Nate the mule brought down a sheet of Birch plywood from Gothenburg, cut in to more manageable 12x16 inch panels, and we had a grand old day sanding and priming (Actually Gus and Nate did the sanding and priming, I think I came up with some sort of excuse)
After sanding they were primed with 2 coats of regular gelatin from the department store. This is an age old primer, and much the same as hide glue, according to Nate.
After that they got a thin layer of Michael Hardings Cremnitz white, mixed with 15% calcium carbonate for some added tooth and linseed oil to make it easier to apply. Application was done with a soft sponge.
They were then put in the racks and dried for about 2 weeks,
then I put on the second coat, to make up for not sanding the boards. They will now be left to dry for about a month. Dont sand in between these coats unless you have adequate protection. Lead dust is no good inhaling.
Cant wait to give them a try!
Nice! Hey -if these come out good you guys could start a business. I'd buy some. Realgesso.com has a super basic site, that you could probably whip up in a weekend. I always feel there's not enough quality custom surfaces readily available.
ReplyDeleteOh man since you're in the states, there is a company that sells great panels, I cant remember the name now, but Ill ask around and hit you up!
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