Hi Larry. Any type of mixing varnish will work in Japan or as an additive to enamels. Quick Rubbing is also a good medium for Japan. I have made my own by reducing spar varnish. As mentioned on another thread, there are real spars out there, mostly in the boat business. If you can find one without u...

I maybe use a pint a year these days.

I would consider marine z-spar or v-spar which are tung oil spars with alkyd/urethane phenolic resins and a UV inhibitor. They are self priming with the manufacturer recommending 4 coats for a good finish. These have long oil bases so that they are compatable with the teak. I recently gilded a boat ...

Classic Dean

While I think your system for figuring the sq ft is good for figuring how much gold will be used, I dislike using a sq ft price for anything. It does help to figure how much time the gilding will take though so that your profitable shop rate can then be applied plus a differential factor for the gol...

All I can find is the original door.

I particularly like the Gilder, Embosser et al, especially the shades although direction is interesting. The color choices are unique. Used to be some store front sign shops like that in Denver until the 1960's.

I particularly like the Gilder, Embosser et al, especially the shades although direction is interesting. The color choices are unique. Used to be some store front sign shops like that in Denver until the 1960's.

If memory serves me correctly, denatured alcohol is a blend of ethanol and methanol which makes it undrinkable and subsequently for industrial use only. Many forms have a dye in them to delineate them from other alcohols. In that case, isopropol is preferred for white shellac. The process of blendin...

My security software cleans my registry and internet files weekly so I then have to login again on many sites. Not so much a bother to be protected.

I like the slow set PVC pipe adhesive when laminating so I can reposition and clamp to get a smooth seam.

Shellac is always self-solvent so alcohol is the answer. You may have to soak for a while. (the shellac, not your liver)

could also be sulphur in mineral spirits if used as reducer, brush cleaner etc.

too much tin also gives a dark, tanish like appearance.

I painted some floor space the other day with left over enamels/varnishes (a nice brown mixture) and had that nostalgia feeling the next morning. The shop smelled more like home than it has in years, especially since I had also been using the wood stove. The combined smell was like Dad's shop.

Hmmm...an age old quesiton about drying that has no definitive answer. Certainly there are things one can do to improve paint drying. Mild air movement is number one although a strong explosion proof exhaust situation is the best to remove spent solvents. When stacking, consider a 1% slant so that h...

Well, the book stalled about two years ago because the current sales of this type of text have dropped so low, it is nearly impossible to recover the costs of production. This issue would make a Dutch translation even more impractical I fear. As to MDO, I prefer the regular viscosity acrylic for two...

Robare, you should not encourage me, but here goes: Naturally the acrylic primer I prefer is the Chromatic High Build number 1010 which I helped to develop. Having said that, there are others out there and specifically Precision Board has some excellent primers. As always, the best thing about the a...

Jim, I am just taking a break from such a project. I would prime two or three coats of the high build acrylic primer with light sanding between. 600 grit final sand with water will give you a good base. I prefer oil size as it gives you a better open time and cushion for a brighter gild.

Quiet reflection and memories.

Add very small amounts of turps and it is best if in a closed container. If you get it too thin, just let some evaporate. It is always reconstitutable just like Damar resin, adding and removing turps.

Yes. No different than any sheet goods, particularly sheet metals. It is the adhesive that counts.

Do not try to backup with enamel like One Shot even with hardener it does not produce a hard edge for cleanup. The real issue is the hard edge. A short oil resin varnish like Quick Rubbing will work by itself or similar Japan varnishes (Florence Japan, Venice Japan, etc.) or Japan paints. The One Sh...

Good Video. This is obviously the finishing part of the process.

Mike, Urban told me one time but you would have to ask him because I don't remember.

Check with Sepp or Easy Leaf, they both have many sources and may be able to find what you are looking for among them. I have some old variegated that has much beter color than much of the newer high volume produced leaf. Some of the smaller producers may have better control.

Smartly done as always. Maybe the idea will catch on across the whole route. About 30 years ago, I restored a wall sign and added Historic Lincoln Highway data on the wall in Cheyenne, no idea where my photo might be. That one was funded by the Union Pacific Railroad as it advertised their original ...

www.lord.com Lord adhesives has a number of metal to metal for dissimilar metals and I find their site easy to navigate and find the one I need.

Good nose Larry. The reason for the different odor is that as a mixing varnish which is already relatively thin, it only has the batching solvent (Naphtha blend), not the tail solvent (mineral spirits). Tail solvent is added to enamels and varnishes after the batch is complete to bring them to the v...

I forgot to mention for those in need, Ronan still makes a quick rubbing varnish which has always been a good quality varnish. The last can I have is quite a bit more pale than Commonwealth, which can be an advantage.

If you are getting so old, what does that make me, besides young at heart?

The problem I have is that I never did, nor do I have the formulae. That was Rick's deal and the only part I played was getting him in contact with a resin supplier through Chromatic for the bulletin spar. He told me later that they had gone out of business (which I knew) but he found one "clos...

Dave, the math might not be great but whatever the answer, that makes you the same age as my older daughter.