sign is pyrographed so is unlikely to fade. The wood will fade if not treated but that can be to the good. If you use oil it will need a coat about once a year but is that such a problem? Varnish can turn yellow and in hot weather it can start peeling, even yacht varnish. It also (this my taste) looks artificial.

If you do decide to use oil put several coats on letting it soak well in before each one.

You could always give a little bottle of it away with the sign along with some instructions. I try to make sure that my stuff (wood turning) has some kind of memo with it warning people that it is a natural material as people put things osn top of radiators etc and wonde rwhy they split.

Pete

[Nancy]

Hi Pete
Looks like We`re the only ones still up !!

I understood that the burn can actually fade, i heard people say that they have had trouble with fading after displaying pyrography in shop windows and stuff. and somebody i was talking to said she no longer does house signs as she had to refund some of her sales because of it, though she did say that her work was quite fine, after talking to her i try to make sure my burns are quite bold.

[bodrighy]

Perhaps Scorch or Wood tattooist (I think thats her handle) could tell you more as they seem to have been doing it for quite a while. Varnish etc I can advise, pyrography I have only done a little on interior stuff like bowls and plates.

I rarely go to bed before about 1 never have. Throwback to my merchant navy days. Don't need much sleep.:sleep:
pete

[Nancy]

Great Idea about giving away a little bottle of oil with sign - i like that a lot.. though i suspect they will have lost or chucked it by the time it comes round to recoating the sign but.. still a very nice touch.

and im a shift worker in emergency services so i sleep at odd times too

[Nancy]

PS... did you see my post on the peter child transformer on ebay... id be after that if i didnt already have one..... unless of course you already have one too!!

[bodrighy]

Great Idea about giving away a little bottle of oil with sign - i like that a lot.. though i suspect they will have lost or chucked it by the time it comes round to recoating the sign but.. still a very nice touch.

and im a shift worker in emergency services so i sleep at odd times too

Ahh but if they have lost it and don't treat the wood they have no comeback if it goes funny do they?

Pete

[Nancy]

a form of insurance as well as a nifty selling point.... Splendid

[bodrighy]

You need to be crafty in both senses of the word:p

Pete

[Nancy]

did you see my post about the peter child transformer for sale on ebay - i hope one of the folkes on here gets a bargain

[bodrighy]

I bought SWMBO one on ebay some time ago for about £60 which I thought was a bargai, 1/2 price at the time. Don't know what they cost now. I think the grandchildren use it more than her though as she digs it out for them every time they come over.

Pete

Just had a look at it. If the tip is all that's missing then wire is cheap.

[Nancy]

ah right... sure somebody will snap it up

[Nancy]

Yeah they say tip but Im not sure if they mean the tip or the pen as the pens not pictured either - they go for £99 plus P&P now - so somebody should get it half price including a replacement pen if its needed - Jeeze... i wish that had come up when i ordered mine.... still... i dont regret a penny of it

[onlyme]

Just sticking my oar in here...:p I used to paint stones, I've painted quite a few (got the photo's to prove it somewhere) Anyway, I painted a skull on one of them and coated it with artists waterbased varnish, then stuck it outside. It's been out there for years now and it's still looking good! The varnish is quick drying too.

[Scorch]

Yes, honestly, pyrography DOES fade in the sun. I swear it's true - I've had to refund money because of it, and repaint over other faded signs for free.

Varnish is a bugger for running - you have to be really careful, and only use thin coats.

[skuttle]

Scorch, Is it the actual pyrography design itself that fades in the sun, or the colouring that you add to it? I'm thinking of making myself a house sign (then it doesn't matter too much if it goes wrong!), and wondered whether leaving it uncoloured would make a difference.

[Scorch]

It's the actual burn that fades out, would you believe! I was astounded myself, but it really does - I've had the signs back faded-out to redo. The UV bleaches the burn out, through varnish, oil or wax. Acrylics actually last considerably longer...

If you burn in really dark and heavy it lasts longer, but I made a couple of near-identical picture frames for a colleague with heavy burn, a couple of years apart - next to each other, it's quite clear how much the first one has faded, and that's just from office-light, not full sun.

[woodtattoos]

Perhaps Scorch or Wood tattooist (I think thats her handle) could tell you more...

Ahem!! :D (that's a manly cough by the way...)

Si (short for Simon).

[bodrighy]

Ahem!! :D (that's a manly cough by the way...)

Si (short for Simon).

Oops. Now why did I thibnk you were a woman? Sorry

Pete

[woodtattoos]

It was the fishnets, wasn't it? :D

Si.

[bodrighy]

It was the fishnets, wasn't it? :D

Si.

SSh don't tell everyone:p We'll keep it our secret

Pete

[woodtattoos]

It's OK, I don't think anyone was listening...

[sparkysdad]

Just on the point about varnish and stuff.. As you already discovered, if you leave the "drip mark" to dry thoroughly you can use fine grade paper or wire wool to smooth it out, and if necessary reapply a thin top coat to get the shine back..

Danish/Teak oil however I would suggest is far better.. (personal preference) firstly you don't have the plastic looking coating.. the oil soaks in to the wood and brings out the colour and grain beautifully without being obvious as a coating.. The oil is also a natural weather proofer - though you need to be thorough in coating all surfaces (though the same is true of varnish).

Another benefit is that oil doesn't yellow and crack.. it needs a wipe over with an oil soaked pad now and then to replenish and keep it looking its best, but once varnish is compromised, you have to strip it all off and revarnish..

When applying the oil, do at least 3 coats. The bare wood will soak up lots of oil on the first one, the second will be significantly less, and the third will use very little at all.. as it dries, you have a nice satin sheen which can be enhanced further by a bit of vigorous buffing if you wish.

I think providing a little bottle of oil as a "maintenance" kit is a cute idea.. and adds value to the sale!:D

[Nancy]

Hi SparkysDad

Thanks so much for the advice - the first few signs I did were finished with danish oil, I was pleased with how it looked but I was concerned about the UV effects on the burn so i switched to Yatch Varnish with a UV inhibiter... varnishing is really a pain in the neck, It takes forever and Understand the effectivness of the UV Inhibiter is questionable in any case , Ive just finished another sign and i reckon im going to revert back to the Oil after what everybody has said - perhaps its just that pyrography just isnt ideal for house signs whatever you use !!

Cheers
N

[Scorch]

It's OK, I don't think anyone was listening...
Surprise!!

[Scorch]

Hi SparkysDad

Thanks so much for the advice - the first few signs I did were finished with danish oil, I was pleased with how it looked but I was concerned about the UV effects on the burn so i switched to Yatch Varnish with a UV inhibiter... varnishing is really a pain in the neck, It takes forever and Understand the effectivness of the UV Inhibiter is questionable in any case , Ive just finished another sign and i reckon im going to revert back to the Oil after what everybody has said - perhaps its just that pyrography just isnt ideal for house signs whatever you use !!

Cheers
N
I hate varnishing too... I'm doing one for outdoors (having explained all about this to the buyer already) now, and it taked just aaaages!

[Nancy]

Varnish Blobs... bah... A Blackbird had just marched all over my freshly varnished Sign !!! - In my infinate wisdom I decided to varnish outside today in an attempt not to stink the house out.. I just watched the little blighter bouncing all over it leaving size 9 boot prints all over the place !!

I reckon its the same bird that pulled all the stuffing out of my hanging baskets and attempted to construct its abode in the wheel arch or my car !!

....Im taking this personally now....This is War !!!