I've done these before. It was about 100 miles from my shop. I have actually restored over 35 antique safes so far. The 2 doors that I restored were in much worse shape than these 2. My first concern would be the spray painting in a working environment. There are companys now days that seal off the ...

I saw this video on you tube. So I've been trying this method lately.
I works way faster! Notice his right pinky finger tool.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67LM4Iovll4

This is a normal surface guild question.......A regular wholesale manufacture customer wants a quote to guild some back light channel letters. They supply the set of letters (18" upper case Helvetica light) painted a goldish color to guild. The returns a 2-1/4" deep. Now what I've been doi...

Hmmmm..........brushing lacquer......I'll just run over to Home Depot and pick up some!
Thanks Kent, I'll try adding turps, altho I do dip into it when palleting the brush for striping.

Thanks everyone.....I normaly take fine powder, mix tiny amount of size to make a paste. Then add enough clear size to make it liquid. No turps. I study the old brush strokes on antiques. They sure look to be smooth covering in 1 stroke. Even on much wider stripes (3/4") and flourshes. Maybe it...

test

test

I've restored a lot of antique safes (about 34 so far). I pinstripe the fine lines of gold color using size with bronzing powder mixed into it. I've tried the 1 shot straight but didn't like the coverage or the color. I've mixed some bronzing powder into it but it doesn't seem to flow as good as siz...

Wow Dave, That is just beautiful !!!!
What are punties? How does it work? Is it some kind of tool?

Wow Dave, That is just beautiful !!!!
What are punties? How does it work? Is it some kind of tool?

Great to meet up with you guys again. Some of you guys ARE crazy! Rod's got a nice shop for all to work in. Thanks Rod! This is one meet that I don't have to fly half the way around the planet. Only 40 minutes away from me! John Arnott

Since they changed the formula on the 12 hour, what do we do now? The 3 hour Lafranc seems to go off real quick. Is there anything out there better?

Wow Mark, Very nice repro type sign. Very nice effect with the crackle stuff. Was this simply latex painted first, then spotted with crackle in certain spots, then rubbed with oil paint into the cracks. Ive done a few of these, and they are fun. John

About 6 months ago I guilded a 22" ball with a 4' tall point and base. This was a fininal for roof top of a bank. Well the grunts from the sheet metal shop came and picked it up and I could just tell this was going to get screwed up! 6 months later, sitting around the sheet metal shop, getting ...

Thanks everyone- After close inspection, it does appear to be simply oil colors in clear. Very small areas, but big effects. John Arnott

I have a "Crab Catcher" resturant that needs some sandblasted HDU - gold signs redone. The gold has tinted multi-colors over the gold. I'm guessing that it is tinted with clear and transparent glazes or transparent enamels in clear. I saw some "powders" that are different colors....

I forgot about back up with silver. I'll double coat due to streaks in the first coat then back with bright red. Thanks everyone John

I've done a piece of chipped glass with bright gold outline and then a black outline. The panel it is in has been painted with 1 coat of arterial red. This stuff is very transparent. I plan on 1 more coat, but should I just back up with a regular coat of red that is not transparent? No light will be...

Joe, Don't do it! Never even put tape on a gilded gold area, if anything lifts. . .you've got a real mess to fix. It will show where you repaired. It may be more difficult to guild after you carve, but it much safer if its the last thing you do. Have fun John Arnott

Now days we have to show the customer completed full color drawings to start. It's easy to simply print the paper pattern from the plotter and pin it on the wood sign blank. I use a pounce wheel for the outside shape of the sign. Use a pounce bag of charcoal every few feet that you pounce. It wants ...

John, I make a lot of sandblasted signs. That method of finishing before your finished making the sign has never worked. It fails where the edge of the prefinished edge and the background meet. If it did, it took way too long for everything to dry. I also belive that if you remove the sandblast tape...