Shelly 5/1/08

I understand that someone out there has found a terrific coating for metal mounts that involves a powder and minimal heat and no fumes and passed Oddy tests, but I can't find it in these discussions. Can someone please direct me to this material and share your experiences with it? It sounds potentially wonderful!

I normally use Krylon Crystal Clear or B72 in xylene (seems more flexible and less bubbly than with other solvents), but am interested in other coatings you all might be using as well.

Thanks much, Shelly

Philip Brutz

5/1/08

We have been using this coating a lot.  We can paint the mount with acrylic paint and then heat it with a heat gun and then ether dip it into the powder or sprinkle on the mount.  Then we heat the mount again to get the plastic to flow out.  Sometimes we dip it twice if we want a thicker coating.  The coating is design to make light bulbs shatter proof. So it is clear and UV resistant.  The coating is glossy but you can make it duller if touch it while it is still warm.  You also can sand it to dull it down.  The mount is usable as soon as it cools.  It is great for armor and swords that can cut through other barriers. I also coat my pinning pliers with it to make them safer around objects. We also use it in black.

I would like to thank Mac at the Getty for ODDY testing it for us!!!!

http://www.plascoat.com/techdocs/datasheets/plascoat_Vitroguard.htm

Philip Brutz Mountmaker Cleveland Museum of Art 11150 East Blvd. Cleveland, OH 44106-1797 216-707-2617

steve 5/1/08

RE: [mountmaking-forum] Re: Mount Coatings Wow! This sounds great. Where do you get it, how does it come, how expensive? How hot do have to get the object that you are applying it to?

Philip Brutz

5/1/08

You can get it by following this link: http://www.plascoat.com/techdocs/datasheets/plascoat_Vitroguard.htm

It comes in a 44 lb box for $286.  A 44 lb box would last you about 100 years.  So it might make sense for someone like Benchmark to sell it in smaller quantities. You have heat the mount to about 230C. Don't heat the mount high enough to discolor the acrylic paint.

Bradley Sanders

5/1/08

Hi Philip,

Thank you so much for the hot tip. I wonder about procedure... the last bit of acrylic we use (after primer and base-coat) is a brush painted faux coat. Then we typically apply the padding or dip-coat b-72. Have you been successful with the same heating and sprinkling technique over hand painted acrylic?

Bradley Sanders

Philip Brutz 5/1/08 Yes, that is what is so cool about this coating is that we can paint out the mount, heat it, dip it, and install it. Philip

Philip Brutz 5/5/08 We should also be conservative about it and really study the pros and cons of using it.  We don't really know what it is going to be like in 30 years.  The mountmakers at the Leeds Armoury have been using the black coating for a while.  If any of them are on the forum maybe they can talk about their experience with it.  As far as I know The Cleveland Museum of Art mountmakers are the only ones to have tried the clear.  I have seen old mounts from the 1970s that were made of copper plated mild steel TIG welding rod.  The mounts had plastic tubing on them that reacted with the TIG rod causing a green slime to form over time.  The mountmakers back then had no idea that this would happen.

steve 5/6/08 I have found many mounts that were made 20 or 30 years ago that have had problems that no one thought would happen at the time, bad adhesives, vinyl tubing and certain paints or coatings. Even electrolysis taking place where coatings or padding were gone or non-existent has been seen.  I try to review mounts that I make after a while just to check on any issues.  Sometimes you even go back and revisit things just because you hear of a better idea, like through folks in this forum, or you have one of those "revelations" in the middle of the night.