Question: How to mask out grooved areas for paint?

[signsolutions]

Good afternoon All,

I have a client who brought an antique wood sign with gold-painted v-routed lettering. The gold looks nice and old. We have been challenged with repainting the REST of the sign to spruce it up, leaving the routed, gold lettering alone.

We rolled the sign lightly with paint, but it was not a smooth finish like we desired. So, on a test piece, I tried the idea of rubber cementing the grooved areas, sanding the entire sign a bit to clean up the surface, and spraying the sign. The filled letters don't peel up as easily as I had imagined, but it does peel up in very small pieces, leaving the gold in it's original condition. I see this taking a few hours to peel up, by the way.

Before I try this on the actual sign, I'm wondering if anyone else has had to do something like this? And is there a quicker way?

Thanks!

- Keith
Sign Solutions

 

[Jackpine]

I would use a quill and lettering enamel "doctored up" to flow out and hold a uniform sheen finish. Charge appropriately.

 

[FS-Keith]

Why are you not repainting the letters? if it is just two colors. paint the background color then go in there and paint the letters gold again

 

[Gino]

Why are you not repainting the letters? if it is just two colors. paint the background color then go in there and paint the letters gold again

Just out of curiosity.... are you being funny or do you not understand the OP's request ??

 

[S'N'S]

Not sure how it would go on routed letters, but you can buy liquid mask and peel off afterwards. Can't think of the name of it, but we used it in a panel shop to mask over stuff we wanted to keep on motorbike tanks etc while spraying the rest, also used for airbrushing.....Google brings up a few.

 

[FS-Keith]

Just out of curiosity.... are you being funny or do you not understand the OP's request ??

I think I understood him correctly. The customer wants the rest of the sign repainted except the letters right? Why not explain to the customer the time/labor factor and see how attached they really are to the original paint on the letters? Besides, mistakes happen what happens if the mask fails and he has a run in the letter?

 

[performancev]

Use this stuff or one of the many types of liquid friskit. Your local arts and crafts store should have several different types in stock. http://www.dickblick.com/products/blick-liquid-frisket/

 

[Billct2]

First, if it's truly an antique you've probably ruined it's value.
Second , it it gold "paint" or gold "leaf"? I'm assuming leaf or trying to save it wouldn't be worth it.
Third, Jackpine has the right approach, but it takes a little skill and the right paint consistancy.

 

[Gino]

I think I understood him correctly. The customer wants the rest of the sign repainted except the letters right? Why not explain to the customer the time/labor factor and see how attached they really are to the original paint on the letters? Besides, mistakes happen what happens if the mask fails and he has a run in the letter?

I stand corrected. He DID say gold painted letters, I thought it said gilded letters.

 

[Jillbeans]

I think repainting it would totally destroy the antique value, first off.

You might try thinning some lettering enamel down with boiled linseed oil to make it almost a stain. Then carefully repaint by hand with a quality trim brush, using a quality artist's brush for the tighter areas. This will take a while to dry so make sure you're in a clean, dust-free area.
Love....Jill

 

[John Butto]

Crepe Rubber Cement Pickup is the tool to use if you want to go the rubber cement way that seems to work for you. If the gold is old I would be afraid of putting anything over it and be more inclined to do as the other posts say about painting around it.

 

[SignManiac]

But...Is the OP certain the gold is in fact gold paint, or is it possible that it could be real gold leaf? Especially if it's an old sign. Back in the day, gold was real gold leaf, and the fake gold paint would turn brownish in color after a while. I would make certain before offering up advice. I'd want to see a photo of the sign before I could give any advice.

 

[signsolutions]

Thanks for the replies everyone. A photo of the sign is attached.

We suggested repainting everything, but the customer was adamant he liked the old gold lettering and wanted to freshen up the surrounding red areas with a paint to match the trim on his home. This has since been lightly rolled, and even with our additive, the paint is a little too textured for my liking.

I think I will look into this Friskit product....

- Keith

 

[Si Allen]

Lettering enamel with a retarder such as Penetrol applied with a rubber brayer will do it properly. If you are careful about applying it, you will bridge over the incised letters.

No brayer? Use lettering quills.

 

[Jillbeans]

Is that really an antique?
You might have been better off using flat exterior latex.

 

[S'N'S]

Just had a thought, I wonder if you could use plastersine (kids stuff) and push it in there, would come out easy enough.
That sign needs a really good sand, you can see the outline of the swan.

 

[signsolutions]

I say it was antique because he bought it from an antique shop. For $15. He is rather attached to it.

He supplied his exterior latex paint for us to use. We made it clear up front we'd do our best and couldn't guarantee the paint, although it appeared to be a decent sherwin williams line.

(The swan outline was the original unpainted area where a wooden duck that was on the sign will be reattached)

 

[Jillbeans]

I'd gild the letters.
That thing is really rough looking.
Gild, outline with black, make the border black. Gild the swan too but first paint a black circular shape behind it or even do a water pictorial.
If he thinks that looks good as is he'll tinkle in his pants if he sees it tarted up.

 

[Gino]

Aside of the fact, that it's butt ugly.... are you gonna still paint in the swan ?? I wouldn't waste any gold leaf or time on that. Just roll a few dry coats on the background and buy some gold paint and touch-up where necessary.

Also, that is no antique. Looks worth about $75. total..... and that's finished.

 

[SignManiac]

Man Gino, you took the words right out of my mouth. Slop the paint on, brush marks and all. Besides that will make it more antiquey looking. And I would never waste gold leaf on that sign.