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One Shot Lettering Enamel not sticking to Ben Moore Regal

Hand Lettering topics: Sign Making, Design, Fabrication, Letterheads, Sign Books.

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Wayne Bunker
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Nov 19, 2016 8:52 pm

One Shot Lettering Enamel not sticking to Ben Moore Regal

Post by Wayne Bunker »

I carve Basswood signs for gifts. I use latex primer and latex background paint and hand paint the letters with One Shot enamel. I have had good results with Benjamin Moore Regal Select Soft Gloss exterior paint for the background. I just bought two new cans and painted four signs. When I started painting the letters I noticed a lot of pin holes in the lettering enamel and that the enamel was pulling away from the edges of the incised letters. I had to go over each letter several times to fill in the pin holes and get the paint back up to the edges. I tried two different cans of enamel and had the same result with both. I then tested the enamel on an old sign that I had painted the background with a different brand of paint. The enamel layer down normally with no pinholes and no pulling away from the edges. My best guess is that Benjamin Moore has added some "dirt fighting" agent to their exterior paint and it is causing me adhesion problems. I remember reading in Sign Craft many years ago that someone lettered over a sign that had been coated out with the Rustoleum paint with Teflon. The lettering slid off the signs after a few weeks. Has anyone else had this problem?
Thanks, Wayne
Doug Bernhardt
Posts: 1077
Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2004 9:29 am
Location: Ottawa Canada
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Re: One Shot Lettering Enamel not sticking to Ben Moore Regal

Post by Doug Bernhardt »

Now here's one to add to the "now I know" column. I've always used oil primers so have never encountered this problem but it sounds like you've nailed this. Manufacturers have a habit of making "small" changes to products without letting the end users in on it.
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