This file is one of the Wolfstone archives of the Halloween mailing lists. You can find out more, and reach the entire collection here: http://www.pobox.com/~wolfstone/_r/HalloweenArchive.html This particular archive deals with "finishing" topics. This includes: o paint o dyes o finishes, especially wood o giving an aged look o decals It does NOT include related topics: o makeup - - - - - From: milwiron at btprod.com Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1998 09:35:37 -0800 Subject: Re: HALL: Question - Non Halloween Related At 10:27 AM 4/21/98 -0400, you wrote: >For those who have built plastic model kits, you'll know what I'm talking >about. Hey Evil Stooby Doo, If you have access to a color laser printer you can use toner transfer sheets for making PC boards. is one company that sells 'em. Some hobby shops carry transfer sheets for model use. Basically you run a laser copy, b/w or color, on the sheet, shoot it with clear lacquer and apply it like a water transfer decal. They work pretty well. - - - - - Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1998 11:38:55 -0400 From: Jim Kadel Subject: Re: HALL: Question - Non Halloween Related Evil Coolgoul Doc Stu, (am I missing a middle name?) Check "Staples", probably Office Max as well. I saw a box of 8.5 x 11 sheets of "decal makers" a stock item, yesterday. The box advertised that a color printer (ink jet) is used to make decals. Didn't purchase so I don't know how they overcome the "reverse image" problem of doing this. - - - - - From: Byron Hynes Subject: RE: HALL: Question - Non Halloween Related Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1998 13:40:09 -0600 If you require a white background, why not just print to a label and cut it out with a trimming knife, closely following the outline? Other options include vinyl cutters, or clear adhesive sheets that will run through the laser printer. Depending on what surface you are applying it to, you may be able to use the iron-on transfers. The other approach is to get a hold of a LetraSet catalog (remember LetraSet - before Pagemaker?)... near the back you will find instructions on how to order custom letraset sheets ("dry transfer" or "rubdowns"). Any decent artists' supply or graphics supply store should be able to point you in the right direction. The last time I had any made, they were about C$15 for an 8x14 sheet. - - - - - From: jim.fosse at bjt.net (Jim Fosse) Subject: Re: HALL: BANTER - Decals Date: Wed, 22 Apr 1998 03:51:19 GMT On Tue, 21 Apr 1998 17:19:16 -0400 (EDT), coolghouls@iname.com, you wrote: >Thanks, Shelley. What I'm looking for are decals that are transferred after a brief dip in water. The decal material separates from the backing and holds just enough adhesive to stick to a plastic model kit (well, other materials too, but who's quibbling?). Of course, just as model airplane glue turns a model kit into The Blob II if used too liberally, the decals are ruined if soaked too long. Hmmm...airplane glue...I guess THAT would explain my missing brain cells... ;) > >(the Avery labels are a little thick for my application. wet transfer decals are meant to be *very* thin to help conceal the edges) > Evil Doc Stu, Use Denny's suggestion of the laser toner transfer paper. Spray a coat of white paint on it before you print on it. print on it and hen spray on a coat of clear lacquer. The original method of making decals was. Size a sheet of paper with a dextrin (dextrin is toasted starch, just look at the brown parts of a piece of toast) solution, dry, silk screen/print the image, spray a coat of lacquer, let dry. Cut, wet and apply. The dextrin both allows the decal to slip off the paper carrier and acts as a glue to hold the decal to glass/skin/model... - - - - - Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1998 23:31:16 +0000 From: Tom Rupp Subject: Re: HALL: Question - Non Halloween Related Ok, here's the straight stuff on decals. I'm an industrial designer, and in my field I make a lot of models, and I also do so as a hobby. There are two ways, as mentioned, to do what you're asking about. First is the wet decal, exactly as you described. I know there are companies that will make custom decals for you, try looking for ads in FineScale Modeler or Model Railroading magazines. There are also maufacturers of blank decal sheets you can laser print on. Try these sites: www.feist.com/~downen/TIPS/decals.html#makeyourown www.micromark.com/decals.html Depending on what you're putting the decal on the edges may show. There are setting solvents made to allow the decal to settle into countours, etc. and also matte agents to hide the edges. Gloss surfaces are best, even if the final effect is to be a flat finish. After the decal is in place a matte spray is applied to dull the shine if that's your desired effect. The second option is dry transfers, like the Letraset as already mentioned. You can have a local service bureau produce what is called an "INT". These are custom rubdowns, any color you want. They used to run about $35.00 for one color, multiple colors run more. If you gang up the art you can get quite a bit on an 8" x1 0" sheet. The upside is they don't have the visible edge, but the downside is they're more fragile than a decal. - - - - - From: SpiderMakr at aol.com Date: Sun, 6 Jun 1999 22:50:48 EDT Subject: Re: HALL: GOOD latex paint formula Hi all. I got this formula from a chemist at my work place. I tried it. It works. It's flexible. It's permanent. HOWEVER; a key chemical, toluene , may be hard to find and is hazardous. Use regular liquid latex. (slush latex, molding latex, etc.) Thin with distilled water (for airbrushing) Add 5% toluene by weight or volume. Add liquid soap ---1 quarter of 1 percent (a few drops per pint) Stir in pigments (acrylic paint) This mixture dries much darker than it appears wet, so testing is a must. This paint is not goey and doesn't get webby like rubber cement paint. It can be sponged, too. (BE CAREFUL. TOLUENE IS HAZARDOUS) - - - - - Subject: Aging a coffin From: Date: Wed, 9 Aug 2000 23:13:16 -0500 A couple of weeks ago I asked a question about how to make a coffin look weathered. I got a lot of great suggestions and I have found one more = which no one posted. While watching a DIY channel program on furniture refinishing the host = gave directions for several home-made finishes. One of these was to take a handful of rusty nails and put them in a cup of plain old vinegar. After letting it sit for a while strain the fluid through cheesecloth and just brush it on the wood. I tried this on a piece of scrap wood and it works great! It looked like plain water at first but in just a few minutes it turned the wood a greyish-black while letting the grain of the wood show through. It looks like the wood has been outdoors for several months but only takes a few minutes to achieve. - - - - - Subject: Re: Howl - Aging a coffin From: "Effie's Place" Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2000 08:07:38 -0700 > While watching a DIY channel program on furniture refinishing the host gave > directions for several home-made finishes. One of these was to take a > handful of rusty nails and put them in a cup of plain old vinegar. This one is going in my recipe book! Great idea. Did anyone use the Elmers glue for cracked paint tip? If it wasn't mentioned here it is. Paint your piece with acrylic paint. Use plain Elmers or white glue and = thin it down just a tad with water. Paint it on and let it dry. On top of that paint on another, slightly thinner, acrylic paint. The liquid in the top layer of paint will cause the glue to crack and pull apart. The result is cracked, aged paint. You can use two colors of paint to create an aged multi-layer paint look or you can rub wood stain over the piece to let it look weathered. The stain will lay inside the cracks and not on the top layer of paint so you have the original color. - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: How to Age Wood From: "Travis Jackson" Date: Wed, 04 Oct 2000 00:08:22 -0700 you could stain the would with wood stain you find at craft stores paint some color on it liek if it were a barn you would paint it red. then take sand paper and sand some paint off to give it that old weatherd look. like country hicks ville. - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: How to Age Wood From: "Von Bones" Date: Wed, 04 Oct 2000 00:20:43 EDT How i usually do this is I paint or stain the wood with grey indoor / outdoor primer or stain. let dry then mist the wood with black spray paint this works like a charm and looks good. - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: How to Age Wood From: "Darkwing Manor" Date: Wed, 4 Oct 2000 09:10:13 -0400 From James Parker: While watching a DIY channel program on furniture refinishing the host = gave directions for several home-made finishes. One of these was to take a handful of rusty nails and put them in a cup of plain old vinegar. After letting it sit for a while strain the fluid through cheesecloth and just brush it on the wood. I tried this on a piece of scrap wood and it works great! It looked like plain water at first but in just a few minutes it turned the wood a greyish-black while letting the grain of the wood show through. It looks like the wood has been outdoors for several months but only takes a few minutes to achieve. - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: How to Age Wood From: "Jeff Vinciguerra" Date: Wed, 04 Oct 2000 15:58:54 EDT > > From: Hofmann David > > To: Halloween List > > Sent: Tuesday, October 03, 2000 10:23 PM > > Subject: Hall: How to Age Wood > > > > > I'm building a prop and only have new 2 by 4s and and 2 by 2s to = use. > > > Does anyone have recommendations on how to make the wood look like = its > > > been outdoors and weathered for about 5 year? > > > > > > Thanks you can do it the easy way and get crackle paint ..or the hard way to age = it carefully use a torch and torch the wood then take a wire brush over the wood to remoove the sooty parts this will raise the grain out and then = paint or stain it with a lighter color ( with a fire extinguisher close by ) (info taken from Kevin McCurdy's secrets of the Haunted Mansion) - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: How to Age Wood From: "Lexie" Date: Wed, 04 Oct 2000 09:38:10 +0000 I saw on a show once how they turned cedar shingles & fencing grey and old looking with baking soda and water, left to dry in the sun. I don't know = if would work on other kinds of wood though. - - - - - Subject: RE: Hall: How to Age Wood From: "Pearson, John" Date: Wed, 4 Oct 2000 09:23:52 -0400 You can use a blow torch over the wood then sand it to take off the top layer of char. This will bring out the grain of the wood. Use a sander for knicks and such in the wood. Just keep repeating the process until you get the desired effect of weathering. - - - - - Subject: Re: Re: Barf Bucket Bob Assistance From: Date: Tue, 29 May 2001 14:15:38 EDT Hi Maggie: Regarding painting your barrels, if you're unable to locate a paint = that sticks well, you might want to try using what is known as PAX paint. = In essence, this is a water-based surgical adhesive (typically known as = Pros-Aide, from which this paint gets the "PA") mixed with artist's = acrylic paint (which is latex, and from which the paint gets the "X" in = its name). This compound was invented by Dick Smith, the Godfather of = modern makeup. From what I've read, PAX paint sticks to just about anything onto = which it's painted (or sprayed -- works well with an airbrush!). It will = dry a little bit sticky, though, so you'll need to powder it down a bit to = keep it neat and tidy. You might also try sealing your painted barrels with some kind of = polyurethane sealer after you've gotten them painted to help keep their = new finish nice. - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: studio dyes From: "Bonedaddy" Date: Thu, 02 Aug 2001 02:32:43 -0400 Jerry, they have a product called studio dye for airbrushing at http://www.fxsupply.com/paint/paint.html Don't know if it is alcohol based though. At 02:14 AM 8/2/01 -0400, you wrote: >Can anyone give me a web site for a company that sold a product called >"studio dyes"? > >It was an alcohol based product. > >I did a quick search of the web but >was not able to find it. - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: studio dyes From: Date: Sat, 4 Aug 2001 15:30:33 EDT Thanks for the info,Bonedaddy and Joe Stone. With your help I found what I was looking for at: http://www.artmarker.com/pages/s_dye_desc.html Check it out, I like this product for small projects on a vast number of materilas. They do not tell you it is alcohol based, but I discovered by accident that it could be thinned and cleaned up (even when dry) EASILY with alcohol. However it is water proof when dry. - - - - - Subject: cheep paint From: "dawn rice" Date: Sat, 4 Aug 2001 23:43:55 -0500 Just wanted to thank everyone who ever suggested asking at the counter for "mistakes" for paint. I got a gallon of gray paint tonight @ Home Depot = for $1.66 for a gallon! This was after he told me if would cost approx $13.00 = a gallon to make the gray paint. I told him this was a little higher then I was looking for as it was just for props and I really didn't care on the color of gray-just gray. I then asked whether he had any mistakes, he = took the time to look, and he said I was in luck as he did have gray! thanks again--I felt like a kid in a candy store - - - - - Subject: Re: The Look of Copper From: "Darkwing Manor" Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 10:33:09 -0400 Umm, on what? To "verdigris " just about anything, I start with a flat black paint, let dry, then lightly and randomly sponge over in three successive layers of thinned latex, water-based paint, starting with turquoise, then lighter blue, then white. Spray with a fixative. If you want that lumpy, corroded metal look also, first brush your item with a craft glue, then pass the = item through a candle flame until the glue bubbles, hardens and dries. This = works very well on shapes made out of glued layers of brown paper bags, to simulate weathered copper ornaments. You can also rub a little of the = copper gilding paint on the high spots to simulate the original metal shining through. Mort ----- Original Message ----- From: "brandon champlin" > What would i do to get the look of aged copper? like water has touched = it > and was running down it gives it that green streaked look. - - - - - Subject: Re: Halloween-L Digest #1915 - 01/08/09 From: "Dan & Robin" Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 12:50:00 -0400 >Umm, on what? >To "verdigris " just about anything, I start with a flat black paint, let >dry, then lightly and randomly sponge over in three successive layers of >thinned latex, water-based paint, starting with turquoise, then lighter >blue, then white. Spray with a fixative. If you want that lumpy, corroded >metal look also, first brush your item with a craft glue, then pass the = item >through a candle flame until the glue bubbles, hardens and dries. This = works >very well on shapes made out of glued layers of brown paper bags, to >simulate weathered copper ornaments. You can also rub a little of the = copper >gilding paint on the high spots to simulate the original metal shining >through. >Mort ----- Original Message ----- From: "brandon champlin" > What would i do to get the look of aged copper? like water has touched = it > and was running down it gives it that green streaked look. > OR....you could just go to Micheal's and get a box of instant patina = stuff. It consists of two bottles of liquid. The first you paint on your object makes it copper....the second liquid gives it instant patina. It works on any paintable surface. You can also get instant rust. - - - - - Subject: Detailing! From: "Jeff Preston" Date: Thu, 09 Aug 2001 11:59:32 +0000 Several people have posted seeking information on detailing and I wanted to share a great source for information. The figure modeling world has a guru by the name of David Fisher, who publishes "Amazing Figure Modeler" magazine and also has a 4 video series on everything you need to know on the hobby. How does this apply to Haunting you ask? The same techniques can apply to both the "commercial" and home haunter, just scaled up. David just let me know of his revamped URL. Pay a visit, it's a great site! It also has some tips on it that I think you all will find helpful. >http://www.amazingmodeler.com< have fun! - - - - - Subject: RE: Hall: The Look of Copper From: "Rob Withoff" Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 17:28:49 -0500 > What would i do to get the look of aged copper? like water has touched = it > and was running down it gives it that green streaked look. A couple of methods. The green streaks are the oxide of copper-- the equivalent of rust. The = best thing to use is acid. First, use some steel wool or sandpaper to score the copper-- if all you want is streaks, just make a few streaks with the sandpaper-- and then dip the copper in the acid. Distilled vinegar works, but it may take a while. Muriatic acid (used for etching concrete and cleaning toilets) is faster, but requires = ventilation, eye protection, and gloves. Other kinds of acids are available, and I know that there are artists that work in copper, and keep their aging solutions secret. Or if you can handle it being a little less authentic, do some dry-brush painting. - - - - - Subject: COOL Tombstone Paint From: "WebMistress" Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 21:12:24 -0700 (PDT) Has anyone ever tried Venetian plaster. At Home Depot about a week ago on = the on the mistakes shelf there was 4 gallons of a moss green paint. I tho= ught cool, green .. I=92ll take it :) But tonight I tried it =85 WAY COOL.= It=92s thicker then Monster Mud and covers great!!! I=92m going to put a= nother coat on tomorrow .. and then antic it black and they white. I=92m happy! - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: Re: COOL Tombstone Paint From: "WebMistress" Date: Sun, 12 Aug 2001 07:26:53 -0700 (PDT) Oh sure make me go out into the garage in my nightgown :) It=92s Behr No77= 0 =85 untinted base, but Home Depot put yellow, magenta, black and somethin= g else =85 I can=92t read the label. I bought mine on Home Depot=92s Oops shelf, so I paid $4 for 4 gallons. I t= hink it's normally $30 per gallon. Here is a pic of the tombstone I did la= st night. I left it outside to dry, but it rained =85 the pic was taken th= is morning. http://www.lazarusmaze.com/images/MVC-021S.JPG This tombstone didn't put a dent in one can of plaster. A little goes a ve= ry long way. Webby --- "salidog" > wrote: >What is the brand name of the venetian plaster? I've been searching for >this stuff everywhere locally but no luck. On line it is very pricey. - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: Re: COOL Tombstone Paint From: "salidog" Date: Sun, 12 Aug 2001 20:55:51 -0700 Wow, you practically stole that plaster! I like the color too. Behr = makes a gallon of stuff that you put on top of the venetian plaster that helps seal it from moisture when the plaster is applied in areas like bathrooms = or kitchens. Are you going to put some kind of clear coat on top of the tombstone or does it look like it's going to hold up without it? I also wonder if it gives the tombstones any substantial weight. I'm very = jealous of your lucky purchase so I only feel somewhat sorry you went out in your nightgown...kidding...thank you! ----- Original Message ----- From: "WebMistress" To: "Halloween List" Sent: Sunday, August 12, 2001 7:26 AM Subject: Re: Hall: Re: COOL Tombstone Paint Oh sure make me go out into the garage in my nightgown :) It's Behr No770 = .. untinted base, but Home Depot put yellow, magenta, black and something = else .. I can't read the label. I bought mine on Home Depot's Oops shelf, so I paid $4 for 4 gallons. I think it's normally $30 per gallon. - - - - -