Welcome to The Hand Lettering Forum!
This is an interactive Bulletin Board on the topics of Sign making, design, fabrication, History, old Books and of coarse Letterheads, Keepers of the craft. The Hand Lettering Forum features links to resources, sign art history, techniques, and artists profiles. Learn more about Letterheads at https://theletterheads.com. Below you'll see Mchat has been added as a live communication portal for trial, and the Main forum Links are listed below.
This is an interactive Bulletin Board on the topics of Sign making, design, fabrication, History, old Books and of coarse Letterheads, Keepers of the craft. The Hand Lettering Forum features links to resources, sign art history, techniques, and artists profiles. Learn more about Letterheads at https://theletterheads.com. Below you'll see Mchat has been added as a live communication portal for trial, and the Main forum Links are listed below.
Search found 61 matches
- Sat Mar 21, 2015 4:06 pm
- Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
- Topic: Le Franc 3hr tac time
- Replies: 12
- Views: 11973
Re: Le Franc 3hr tac time
So I did some more work with a 50/50 mix of LeFranc and Letterhead Sign Supply Quick - Ready to gild around hour 3 or 4 this time. I'm not sure but I am guessing the humidity had something to do with it. It held the leaf really well and came out to a really bright shine. This was reverse glass work ...
- Fri Mar 13, 2015 4:20 pm
- Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
- Topic: Pock marks in matte centers
- Replies: 30
- Views: 53116
Re: Pock marks in matte centers
Wow Dan - that is pretty drastic. I have a feeling that on outlines it might not matter too much but for big areas it definitely isn't working. I am guessing that there aren't any UV inhibitors in the paint or that it wasn't formulated for this type of use. Really a ... shame though especially on su...
- Thu Mar 12, 2015 1:31 am
- Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
- Topic: Pock marks in matte centers
- Replies: 30
- Views: 53116
Re: Pock marks in matte centers
Ah thanks for the clarification Dan - I've heard similar about LSS back up black fading to grey before which is somewhat disconcerting. Were these south facing windows? You think it's possible to cut LSS back up black with Ronan Japan to improve pigmentation? I like using back up black and haven't s...
- Tue Mar 10, 2015 11:47 pm
- Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
- Topic: Pock marks in matte centers
- Replies: 30
- Views: 53116
Re: Pock marks in matte centers
Hey Dan - Thanks for being so generous in regards to your methods. Is there any reason that you are not using the LSS back up black for your outlining work and instead using this custom mix? Seems like one coat of that would be faster than 2 coats of japan/1shot mix, no? I believe Robert Friese uses...
- Sat Mar 07, 2015 1:46 pm
- Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
- Topic: Pock marks in matte centers
- Replies: 30
- Views: 53116
Re: Pock marks in matte centers
That's one good looking window Dan! Thanks for posting that. LSS refers to "Letterhead sign supply" - Did a bunch of tests to try and slow down the LSS Quick size and a 50/50 mix with LeFranc 12 hour gets the gild/open times between 1-3 hours. What are your order of operations on jobs like...
- Wed Mar 04, 2015 8:05 pm
- Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
- Topic: Le Franc 3hr tac time
- Replies: 12
- Views: 11973
Re: Le Franc 3hr tac time
Been doing some tests over here - Turns out Rolco Slow doesn't slow down the LSS Quick much even at a 50/50 mix. Gilding was reading at 30 minutes to about an hour and a half or so for the Quick on it's own. However a 50/50 mix with LSS quick and Lefranc 12 hr gave it a nice 1-3.5 hour window for gi...
- Tue Mar 03, 2015 8:07 pm
- Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
- Topic: hand gilded boat name with v-carved effect
- Replies: 3
- Views: 4252
Re: hand gilded boat name with v-carved effect
Was probably just directional burnishing. Dan Seese wrote a good article on it (albeit on glass) http://www.danseesestudios.com/blog/2012/7/6/prismatic-copper-leaf-on-glass-trompe-loeil-secrets-revealed.html Noel Weber & I did this one a few weeks back. Depending on whether it's getting direct o...
- Mon Mar 02, 2015 3:18 am
- Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
- Topic: Le Franc 3hr tac time
- Replies: 12
- Views: 11973
Re: Le Franc 3hr tac time
Hey Rich - I recently had a job where the only option was to screen size because the logo was way too detailed. I screened the LSS quick size with some Rolco in it. The Rolco didn't slow down the quick size by any means, but it worked really well. Oh and it was a vertically screened job too. Made th...
- Sat Feb 28, 2015 6:33 pm
- Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
- Topic: Pock marks in matte centers
- Replies: 30
- Views: 53116
Re: Pock marks in matte centers
Hey Pat - I use straight LSS quick size for a lot of my matte only gold jobs. It's ready to gild in about 30 minutes to an hour time and I've even had success screening it vertically believe it or not. However, I have tried to slow the LSS quick size with some rolco slow size and didn't get much hel...
- Fri Feb 27, 2015 4:45 pm
- Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
- Topic: Pock marks in matte centers
- Replies: 30
- Views: 53116
Re: Pock marks in matte centers
Just to jump in - I've been doing a lot of backing up on Matte window gilds with LSS quick size, then metallic brass one shot, then back up black and finally spar varnish. I can usually do small logos in a day and have never experienced any problems with overlapping on dry times or curing affecting ...
- Thu Feb 12, 2015 1:31 am
- Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
- Topic: Lettering on corrugated metal
- Replies: 4
- Views: 6505
Re: Lettering on corrugated metal
I did a really gnarly roll down gate not too long ago and found a few things that helped. Just pen plot/pounce your pattern as normal, pounce it on the surface on the highest ridges. Take a stabilo and fill in the gaps if needed by hand. Soft or hard fitch is going to be your friend. With letters th...
- Sat May 17, 2014 3:29 pm
- Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
- Topic: mdo and paint questions
- Replies: 5
- Views: 5472
Re: mdo and paint questions
Had a job come up recently where I was painting on stucco... over elastomeric paint. It's this hybrid waterborne siliconized type paint that they use for houses and typically on stucco - the advantage is that it's good in areas that get a lot of rain/hurricanes/tsunamis and such. The point of the st...
- Sun Apr 13, 2014 9:43 pm
- Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
- Topic: Value of 100 Alphabets by Alf R. Becker 1941
- Replies: 3
- Views: 4336
Re: Value of 100 Alphabets by Alf R. Becker 1941
I'll give ya $50 for it which seems like a pretty fair price. Been looking for a copy for a really long time now.
- Thu Mar 13, 2014 3:50 pm
- Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
- Topic: Graffiti on Historic Ghost Sign
- Replies: 8
- Views: 7135
Re: Graffiti on Historic Ghost Sign
Seeing as how it's not directly over the ghost sign you should just be able to power wash over it with a baking soda and water mix. They've been using it Chicago for decades.
- Tue Mar 11, 2014 5:15 pm
- Forum: Letterhead Events
- Topic: California Conclave 2014!
- Replies: 15
- Views: 15962
Re: California Conclave 2014!
Finally finished the project the other day and took about an hour to get a halfway decent photo of the piece. 23 Karat brightline gild with 18 Karat centers, one shot paints, mother of pearl, abalone, glitter and aluminum all in this one.
- Tue Mar 11, 2014 5:15 pm
- Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
- Topic: California Conclave 2014!
- Replies: 15
- Views: 16615
Re: California Conclave 2014!
Finally finished the project the other day and took about an hour to get a halfway decent photo of the piece. 23 Karat brightline gild with 18 Karat centers, one shot paints, mother of pearl, abalone, glitter and aluminum all in this one.
- Wed Feb 26, 2014 1:56 am
- Forum: Letterhead Events
- Topic: California Conclave 2014!
- Replies: 15
- Views: 15962
Re: California Conclave 2014!
Broke my arm a few days before the Conclave was set to start, but despite the handicap I was more than happy I went. Big thanks to Dean for hosting and Also to Larry and Glenn for the artwork as well as to John for the expert pulls on the screen. Got a chance to photograph my piece today and got so ...
- Wed Feb 26, 2014 1:56 am
- Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
- Topic: California Conclave 2014!
- Replies: 15
- Views: 16615
Re: California Conclave 2014!
Broke my arm a few days before the Conclave was set to start, but despite the handicap I was more than happy I went. Big thanks to Dean for hosting and Also to Larry and Glenn for the artwork as well as to John for the expert pulls on the screen. Got a chance to photograph my piece today and got so ...
- Wed Feb 19, 2014 12:50 pm
- Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
- Topic: La Belle Miette
- Replies: 11
- Views: 9607
Re: La Belle Miette
Really great work Bruce! Love all that ornamentation in the window borders too. Got any photos of the window lettering to the right and left of the door?
- Tue Jan 07, 2014 7:44 pm
- Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
- Topic: Artwork for Kings of Leon.
- Replies: 5
- Views: 6063
Re: Artwork for Kings of Leon.
Very Cool Dave! Always love those time lapses because you get to see the process from start to end. Looks like the band really likes sign guys because they tapped someone from Austin to do a Neon Sign for another album
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd_mQfSNSjU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd_mQfSNSjU
- Tue Jan 07, 2014 7:29 pm
- Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
- Topic: Possible Rawson & Evans piece
- Replies: 12
- Views: 10436
Re: Possible Rawson & Evans piece
Talked to Super Sleuth Robare about it and he thought it was a Western Sand Blast piece based off of past auctions. Never saw a trademark on this one. Where'd you look Roderick?
- Tue Jan 07, 2014 6:28 pm
- Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
- Topic: Possible Rawson & Evans piece
- Replies: 12
- Views: 10436
Re: Possible Rawson & Evans piece
Well the Sign came in one piece! Definitely glue chipped with some cracking on the backing paint and a little tarnishing on the gild. Cloudy day in SF so everything is a little darker than in person.
- Tue Jan 07, 2014 12:29 am
- Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
- Topic: Magic Eraser for excess gold removal
- Replies: 13
- Views: 12251
Re: Magic Eraser for excess gold removal
The reason for the one shot gold paint on the surface gild was in case there were any holidays that happened with the surface gild. That and it's a whole lot easier to lay size over a gold paint where you can see where your the size is going rather than just the glass. A little bit longer of a proce...
- Sat Dec 21, 2013 9:13 pm
- Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
- Topic: Possible Rawson & Evans piece
- Replies: 12
- Views: 10436
Re: Possible Rawson & Evans piece
Hey Pat - I'll let you know when the piece comes in. Currently it's in transit somewhere in the Chicagoland area so it might be a few before I get it. Was thinking about bringing to Larry's place for him to inspect. You hear that Larry? He's a pretty good sleuth when it comes to stuff like this. Tha...
- Thu Dec 19, 2013 3:12 am
- Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
- Topic: Possible Rawson & Evans piece
- Replies: 12
- Views: 10436
Possible Rawson & Evans piece
Hey All - I found this sign on Ebay and after consulting the R&E catalog, I had a feeling it was a genuine piece so I threw in the money quickly on it and won. It's in the mail right now and hopefully arrives in one piece to which I'll give a follow up, just wondering what all you guys think - i...
- Tue Dec 17, 2013 10:11 pm
- Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
- Topic: Dublin signwriters short film
- Replies: 16
- Views: 13200
Re: Dublin signwriters short film
E. C. Mathews talks about painting signs from the outside of the window in one of his books. I think it was a lot more common back then in the pre-war era.
- Sun Dec 08, 2013 3:44 pm
- Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
- Topic: Magic Eraser for excess gold removal
- Replies: 13
- Views: 12251
Re: Magic Eraser for excess gold removal
Thank you so much Pat for that bit of history. There is definitely a noticeable difference between the old and new gilds, with the new appearing darker and the old appearing very bright still after the 60+ years it was done. I'll inspect it further once I am on site again. In other related glass new...
- Fri Dec 06, 2013 6:57 pm
- Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
- Topic: Old Sign Kit For Sale
- Replies: 8
- Views: 9272
Re: Old Sign Kit For Sale
Wow! Pretty sure this was a Chicago sign painter judging by him mentioning Chicago and "Armitage" (a main street in Chicago) in the diary entry. Perhaps one of Atkinson's pupils!
- Fri Dec 06, 2013 6:39 pm
- Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
- Topic: Magic Eraser for excess gold removal
- Replies: 13
- Views: 12251
Re: Magic Eraser for excess gold removal
Yeah one thing I noticed was the brightness of the old gold on the glass. They had all the old transoms re-made at one point a few years back because they were all varied. The old glass was a little wavy (very slight) probably due to manufacturing methods. The entire numeral set was based on existin...
- Tue Dec 03, 2013 1:57 am
- Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
- Topic: Magic Eraser for excess gold removal
- Replies: 13
- Views: 12251
Re: Magic Eraser for excess gold removal
I could really use a good chiropractor. I've been in some serious hurt on and off throughout the job. Luckily these were able to be removed, but some of them weighed close to 75 pounds. Attached a photo of the first pair I did. 1 & 5 were mine and the 15 was the only original left on the buildin...