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by Ismael Alvarado
Sun Jun 30, 2019 3:10 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Any books on Mirroring glasss
Replies: 4
Views: 34909

Re: Any books on Mirroring glasss

John Frankel wrote: Tue Feb 26, 2019 9:16 pm Is there any books on the subject of mirroring glass.
I have also found that searching for Google Patents on Mirroring Glass was very educational. Many of those patents are ancient and as you get closer to current times you will see the natural evolution of the art.
by Ismael Alvarado
Tue Dec 05, 2017 11:01 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Effect of Liver of Sulfur Patina on Front Surface Mirrors
Replies: 0
Views: 8408

Effect of Liver of Sulfur Patina on Front Surface Mirrors

I would like to leave this on this forum as this topic may help someone working on Spray On Silver/Chrome, Front Surface Mirrors.


Liver of Sulfur chemical can produce a beautiful mixture of colors on both Silver or Copper.

https://youtu.be/bBtTuOcItno

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cy6Gg0Y1lpQ
by Ismael Alvarado
Thu Mar 30, 2017 3:53 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Nickel Coated Glass Mirrors
Replies: 6
Views: 6007

Re: Nickel Coated Glass Mirrors

Yes, I am also coating metal with electroless nickel plating. Here is what I purchased from Caswell and Angel Gilding for proof of concept. http://i.cubeupload.com/54NCzU.jpg https://i.cubeupload.com/yDS31I.jpg I also purchase the required chemicals to make my own Electroless Nickel formula https://...
by Ismael Alvarado
Mon Mar 27, 2017 2:45 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Nickel Coated Glass Mirrors
Replies: 6
Views: 6007

Re: Nickel Coated Glass Mirrors

Ismael, I am interested in knowing more about your nickel process. I imagine the nickel deposition is about the same thickness as when silver is deposited on glass. Can this nickel solution be sprayed with a silvering gun? my email is; decoglasspro@earthlink.net The thickness of the nickel layer ca...
by Ismael Alvarado
Sat Mar 25, 2017 8:50 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Nickel Coated Glass Mirrors
Replies: 6
Views: 6007

Re: Nickel Coated Glass Mirrors

Kevin W Betz wrote:Would this include Glue Chipped Glass ?

kb
Yes, glue chipped glass can be coated with nickel too, actually any dialectric surface that has been properly treated, sensitized and activated.
by Ismael Alvarado
Fri Mar 24, 2017 2:19 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Nickel Coated Glass Mirrors
Replies: 6
Views: 6007

Nickel Coated Glass Mirrors

In my search for a substitute decorative Spray SilveringI am developing a substitute that is based on electroless nickel, one of my test sample was a glass sheet and the result was a very beautiful warm tone mirror(nickel has a different metal tone than silver), the optical properties appear to be e...
by Ismael Alvarado
Wed Nov 04, 2015 4:24 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Spray On Copper Mirrors
Replies: 5
Views: 5703

Re: Spray On Copper Mirrors

This is just my observation and some questions I thought of after viewing your informative video. Thank you for sharing, I like your posts here. Thanks Pat, you are right, the gun set up is way off, I hardly ever use it, I get better results with a hand triggered double cartridge gun, I made the vi...
by Ismael Alvarado
Tue Nov 03, 2015 5:19 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Spray On Copper Mirrors
Replies: 5
Views: 5703

Re: Spray On Copper Mirrors

I'd like to give it a try - who makes the copper paint spray? and if it is a spray, maybe one could fog copper then silver and get a blend? Or mist a color on, then go over with copper to get a bluish or greenish copper mirror? Lee thanks for you reply, but when I said Spray On Copper I meant Real ...
by Ismael Alvarado
Thu Oct 29, 2015 7:55 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Spray On Copper Mirrors
Replies: 5
Views: 5703

Spray On Copper Mirrors

I wonder why hasnt Spray On Copper taken off in the Mirror Industry? I find copper mirrors a thing of Beauty, like made by Gods in Olympian ancient times, Spray On Copper Mirrors should be the logical evolution of pour on copper mirrors..


What say you?
by Ismael Alvarado
Thu Oct 29, 2015 7:50 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Angel Gilding over Silver/Copper
Replies: 3
Views: 4302

Re: Angel Gilding over Silver/Copper

Hi Marvin, That statue sounds interesting - will it be at all like the Ben Dombey picture Sarah shows on the page you bookmarked? Her page shows a couple of combinations, but always gold or silver as the first layer. So I would start my experiments like that, with a translucent layer of gold or sil...
by Ismael Alvarado
Fri Oct 02, 2015 1:08 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Copper backing Thickness
Replies: 2
Views: 3090

Re: Copper backing Thickness

pat mackle wrote:I think to achieve any copper deposit thicker than using dissimilar metals to deposit the copper will require electrical current. At some point, past depositing a thin

smooth copper layer, you will begin to see nodules of copper begin to form.
thanks I appreciate you taking the time to answer..
by Ismael Alvarado
Thu Oct 01, 2015 9:14 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Copper backing Thickness
Replies: 2
Views: 3090

Copper backing Thickness

When using zinc or iron powder and Copper Sulfate to protect the silver layer of the mirror what determines the thickness of the copper layer? I know the basics of how copper is deposited on iron(Solid iron piece ) or Zinc(Solid Zinc piece) which is called displacement plating or immersion plating, ...
by Ismael Alvarado
Sat Sep 26, 2015 12:08 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Angel Gilding over Silver/Copper
Replies: 3
Views: 4302

Re: Angel Gilding over Silver/Copper

oh and dont worry about the handling of the statue, I will clear coat the piece
by Ismael Alvarado
Sat Sep 26, 2015 8:54 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Angel Gilding over Silver/Copper
Replies: 3
Views: 4302

Angel Gilding over Silver/Copper

good afternoon good people, its me Marvin from Nicaragua, remember my DIY Spray on chrome thread? well thats me, I am still at it silvering front surface plastic parts for the enthusiasts in Nicaragua, but since we are a very small country I dont get to do it very often.. so back to the Thread OP> I...
by Ismael Alvarado
Tue Jul 24, 2012 3:15 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Silvering with Hand Held Triger Sprayers
Replies: 67
Views: 48585

Re: Silvering with Hand Held Triger Sprayers

some pics of my recen work.. http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j437/nicalandia/GoldHorse2.jpg http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j437/nicalandia/GoldHorse3.jpg http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j437/nicalandia/GoldHorse1.jpg http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j437/nicalandia/GoldHelmet1.jpg ht...
by Ismael Alvarado
Tue Jul 24, 2012 1:53 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Silvering with Hand Held Triger Sprayers
Replies: 67
Views: 48585

Re: Silvering with Hand Held Triger Sprayers

Marvin, you certainly are dedicated to making this work. I'm very impressed. The reason we don't carry the red dual chamber spray bottles any more is because they get clogged very easily. The silver and the reducer tubes mix the chemicals together inside the nozzle which causes silver metal to buil...
by Ismael Alvarado
Tue Jun 19, 2012 1:30 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: High Heat front surface Mirror
Replies: 3
Views: 2992

Re: High Heat front surface Mirror

Ok, Time For the Videos... :D this is the Cleaning/Degreasing process... http://www.youtube.com/embed/9z9dgSA2gJY after the dish soap cleaning, all you do is rinse with normal water(no need of Di right untill the silvering process) then comes the wetting agent http://www.youtube.com/embed/PgxacQOg_m...
by Ismael Alvarado
Tue Jun 19, 2012 1:29 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: High Heat front surface Mirror
Replies: 3
Views: 2992

Re: High Heat front surface Mirror

Ok guys I went ahead and "Chromed" the exhaust pipe(just the High Heat selected section) right now is slow baking with the bike just at idle...:cool: here some pics(uploading videos as I type) http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j437/nicalandia/HotHotbike1.jpg http://i1085.photobucket.com/...
by Ismael Alvarado
Tue Jun 19, 2012 1:28 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: High Heat front surface Mirror
Replies: 3
Views: 2992

High Heat front surface Mirror

a new Hope for High Heat Temp Spray On Chrome, this time over plain old steel tubing instead of stainless steel, new high heat baseocat... seems like the clear has been holding well for the last 2 days.... tomorrow I´ll be chroming it in a Blue color.... http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j437/nica...
by Ismael Alvarado
Tue May 29, 2012 12:54 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Silvering with Hand Held Triger Sprayers
Replies: 67
Views: 48585

Re: Silvering with Hand Held Triger Sprayers

ok guys a few more videos(back to spoons..) here is the ChromeFx topcoat(tinted as good as it gets) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0YP1zcShew and here is the diference between a tinted clear and a none tinted clear http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqsJ9jqVCx0 and a bunch of spoons I did because peopl...
by Ismael Alvarado
Tue May 29, 2012 12:31 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Graphite Mirror
Replies: 15
Views: 11199

Re: Graphite Mirror

On the Brush Plating video: Very good! I appreciated the way that only doing 1/2 of the spoon made it easier to see the final plating. Which was what, chrome? I am guessing that you had one pole clipped to the spoon and the other pole inside the wet cloth? Very ingenious way to not use lots of solu...
by Ismael Alvarado
Mon May 28, 2012 2:10 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Graphite Mirror
Replies: 15
Views: 11199

Re: Graphite Mirror

ok short video of me brush plating over a graphite powder(rubbed on to a plastic spoon) its possible to brush plate over it, but it seems it lacks durability, I think one could do better if graphite ink or graphite coatings

here is the video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjxET8e7AKM
by Ismael Alvarado
Sat May 19, 2012 5:33 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Spray On Chrome Comprehensive How To
Replies: 2
Views: 9137

Re: Spray On Chrome Comprehensive How To

the last step is the top coating, is one on the most important parts of this lengthy process.. this is how the piece looks after the silver layer, and after drying it with a hair dryer Drying with Hair Dryer(sorry I forgot to make a video of it so I am just placing this as a sampler) http://www.yout...
by Ismael Alvarado
Sat May 19, 2012 5:17 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Spray On Chrome Comprehensive How To
Replies: 2
Views: 9137

Spray On Chrome Comprehensive How To

Ok guys another customer and another How to!! :) I dont know what this pieces are for but I am glad I have something to work with.. :D this is how they started.. http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j437/nicalandia/HowTo1.jpg http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j437/nicalandia/HowTo2.jpg I use Krylon...
by Ismael Alvarado
Wed May 16, 2012 11:33 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: How thin is the Spray On Chrome silver layer?
Replies: 0
Views: 2670

How thin is the Spray On Chrome silver layer?

well very thin, I knew this from years back but not untill now I was able to make some videos of it!, spray on chrome(front surface mirror) is another beast all together, different from your spray on silver mirroring the back of your mirror http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocm2a9031vM&feature=relm...
by Ismael Alvarado
Wed May 16, 2012 11:03 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Silvering with Hand Held Triger Sprayers
Replies: 67
Views: 48585

Re: Silvering with Hand Held Triger Sprayers

Ismael, I just found a great tool for you. You have mentioned that you do not trust your spraygun due to oil and water conteminations. Therefore you use the handguns etc. which are just for small stuff. If you want to professionalize the compressed vair easily you can use this tool:] http://www.aut...
by Ismael Alvarado
Thu Apr 26, 2012 2:09 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Silvering with Hand Held Triger Sprayers
Replies: 67
Views: 48585

Re: Silvering with Hand Held Triger Sprayers

I just uploaded 2 videos of the wetting agent doing its thing, the video was taken a few weeks ago with a different camara which I just had access to it.

first video of a piece without wetting agent
http://youtu.be/LJXiuPnfx98

now with the wetting agent
http://youtu.be/_vHud7n6gnU
by Ismael Alvarado
Thu Apr 26, 2012 10:38 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Silvering with Hand Held Triger Sprayers
Replies: 67
Views: 48585

Re: Silvering with Hand Held Triger Sprayers

Maybe if you would arange a helping hand next time who keeps the whole bumper wet with water continuesly you have more time to go from the beginning to the end of the bumper and have a complete good finish. It takes some time, your underarms will heart, but i know for sure it could be done in this ...
by Ismael Alvarado
Wed Apr 25, 2012 7:23 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Silvering with Hand Held Triger Sprayers
Replies: 67
Views: 48585

Re: Silvering with Hand Held Triger Sprayers

I am happy for you it is going well, but i would really want to see the finished bumper. My wish is to see the edges of the two phases in silvering. Ok I have a few update pics, they are not good at all, but you live and you learn right? ok this was the big issue going on with this large piece, I w...
by Ismael Alvarado
Mon Apr 23, 2012 5:38 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Silvering with Hand Held Triger Sprayers
Replies: 67
Views: 48585

Re: Silvering with Hand Held Triger Sprayers

well I bit off more than I could chew with that large piece(2+ meters) I could not get the semented parts to have the same tone, seems like some were darker than others and you could clearly see the lines, what I did is use the Innate Chrome Paint I still had(I am also playing with the best chrome p...