More finishing questions

[Geophyrd]

This is the build for the bed I've spent the summer working on. Lots of Carvewright carves going on all over the plan. I'm almost (just almost) ready to stop crafting and start constructing. Which I expect will be about an hours work.
If you are interested, the link is HERE. I'll post pics of the completed bed to the Forum here once its finished.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...1&l=5bfbfda84b

[Ike]

I am a bit late, but one issue I see is an non flat background. A little of my background I have been in the sign business for 32 years, not sure why I posted that?! Lol I guess to let you know I have some experience! Anyway with sign with a flat background and recessed letters I spray or hand paint the letters and with a planer plane off or sand the paint. With your project I saw a bumpy background so using a planer or power sander is out! I don't advise using a scraper, it could dig into the wood and chip.

I know you stained the board first which is oil based and then I am pretty sure you used water based paint? Well water based paint does not work well with oil based products. When ever I stained a sign I would paint first, sand and then stain. The stain is very easily removed with a clean cloth. Carefully stain after trying not to get too much stain into the letters.

Plus I suggest raised lettering next time, but that does not help you now! What I suggest is using a paint remover and a soft brush. Sorry if I am repeating somebody else, I didn't read all the post. A brass bush is soft and there are water based removers that work great. I know others like to stain or seal before painting, but I never needed to do that.

Yes carving the board again would work, but 22 hours! If you do carve again try raising the letters then you can stain first and sand the letters and paint. But if it was me I would try a water based paint remover and a soft brush and some hand sanding. Then if it does not work as well as you like then carve a new piece!

Hope my post makes sense and helped?

Ike

[lawrence]

great post Ike- your expertise is invaluable around here. Just to clarify- any time I advise that someone use a card scraper, I am talking about one of these. You're right that a normal handyman scraper can be a very crude tool and I also don't advise using it. Here is a card scraper
http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/pag...310,41069&ap=1

and here is one being used- you can see how it would be virtually impossible to gouge the wood-- in fact it really creates a very smooth (smoother than I can get from sandpaper-- burnished) surface. I use them whenever I have to smooth a surface with very swirling or backtracking grain or when I have crossgrain to smooth (like an inlay)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdmYpS6nliQ

here's a video... it really is a great tool (warning, this is a video showing how to set up a scraper plane... and is a dry video unless you own one)
http://www.leevalley.com/US/Home/VideoPopup.aspx?v=4


If I say "scraping plane" I mean this... and if you have one (which I happen to... ) you'll know it because they are AMAZING!
http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/Pag...8431&cat=1,310

A card scraper (and a tuned scraping plane) has practically zero chance of ever digging in and does a great job at lots of tricky tasks. It takes a while to learn how to sharpen them properly, but once you do you'll have 5 or 6 laying around for different uses. I use them for everything from preparing a surface for finish to scraping off paint. they work amazingly well.

Thanks for the reminder to make a clarification Ike, and thanks for the great post too!

Lawrence

[b.sumner47]

To add another trick that I use for small or tight spots, I use a razor blade " One Sided Only ".


Capt Barry

[Ike]

great post Ike- your expertise is invaluable around here. Just to clarify- any time I advise that someone use a card scraper, I am talking about one of these. You're right that a normal handyman scraper can be a very crude tool and I also don't advise using it. Here is a card scraper
http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/pag...310,41069&ap=1

and here is one being used- you can see how it would be virtually impossible to gouge the wood-- in fact it really creates a very smooth (smoother than I can get from sandpaper-- burnished) surface. I use them whenever I have to smooth a surface with very swirling or backtracking grain or when I have crossgrain to smooth (like an inlay)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdmYpS6nliQ

here's a video... it really is a great tool (warning, this is a video showing how to set up a scraper plane... and is a dry video unless you own one)
http://www.leevalley.com/US/Home/VideoPopup.aspx?v=4


If I say "scraping plane" I mean this... and if you have one (which I happen to... ) you'll know it because they are AMAZING!
http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/Pag...8431&cat=1,310

A card scraper (and a tuned scraping plane) has practically zero chance of ever digging in and does a great job at lots of tricky tasks. It takes a while to learn how to sharpen them properly, but once you do you'll have 5 or 6 laying around for different uses. I use them for everything from preparing a surface for finish to scraping off paint. they work amazingly well.

Thanks for the reminder to make a clarification Ike, and thanks for the great post too!

Lawrence

Lol not a problem Lawrence! With his sign the background has raised squares so not being flat I can see only bad things!!! It is hard enough to use a scraper on a flat surface!!! It just a tough removal with the squares!

Ike

I looked at the OP photos and he removed almost all the paint and now has gunk in the letters. I still suggest a remover or paint thinner and a soft brush. Then maybe mask the letters with masking tape and using a exacto knive cut around the inside of letters and paint again?

[Geophyrd]

Took some advice from the board here...

I tried repainting, then carefully restaining. Stain got into some of the letters and looked like cr&p. So, went to the art supply store and got some gold leaf pens and I found a stain pen using the same Dark Oak Minwax stain I was using on the rest. I've repainted the letters again (fourth time), and waiting to make sure paint and stain are dry. I bought some of the 3M pads and I'll try to get the paint off the edges of the letter again.

Frankly, this was disappointingly difficult. NOT the first project I've painted letters in on, but the first one where I was also staining the project. Won't make that mistake again.

[Geophyrd]

Now to the poly! Going to doe 10 coats, with gold leaf mixed into the second or third coat.