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.

painting on auto glass

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

Moderators: Ron Percell, Mike Jackson, Danny Baronian

Post Reply
Paul Stafford
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Jul 09, 2013 10:25 pm

painting on auto glass

Post by Paul Stafford »

I am trying to paint my company logo on my car window and I'm having trouble with adhesion.
My logo consists of a blue oval with "Pauly's" written over it. The problem I'm having is I paint
the blue oval and mask off the text and when I remove the masking lots of blue come off with it.
I've let it dry for three days, I've mixed in 1-shot hardener, it was about 90 degrees outside could the heat
cause the paint to be soft and therefore delaminate? Do I need to let it dry longer? And is glass traditionally harder to paint on? any help would be appreciated
Thanks
Pauly
Robare M. Novou
Posts: 424
Joined: Thu May 06, 2004 11:18 am
Location: Milwaukee
Contact:

Re: painting on auto glass

Post by Robare M. Novou »

They make a clear enamel receptive vinyl. Adhere it to the window and paint on that, or paint it on the vinyl first and then adhere it to the glass

Your vehicle glass may have a wax or silicone coating.

Clean it with some degreaser first.

RMN
What's On Your Book Shelf ?

http://www.milwaukeesignworks.com
Tyler Tim
Posts: 209
Joined: Fri Feb 03, 2012 12:12 am

Re: painting on auto glass

Post by Tyler Tim »

Well two things come to mind. One the temp it's keeping your paint in a plastic state and weak bond with glass. I believe Robare is correct most if not all auto glass has a performance coat on them to help shed dirt... like rain x plus or such. You can also try placing the car out of direct sunlight... and work early in the day. Not sure what your using as a mask... but you can kill the tack some on your vinyl. If it's not big just lift from backing and lightly drag across clean pant leg. I've use this trick with clear tape on fresh panels for stop lines. And when you place your mask don't rub the shin off it just use your finger to trace the texts edge. Then again you could forgo the text mask. Just cut Pauly's into the blue oval... paint remove mask and peel out the text. Then just fill in the negative with your color or block in behind it if not tinted. :wink:
Sure I paint thing for my amusement and then offer them for sale. A brushslinger could whither en die from lack of creativity in this plastic town my horse threw a shoe in. :shock:
Bob Sauls
Posts: 61
Joined: Wed Jan 13, 2010 4:10 pm

Re: painting on auto glass

Post by Bob Sauls »

And it could just be the poor quality of 1Shot. Had adhesion problems on glass with it too.
Mark Summers
Posts: 177
Joined: Mon Feb 02, 2009 4:03 pm
Location: Frisco, Co
Contact:

Re: painting on auto glass

Post by Mark Summers »

What Tyler is saying is correct. Something about these modern auto glass
surfaces. They repel like Rain-X. If you were looking for a handpainted look
on an oval you could consider Gerber 220 series (enamel receptive) clear. You can paint it and then do your hand paint letter work. I would dry apply the Gerber though.

Mark
Paul Stafford
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Jul 09, 2013 10:25 pm

Re: painting on auto glass

Post by Paul Stafford »

Thanks for all the help, I'm a pinstripe/airbrush guy and painting on glass had me baffled, at least now
I know I'm working with something that's working against me, I'm learning something new everyday.
Thanks again : :
Robare M. Novou
Posts: 424
Joined: Thu May 06, 2004 11:18 am
Location: Milwaukee
Contact:

Re: painting on auto glass

Post by Robare M. Novou »

Paul,

Are you painting on the inside or outside of your vehicle window.?

Also, when painting with a mask and oil based one shot paint...remove the mask/tape while the paint is still wet or tacky.

Waiting for the paint to dry before removing the masking is just asking for problems, only with lacquer paint are you suppose to let the paint dry first before removing the mask.

Lacquer is more brittle and breaks easily along the tape/masking lines when it's dry.

Enamel (one shot) is more flexible when dry and will not break along the tape/masking lines.

Maybe after 60 or 90 days when the enamel paint has become fully hardened it will peel and break cleanly...maybe.

Could you post a photo or photos of the logo you are trying to paint.

And maybe some disaster photos from your previous attempts.

I'm not diggin' the new lead free versions of one shot paint...tried some red the other day and it didn't even look like the bright red that I am used to seeing back in the lead filled paint days.

I probably would not use a mask over painted glass...as there would be very poor adhesion of the paint to the glass and whatever tape you use to go over your previously painted graphics with, would surely take some paint with it when you remove the masking/tape.

I got foolish thinking I could do the same on a glass sign I was gilding....had to redo the parts I masked off as the masking took off the painted outlines...what was I thinking!!! Surely a lapse in my judgement.

Then I remembered you're not suppose to do that...use tape or vinyl mask over paint on glass.

Instead I was suppose to use Spraylat liquid mask or an artist's liquid mask (available at art stores), brush it on, let it dry, paint what needs to be painted, and then remove the dried liquid stencil without any problems. As it peels off fairly easy and does not take the previously paint surface with it.

Learn from our mistakes they say...good advice.

RMN
What's On Your Book Shelf ?

http://www.milwaukeesignworks.com
Roderick Treece
Posts: 1086
Joined: Sat Apr 10, 2004 8:04 pm
Location: San deigo Calif
Contact:

Re: painting on auto glass

Post by Roderick Treece »

A few years back I decided to hand letter a sign on the windows of my van. It looked great for about 6 months until the clear coat I put over everything started to flake off and then it wasn't long after that the whole thing looked like n so I took it off. I I were to do it again I'd paint it on the body. Here is a link to the video of the process.

http://www.customglasssigns.com/videos.html
Post Reply