Posted by Catharine C. Kennedy on February 19, 2004
Mike JacksonWhen I wash the glue-chipped panels after they've chipped, the asphaltum comes right off too, with the water. I didn't think that was supposed to happen (the brushes, when I put the asphaltum down originally, clean up nicely with mineral spirits)...
Thanks!
Catharine,
I'm just guessing, but I'd say the loss of the asphaltum didn't harm the project. If you were rinsing the glue, it should have already been 100% chipped. What you learned by this experience is that aslphltum doesn't stick well to raw glass. It will usually stick okay to painted surfaces or even gold or silver, and you can use asphaltum as part of a warm transparent glaze, but it probably isn't a long term element in many glass signs. Asphaltum will self-dissolve if you are stroking more coats, or if using other paints with mineral spirits (or paints with even hotter properties)
Mike
Languein
Mike JacksonWhen using asphaltum for toning - as in the transparent brown shades on surface gilding, like on fire truck scrolls - how do you preserve it? Do you mix a varnish into it before using it? How about color fading? Is it a different asphaltum than the one used for chipping? I've done a lot of searching for transparent browns for my wood graining, so far, on a scale of 1 to 10 I've gotten to about a 6...there used to be a Candy Root Beer enamel in spray cans, back in the day, that were perfect, but, alas, they aren't made anymore that I can find.
Danny BusselleStraight Asphaltum will dissolve in mineral spirits or just about anything hotter. If you use it in a glaze, I'd guess the varnish would protect the asphaltum, but then it would probably depend on what ratio of each was in the glaze. It only takes a few drops of asphaltum to make the glaze in a dixie cup. Rick sold "Shading Black" for glazes which was more gray than the brownish tint of the asphaltum.
Now you know the basics....time to get some and do some tests!
Mike
Rick SacksRick's got the correct answer. where were U MGM?
One of the men I apprenticed to learned to mix rubbing varnish with asphaultum for backing up his gold. I preffered King Kole with rubbing varnish. The stregth is in the varnish, the color in the asphaultum.
Denver Chapter of the Letterheads