Liquid Metal Paint

[michaelajane]

Hi,
I recently looked into the Liquid Metal paint that Lion stock. I thought this would be quite a good idea to offer customers a variety of frames using bare wood mouldings and I would only have to stock the the frame design then paint it.
Has anyone tried this particular brand? Or is this something you do in your business? If you have any tips on how to improve this idea or what works best it would be very much appreciated.

-michaela xo

[prospero]

Not used this particular brand, but for metal finishes most of the work is preparing the wood. If you applied it straight to bare wood it would soak in too much. Depends on what you expect it to look like. I think they are water-based, so I suspect they wouldn't stick too well over an existing finish.

Ages ago I used to buy the cheapo black cushion and spray it with celluose (car) paint. That actually works well as the solvent grips the compo very well. Great for simple coloured frames and some of the metallic shades look very classy. An of course there is a vast selection of shades.
I never did enough to warrant getting the paint in tins and using a spray-gun, but this setup would be much more economical than aerosol cans if you do them regularly.

[Jonny2morsos]

At the recent open day at Lion HQ in Birmingham the liquid metal paints were being demonstrated on bare wood mouldings and I have to say I was somewhat under impressed. As Prospero says being water based they soaked straight into the wood which was not a good look.

I have, however, used them to finish mount slips in bare wood. I buy barewood mountslip moulding and then finish to suit the frame moulding. This saves buying lengths of finished mount slip in a variety of finishes the oddments of which hang around on shelves waiting for the next customer.

[Not your average framer]

As Prospero has said, you do need a prepared surface ready for applying any metallic finish. So you you will need to apply and smooth your underlying base coat before applying your metallic finish.

I use both the Liquid Metal and the Everest metallic paints from Lion and find them both to be very satisfactory, both both require practice and technique to produce professional results. The type of finish you will get will be different with these two types of paint and the technique required for each will also be different.

An easy mistake to make when using Liquid metal paints is to apply too much. This is very easy if you don't thin it down enough to allow it to flow properly, or if you overload the brush. Heavily applied Liquid metal paints can take a very long time to fully harden, but with practice a light, but adequate coat will be touch dry quite quickly and achieve a good level of hardness overnight.

The Liquid Metal paints produce very bright metallic finishes and can be toned down to a less bright finish, or distressed accordingly by various different techniques. The Everest paints by contrast are a little more muted and readily lend themselves to more taditional or less bright finishes.

I have the whole colour range of the Liquid Metal paints and have found them to be particularly helpful for matching and touching up purposes, as well as for normal hand finishing work. I have admit that I particularly enjoy the versatility and the range of effects I can get when using the Everest metallic paints, which are still my preferred metallic paint medium.

The golden rule is to practice and experiment and see what works for you. Over time you will develop your own methods and techniques. One possible short cut to success is to get some basic training from someone like Pete Bingham and thereby gain the neccessary techniques and confidence to build upon.

There are quite a few handfinishing exponents on this forum. Many started off from asking questions like yourself and can now be considered as accomplished in the art of handfinishing. Maybe one near you may be willing to show you the basics. Stick with it and you will be surprised how good you may get too!

[Gus]

Found quite a lot of information on this subject (and other hand finishes)on the Forum. The following post originated when Lion started stocking the paints 18 months ago and gives a useful intro to how to experiment without wasting too much time! Some pics of examples produced with the paints too.

http://theframersforum.com/viewtopic.ph ... =40#p30837

A question for the pros at this....
What moulding profiles are best suited to particular finishes - in general terms?

[prospero]

Big Question.

I find that some profiles lend themselves to certain finishes. A moulding with a flat centre with raised edges works well with a sponged/stipped paint section on the flat and maybe the edges gilded, for instance. Mouldings with lots of grooves/beads are good for where you want a wash to accumulate. I often scan though moulding catalogues and try and replicate the factory finish. More often than not you end up with something quite different, but appealing nontheless.

[birdman]

As Prospero has said, you do need a prepared surface ready for applying any metallic finish. So you you will need to apply and smooth your underlying base coat before applying your metallic finish.

Good point NYAF and Prospero. Any suggestions for base coats, particularly one that will provide a smooth finish on bare wood to disguise the grain?

[Gesso&Bole]

Apparently Wickes do some sort of white paint. . . . I think Prospero mentioned it some time ago . . . .

[prospero]

OK. This is how I do it....

Use Fine Surface Polyfilla to fill the grain. Brush it on with a stiff-bristled brush and work it well in. You can dilute it slightly by dipping the brush in water. Makes it easier to apply, but don't get it too runny. Wipe the surface with a damp sponge as it starts to dry. Not too wet or you tend to take the stuff out of the grain. Just enough to take any heavy deposits off. At this stage, if you are working on a joined frame rather than a length, you can make good any corner gaps or defects at this stage. If you are doing a stacked frame, fill any gaps between the frame sections.
When dry, sand it well. Then a couple of coats of Wickes Smooth Ripple Paint. (Other brands may work, I haven't tried any). These base coats can be put on slightly diluted, but if you want a textured surface, put the last coat on thick and stipple/comb/whatever. Mixing a powder pigment into the paint takes the whiteness off and adds a bit of body to the paint. When this is completely dry (It dries very quickly) sand it well.
Next add basecoats of artist's acrylic. The colour depends on the effect you want. Red Oxide is the one for a traditional gilded finish. If you want the highly burnished look, polish with fine steel wool at this stage.

Now you have a nice smooth base to do your stuff with the metallic paints. I haven't used the Lion brand as it is water-based and insoluble when dry. I mix my own up using a solvent-based varnish. The advantage to me is that you can strip it off with white spirit without disturbing the basecoats.

[Not your average framer]

I also use the Wickes Ripple Coat, which I first tried after it was first recommended on this forum by Prospero. In my opinion this was one of the best tips ever posted on this forum.

If you are not specifically wanting a textured finish, then it will make life easier if you thin it with a little water and apply in smooth thin coats. A little gentle smoothing down between coats with abrasive paper will help you to obtain an even thickness and minimise the need for too much sanding down.

When the last coat has had enough time to fully harden, it can be "wet polished" with a good quality, very fine grade "wet and dry" waterproof abrasive paper. Don't press too hard and make sure that you keep the surface wet while smoothing it down. With care and practice you will find that this is an excellent method to get a very smooth surface.

Nice mouldings for hand-finishing? There are so many! I'm into stacking mouldings to reproduce the big traditional looking frames. It may take time doing this, but the right combination can look awesome!

[birdman]

Thanks guys for being so generous with your knowledge and experience. Sadly we don't have Wickes over here but a trip to B&Q is on the cards to see if I can find something similar. Stacking frames, now that is something I hadn't considered for hand finishing and that is now something else I'm going to have to try. When will I get the time?

[Gesso&Bole]

Rolf

The B&Q own brand one is a bit too lumpy (the lumps are too big). But I'm sure there will be other brands.

[birdman]

Thanks Jim. I'll see what is available and there is always Homebase or the local shops. Trial and errer!

[Gus]

Thanks for sharing your tips on here - never would have thought of brushing on polyfilla to fill in the grain. Gets the mind working thinking of different ways to create the finish. As has been said, think outside of the box to get a different angle. A trip to the DIY store at the weekend I think
Many thanks and any more tips gratefully received!
Gus

[framemaker]

I think the key to any good paint or gilt finish is preparation, that is what dictates the quality and appearance of the finish.

a gilt paint put directly onto a barewood can look just like that, but if the wood is well prepared with a smooth ground, then a base colour, and then the gilt stippled on, it can look really quite good.

A good example is a water gilded frame, there are usually about 8 or 9 different stages, with two of these stages being repeated 4 to 8 times, you can't really see this preparation, but it is there and the finish is only possible after all that work.

It is worth looking at the 'white' gesso frames produced by Frinton mouldings, Frinton Gallery, and Compo Mouldings. These all ready have a very smooth white ground and are ready to be hand finished.

[prospero]

I didn't mention Gesso, which is of course the ideal stuff and the only stuff to do a water-gilded finish on. It can be very labour-intensive though. Loads of coats and lots of sanding. Not to mention the prep of the gesso itself. The method I use for gilding is a compromise. But at the end of the day it's what looks good with the picture that really counts, not the fact that you can claim the frame is water-gilded in 23.5c leaf. In fact, some of the 'faux' water-gilding I have done using gold powder looks better IMHO than some 'proper' gilded frames.