The Framers Forum

Hello framers

I'm a cabinetmaker based in Bristol and I am struggling to replicate a 'cracked' effect finish on some timber furniture. I am trying to match a sample sent to me by the client (see attached image: sample from client). At first I thought it was a craquelure lacquer, but after experimenting with different varnishes and not getting the results I wanted, I did a bit of searching on the web and found this image entitled 'cracked gesso' nowi think it could be a 'cracked gesso' base layer with colour wash over the top (see image 'cracked gesso')
I have been experimenting using 'uncle bob's crackle gesso recipe' I found http://www.thepaginator.com/Uploadfile/ ... 249-19.swf
but haven't had the effect I want yet - much smaller antique looking cracks.

If any of you could point me in the right direction in achieving this finish, I would be very grateful. Thanks. Matt

Welcome Matt.

One way is to cover canvas with gesso, nice and thick and when it's dried, stretch it viciously. Then glue the canvas to whatever surface. This might work better on different fabrics. As with all of these things you have to experiment a bit.
I've tried various proprietary kits and they do work up to a point but found them very unpredictable. The varnish stuff tends to produce very fine cracks. Hardly noticeable. The best one I tried is the one that needs a heat gun to activate it, but even that is tricky to do.

I'm sure a few others will be along later with some arcane knowledge......

Thanks prospero.

In an ideal world I'd like to apply the finish/gesso directly onto finished furniture panels and mouldings and then have it crack afterwards. Is this even possible?!? See image below of a console which must be cracked on the furniture - I can't believe they can apply this to the curves afterwards.

Here's a better image of the sample I'm trying to reproduce...

Must admit I have only dabbled in this technique. I think the effect is achieved by applying a quick-drying paint/varnish over a slower-drying one. Or maybe the other way round...... In any case I think the timing is fairly critical.

Yeah, I've tried the different drying varnishes technique. You get cracks, but more like separations/gaps - a bit like broken artic ice moving apart. What I'm after is a cracked look but very small or no gaps. Tough one eh!

Yeah. I think that's called 'alligatoring' in the trade. Just watched a yootoob clip where a thinned PVA was used between two paint coats.

I would love to know how the nice even cracking could be done. I will find out. You've set me off now.

Looks to me like a finish that is achieved by putting a coat on top of a coat that is not fully cured, I think these were first noticed when heavily viscous undercoats did not fully dry out but were skinned over before the top coat to be applied. The methods I was told about, when there were still restorers around when they had contact with the generation, who created the mistakes described methods based on this principle.

Never really got to the bottom of some of the patent recipes that was supposed to emulate this effect, but those usually produce a far coarser fracturing than the slower shrinking over age that creates very fine lines, that would not be noticed if the colour of the undercoat matches the overcoat , paint a different colour black or redlead under the top coat and however fine the shrinkage you will see it.

I used to buy a prepared formula from Morrells in Stockport that created a cracked finish very coarse and obvious but that is what the client wanted an obviously aged product.

The painters rule 'never put water base onto oil base' is lodge in my memory somewhere, but modern water based acrylics do stick to oil based paints. When they are fast dried over a well skinned over oil base they crack, if sealed over with a varnish the whole finish stays in place, I think, certainly for the period of time that an interior designer expects the effect to last for.

But what do you expect from recreating a finish that is based on bad preparation in the first place .

Cracked it!

Gesso onto material, let it go hard, crack it! Colour over the top.

Hi,
I am here from Melbourne and I am facing the same problems. I made a wood table for my client and it have some cracks on its surface. I am not sure how they come at and now how to fix them. The only thing I come to know is the issue with the paint of the furniture, What do you say?

Many many years ago I learned that adding corn starch to the mixture (possibly rice or potato as well) is one method to use. You will have to experiment with the % of starch.

Make a batch of traditional gesso adding the starch. Apply warm as usual, let dry and sand. Go over the surface with a heat gun and it will crack the surface.

rivorson wrote:Hi,
I am here from Melbourne and I am facing the same problems. I made a wood table for my client and it have some cracks on its surface. I am not sure how they come at and now how to fix them. The only thing I come to know is the issue with the paint of the furniture, What do you say?

Can you please clarify? It sounds as if you have got crackling but don't want it. This topic is all about wanting cracks but don't know how to get them.

Sorry if I got the wrong end of the stick.