HOW TO GET THE STAINED EFFECT ON YOUR PLASTER CASTS
Here are some instructions which will enable you to get that stained effect that we have on some of the pictures of the casts made from our moulds like this one:
(By the way - if you want to buy the above mould then visit our website!! You'll find the mould listed there!
The stained effect is really easy to do and really cheap and really fast! (By fast I mean that all you have to do is dip your plaques in a pre prepared mix then leave them overnight to dry - imagine how many plaques you could paint in one day!!). It's a really handy way of painting plaques with words on them like the above picture because the dip collects around the letters and dries slightly darker, making them stand out more so you don't have to paint each individual letter! What's more, by using this method you won't have to varnish your plaques because once they've dried they'll already have an "eggshell-type" effect!
First, you'll need the ingredients for the dip:
THE MAGIC RECIPE!!
Ingredients: (!!!)
Waterbased Woodstain. (I use Ronseal 5 year Woodstain TEAK)
PVA Adhesive. (Any old make!)
Water.
Instructions:
First, dilute the PVA adhesive - 1 part adhesive to 3 parts water. It's best to do this in a large container with an airtight lid. You'll need a container that will hold at least 6 litres of the diluted PVA. When you have 6 litres of diluted PVA, add to this 125ml of the woodstain. (Woodstains usually come in small tins of 125ml, so that's handy!). Mix it all together and voila - there's your dip!!!
A few more notes: You MUST use WATERBASED woodstain so that it will mix with the diluted PVA. Store your mix in an airtight container - otherwise it'll start to dry out and go all lumpy if you leave it for a long time. When you come to use your dip give it a stir to make sure that it's well mixed because the PVA and colour tend to sink to the bottom if you haven't used it for a while.
Why not try experimenting with a darker or lighter colour stain? Or even a coloured - (i.e. not "woody") - stain?
I can't stress how easy this method is! You'll be churning out loads of plaques in no time! Oh - I've just remembered: I paint the frame parts in B&Q Quick Dry Indoor Varnish Gloss Mahogany. This again is a waterbased varnish. I actually paint the frame bits as soon as I take the casts from their moulds. Then, when the plaque has dried out I go to the dipping stage, knowing that once that's dried the plaques will be finished!