My start on a Creative Dimensions Fleur-de-Cav

[JerrySambrook]

Here is my start on making a fleur-de-cav

Hopefully, if my mind is still together, it will be gold leaf on a marroon background. Sort of like a Ken's Steak House Salad Dressing logo.
Would that be correct Charlie?

Trying to "paint" on the adhesive is "real fun".
Using a fine bristle brush, and 10 power magnifiers

 

[skiprat]

Jerry, far be it for me to be critical cos I certainly don't have a steady enough hand to try that, but if you just want the adhesive on the raised edges perhaps you could smear a thin layer of it on a flat surface, like glass. Then roll the blank over the surface? Maybe even loosen the mandrel nut a bit and use that to hold it.

 

[NewLondon88]

I wonder .. it's got to be a little difficult by hand. There's a reason gold leaf costs
a fortune.. and it isn't the cost of the gold.

It's certainly got the contrast and the gold stands out like crazy! And yes, I think
the Ken's dressing was maroon and gold.

(for those who think we're nuts, we were at the BBQ/Regional Meeting and people
were pointing to the logo on a bottle of Ken's Steak House salad dressing and
pointing out the "Fleur de Cav" on the label.

Wonder if we could sue Ken? Or should Cav do it?

 

[JerrySambrook]

Just came up from trying the roller method on a block of corian

The adhesive I have spread out nicely, but does not have enough adhesiveness to stick to the corian, and too much to itself, so that it caused bubbles which filled in a few of the recessed areas.

I am going to let it sit for a day, then retry tomorrow.
The adhesive is supposed to loose its tack after 12 hours.

Thanks for the idea skip.
I had thought about doing that the same way I lube cases for resizing, but figured the pad I was going to use would be too soft.
SHould have remembered the plate from the days of making ink posters

Jerry

 

[wdcav1952]

I wonder .. it's got to be a little difficult by hand. There's a reason gold leaf costs
a fortune.. and it isn't the cost of the gold.

It's certainly got the contrast and the gold stands out like crazy! And yes, I think
the Ken's dressing was maroon and gold.

(for those who think we're nuts, we were at the BBQ/Regional Meeting and people
were pointing to the logo on a bottle of Ken's Steak House salad dressing and
pointing out the "Fleur de Cav" on the label.

Wonder if we could sue Ken? Or should Cav do it?

Nah, as long as the royalty checks keep rolling in I'm not going to complain. Charlie, I got the first "royalty check" today and WOW, this is awesome!! I am looking forward to what I can do with them!!!!

Thanks!!

 

[NewLondon88]

Nah, as long as the royalty checks keep rolling in I'm not going to complain. Charlie, I got the first "royalty check" today and WOW, this is awesome!! I am looking forward to what I can do with them!!!!

Thanks!!

Good deal! The white one .. I didn't want to fill it because I didn't know
what you'd like. That color is just what happens when it's lasered. Besides,
it would be too close to finished. But I have color fill if you want it.. just
send it back when you're done.

 

[workinforwood]

I don't know if you have taken the blank out of your skill level or not. I also have a cigar blank I'm supposed to cast. It is a different design than yours. I dyed the blank and then was trying to paint the upper surfaces. I am not a good painter with a steady hand, I got sloppy..must be the brush I was using..that's right! My blank looks like a 2 yr old painted it. I am totally over my head with what I wanted to do...painting each flower and pineapple. I got myself into a nightmare on that one that I can't imagine I can fix. You know, with my first blank I actually tried what Steve was mentioning. That was the first thought that came to mind..dye the blank then roll it over a thin bed of paint and that would cover the upper surfaces, but it did not work out that way. The paint still managed to get into the lower part, so I ended up spray painting the whole thing and was able to try something new. As amazing as these blanks are, they tempt you to do things you are not good at.

 

[JerrySambrook]

Jeff,
I agree, but the only way to get good at something is to try doing it.

The issue with the blank I have, and this is not a criticism of the workmanship that goes into the blank, is how I want to color it.
If the gold is only on the very outside, then it would get lost in all the background. I am trying to get all of the raised area to be leafed, and rolling it would not help. The fleur-de-lis patterns themselves would come out fine by rolling, but the reaise lines would be way too thin for what I am trying to achieve.

Charlie and Alton came up with a real great blank that is above my ability at this time, but I am still going to work at it, until it pounds me into submission:biggrin:

Jerry

 

[NewLondon88]

J

Charlie and Alton came up with a real great blank that is above my ability at this time,

naah.. I don't think the blanks are above anyone's ability. But you might
be trying to do something you're not familiar enough with yet.
I don't know how many people do gold leaf on 3D, but I know that the people
who do gold leaf get a small fortune for their skills.. I know I can't do it
worth a damn.

Hey .. you can always put it on the lathe and touch it lightly with 320 grit.
That should get you back to wood, at least.

ps .. we've got some brushes we're trying right now. I'm lasering, Alton
is painting. We need to see pics, even if we have to do them ourselves. :tongue:
He says get the paint on the brush and then get rid of most of it so that
the brush is almost dry. He's putting more paint on the scrap paper than
on the blank, but I've got to tell you .. it looks great. (another new one)

 

[JerrySambrook]

Charlie,
That is why I put the "at this time" in the sentence. A couple of attempts should get me where I need to be.

 

[Padre]

That is going to look great. You must have one steady hand!

 

[NewLondon88]

Charlie,
That is why I put the "at this time" in the sentence. A couple of attempts should get me where I need to be.

well .. I have a few others in the works that you can see next weekend. :biggrin:
Alton made some Jr blanks in zircote so I re-did the one for Ruger. Looks
100% better and feels more substantial. that one is right up your alley, but
I'll need come up with something else for a logo before I can put them up
on Exotics. (although even the gun grip with no logo looks great)

ps .. bring your Clicks and we'll do the music pens..

 

[greenmtnguy]

Here are a couple new blanks. Rushmore and Grapes. These will head to Exotics in Monday's mail. Rushmore is low relief so you paint the tube the primary color, wait until dry and sand very lightly off the lathe. I use 800 grit because you do not need to take much off for the detail to show. Grapes was painted mostly with a dry brush and the vines done with an eye shadow applicator which is a sponge on the end of a handle. Very dry paint and just lightly touch the applicator. Not a big deal if you hit the background. Reapply the base color with a brush. Hopefully I will get some CA on a couple of these tonight to for SOYP section. We burned around 50 blanks, so guess what I will be doing later? We are trying to keep dust out of the laser, so I turn and Charlie burns.

 

[glycerine]

I would do the opposite of what you tried with "rolling" the blank in the paint. I would paint it all gold first. Then paint it all maroon after the gold dries, but wipe the maroon off of the surface... If you wipe too much, you can just fill it back in with maroon?

 

[NewLondon88]

I would do the opposite of what you tried with "rolling" the blank in the paint.

ah.. but that's not gold paint. That's gold LEAF.
Don't think the paint will stick to it..

 

[greenmtnguy]

Well Jerry,
Have you bounced it off the wall yet? :biggrin:

 

[glycerine]

ah.. but that's not gold paint. That's gold LEAF.
Don't think the paint will stick to it..

Oh.

 

[glycerine]

In that case, could the adhesive be applied on the lathe like we apply CA. Get the lathe spinning (slowly) and then apply the adhesize with a paper towel or plastic baggy? Then apply the gold leaf?

 

[creativewriting]

Jerry, Looks great. I am not sure if you have ever used a product called "rub and buff" (yes that is the name). It resembles gold, silver, or bronze leaf and can be found at most craft store. The compound is mixed with a wax and is very thick. For relief such as yours you can simple put some on your finger tip and gentle hit the raised parts. It is easier with your finger and not a brush because you can feel the raised edges better. Once it dries you can cast it our finish with a clear coat of your choice. It is great stuff!

 

[NewLondon88]

Once it dries you can cast it our finish with a clear coat of your choice. It is great stuff!

This is the first product we tried. And it DOES look fantastic. However...

The part about the 'clear coat of your choice' is where it falls apart. Every
clear coat we've tried makes the metallic look disappear. Any coating with
a solvent in it (and sometimes just the carrier) sends all that good looking
stuff into the wood, never again to be seen by human eyes.

I've tried calling their tech support with no luck. Everything I've read online
uses the phrase 'shouldn't need any clear coat' .. which seems to be
tech-speak for "we've never found a clear coat that works, so don't do it."

The results so far:
Polyurethane: about 75% color loss.
Lacquer: about 50-60% color loss
CA: about 90% color loss
Acrylic spray: about 75% color loss
Workable Fixative: minor color loss, but unsure
of final finish compatibility. We got sidetracked
in the middle of testing and never got back to it.

 

[PR_Princess]

We got sidetracked in the middle of testing and never got back to it.

Now how could this possibly of happened??!!?! :wink::biggrin:

 

[JerrySambrook]

Now how could this possibly of happened??!!?! :wink::biggrin:

Gee, I wonder myself:wink::wink::wink:

 

[NewLondon88]

Now how could this possibly of happened??!!?! :wink::biggrin:

oh, I don't know .. someone started selling them faster than we could
produce them? :tongue: