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This is an interactive Bulletin Board on the topics of Sign making, design, fabrication, History, old Books and of coarse Letterheads, Keepers of the craft. The Hand Lettering Forum features links to resources, sign art history, techniques, and artists profiles. Learn more about Letterheads at https://theletterheads.com. Below you'll see Mchat has been added as a live communication portal for trial, and the Main forum Links are listed below.

Search found 251 matches

by BruceJackson
Sun Nov 20, 2011 7:30 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Lear
Replies: 44
Views: 33804

Re: Lear

Hi Bill,

Brutal?...yeah, a bit...I know sarcasm doesn't always work online......but you have to remember. Dave is a pom...and I'm a colonial....So it is in our cultural heritage to be able to get away with high praise dressed as dismissive insult...hahaha....he'll know it's a mark of my admiration.
by BruceJackson
Thu Nov 17, 2011 8:11 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Lear
Replies: 44
Views: 33804

Re: Lear

Amazing is it? Hmmm....It's OK I suppose... A bit overblown. Smacks of try-hard-ism. Too many bloody curly bits! Makes me wither to have to fight through so much decoration. The textures and finishes are a bit ho-hum...We've seen it all before Dave. Same old etch, same old cutting, same old gold. Pe...
by BruceJackson
Wed Nov 16, 2011 7:27 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Sign Of The Times - Nov. 1990
Replies: 4
Views: 3311

Re: Sign Of The Times - Nov. 1990

My paint supply shop (Artmart) has a rack of old signcraft magazines for sale. The business has morphed with the sign industry to become mainly a supplier of vinyl and digital print substrates. But they still keep a rack of sign paints and a cabinet of brushes and other sign equipment. Among them is...
by BruceJackson
Mon Nov 14, 2011 11:48 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: No news?
Replies: 87
Views: 86500

Re: No news?

Hi Erik, You misunderstood me. I don't mean a hole for ventilation. The air gap I refer to is a space between the back of the glass panel and the wall behind it. The principle idea is that nothing should touch the back of the splashback. Or more accurately, nothing should touch the paint that has be...
by BruceJackson
Mon Nov 14, 2011 12:01 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: No news?
Replies: 87
Views: 86500

Re: No news?

Hi Anthony, yes, 6mm toughened glass with flat polished edges. It has to be able to meet safety standards which require this type. In the Australian specification, the glass splashback must be toughened and be minimum 200mm from the gas hob (naked flame). I believe it is also required to have a fire...
by BruceJackson
Thu Nov 10, 2011 12:49 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: No news?
Replies: 87
Views: 86500

Re: No news?

Hi Roderick, yes, it's a forest scene. As we are all aware, gold on glass is hard to photograph. I originally did one like this about 10 years ago and I have it in my own kitchen. Here's a photo of it at this link http://www.goldreverre.com/images/splashbacks_large/kitchen936.jpg I've done it 3 or 4...
by BruceJackson
Mon Nov 07, 2011 10:05 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: No news?
Replies: 87
Views: 86500

Re: No news?

Erik, the brass (schlag) is just coated with varnish...Plain old oil-based varnish. There's about 20 square meters of it in each tram. I mark up a grid on the panel as a guide for accurate leaf placement, size it, and apply the brass leaf. I found one easy way to do it, by placing the leaf onto a pi...
by BruceJackson
Mon Nov 07, 2011 5:20 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: No news?
Replies: 87
Views: 86500

Re: No news?

Here's a few recent jobs. I'm currently doing some work on two new restaurant trams. These trams tour around the city (Melbourne, Australia) while patrons enjoy a meal and drinks. The trams are "W" class, from the 1930's, but re-built with modern running gear/electrics/ etc. I do all the o...
by BruceJackson
Sat Sep 10, 2011 12:16 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Gold Leaf
Replies: 20
Views: 15377

Re: Gold Leaf

I'm not too worried about gold leaf manufacturing being outsourced or re-badged. After all, what matters is the quality of the end product. Outsourcing, as a model of business, is standard in all other industries. The brand name is a commodity in itself. If the brand is going to have any meaning, it...
by BruceJackson
Wed Jul 13, 2011 7:08 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: antique shop window
Replies: 16
Views: 10854

Re: antique shop window

nice Job, You're a brave man tackling a job that size in one day. At the least, I'd want to leave it overnight before before cleaning off the excess gold. It's quite a lot of work to cram into 9 hours...i think you've been very efficient with your time. Must have had warm weather too. I find waiting...
by BruceJackson
Wed Jun 15, 2011 12:02 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Piet Mondrian table top - query
Replies: 2
Views: 2343

Re: Piet Mondrian table top - query

Hi Jeth, welcome aboard. Q1. Definitely needed!...in this situation, I always try to have a space between the back of the work and any surface. With the painting on the back of glass, what you are doing is resting it directly onto a surface. You'd never do that with a regular painting. Over the cour...
by BruceJackson
Tue Jun 14, 2011 11:07 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Glass signs of Porto
Replies: 14
Views: 8574

Re: Glass signs of Porto

love it, love it, love it.....it's interesting, and not really surprising, to see the similarity with some of the transom glass signs elsewhere in Europe, especially France. Some great examples of period lettering styles. Would love to know what was in the right-side panel of the "Casa de S.Jos...
by BruceJackson
Thu Jun 02, 2011 11:31 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Gold Leaf
Replies: 20
Views: 15377

Re: Gold Leaf

Hi Doug, It would be unfair of me to post the name in a public space such as this forum. My contact at this particular Chinese factory tells me that they often make leaf for various European gold leaf houses. I got them to make a batch of moon gold (60 books) for me last year, and he told me that th...
by BruceJackson
Wed Jun 01, 2011 8:58 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Old Gold and Glass
Replies: 4
Views: 3258

Re: Old Gold and Glass

Nice...thanks for posting...

The crushed tin foil thing was often used as a backing for folk art paintings on glass. it's usually not attached to the glass. It's just loose and sits in the frame behind the work.

For that matter, you might see silk cloth or butterfly wings used the same way.
by BruceJackson
Wed Jun 01, 2011 8:23 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Gold Leaf
Replies: 20
Views: 15377

Re: Gold Leaf

makes me feel like some backwoods hillbilly....T'aint never seem them thar glassene packets. Honestly, in the 20 odd years I've been gilding, using leaf from many different sources, I've never yet had one come in a packet like that. Even the few antique books I've acquired from different sources hav...
by BruceJackson
Sun May 15, 2011 4:21 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: One shot back into the can?
Replies: 1
Views: 1642

Re: One shot back into the can?

I never return paint to the can. I used to do it years ago, and noticed I would often get "seeds" in the paint. Seeds, being little grainy bits of semi-dried paint. I don't get seeds these days. The conventional wisdom is that is makes the paint go off much quicker. Short of a controlled c...
by BruceJackson
Thu May 12, 2011 6:09 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: New member from Australia
Replies: 3
Views: 2383

Re: New member from Australia

Hi Judith and Welcome, I'm not that far away. I'm a couple of hours drive on the other side of Melbourne, in Warrandyte. You'll find a lot of good info and talented people on this forum. It's a great resource, especially all the highly specific discussions on rare techniques and methods that can be ...
by BruceJackson
Tue May 10, 2011 6:13 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: GLUE CHIPPING HELP !!!
Replies: 13
Views: 11673

Re: GLUE CHIPPING HELP !!!

Danny, thanks for the correction. I was just guessing the strength range. I remember being told to look for 5X grade...which I always assumed was one of the highest grades. I never did manage to get hold of this type because i had good results with the rabbit skin/pearl glue mixture that I mentioned...
by BruceJackson
Sun May 08, 2011 8:04 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: GLUE CHIPPING HELP !!!
Replies: 13
Views: 11673

Re: GLUE CHIPPING HELP !!!

Just to add another comment: I recall there have been discussions on glues and relative strengths and properties before. It would be worth a search of the forum archive. I've forgotten the technical details, but I know that these animal-sourced glues and gelatins are graded and given a number accord...
by BruceJackson
Thu May 05, 2011 4:51 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: GLUE CHIPPING HELP !!!
Replies: 13
Views: 11673

Re: GLUE CHIPPING HELP !!!

You can use rabbit skin glue, but it all depends on the quality of the glue. It varies quite a lot. I have some rabbit skin glue that is a dirty brown color and it works brilliantly. Glue from another source was a honey yellow color and is useless. go figure. An alternative is pearl glue or joiner's...
by BruceJackson
Mon Apr 25, 2011 2:55 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: abalone train
Replies: 5
Views: 3883

Re: abalone train

there was another post a few days ago pointing to this sign. In one way, I'm glad signs are starting to realize some decent value, but I also feel that this one is over-priced and can't be regarded as a typical example of sign collectibility. It's just not that outstanding compared to some other wor...
by BruceJackson
Fri Apr 22, 2011 6:59 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Are yellow page ads really necessary?
Replies: 4
Views: 3127

Re: Are yellow page ads really necessary?

I started gradually reduced my yellow pages advertising spend about 15 years ago when I started to specialize in gold leaf work, and reduce my regular sign work. It was always an expensive place and never really seemed to be worth it. At least with a speciality, you could be more focused and not pay...
by BruceJackson
Tue Apr 19, 2011 8:31 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: gilding a mirror in leaf
Replies: 33
Views: 19999

Re: gilding a mirror in leaf

Using beer certainly gave the pattern of laid leaves more definition. It shows clearly each sheet, and has some nice variation in the reflectivity from the edge of a sheet to the middle. You got the "fogginess" right. I'd love to see it now after 8 years. Any change in appearance? I'd like...
by BruceJackson
Fri Apr 08, 2011 6:42 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Tin Mirrors
Replies: 5
Views: 3760

Re: Tin Mirrors

can anyone suggest some online resources for this type of reading? I know the basic theory behind this process. I've spoken with guys that specialize in making mirror and they've given me some lay knowledge of the chemicals and methods, but the details of formulations has always been a bit of a myst...
by BruceJackson
Tue Apr 05, 2011 8:44 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Manual tube filling machine...
Replies: 10
Views: 7078

Re: Manual tube filling machine...

So what are you going to put in those tubes? The guy who makes my favourite back-up paint, Vipond's drop black, told me he hasn't made a new batch for 3 or 4 years and is just slowly selling old stock. In fact, when my local sign supplies shop stopped stocking it recently, I called him and he said.....
by BruceJackson
Mon Apr 04, 2011 8:07 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Seeking Trip Advise
Replies: 2
Views: 2210

Re: Seeking Trip Advise

Hi Robare, I have never been there myself, but I have a list of things I would want to do. First would be the MET. To see the work of Jean Dupas. He did the huge art deco glass murals that were on the cruise ship "Normandie". But the absolute "must do", is a nearby trip to the Co...
by BruceJackson
Sun Apr 03, 2011 8:56 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Updated Scam
Replies: 4
Views: 2823

Re: Updated Scam

I've had them too. Quite a few actually. The thing that always makes them obvious is the lack of discussion about their specific requirements. They just place a big order without any request for information or questions about what I will supply. A genuine client always wants to know exactly what the...
by BruceJackson
Sun Apr 03, 2011 8:31 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Color Photo - 1906
Replies: 2
Views: 2486

Re: Color Photo - 1906

Wow, these photos are even more extraordinary for another reason. They are 3D photos. They are meant to be seen through one of the old viewers. I don't have one of the viewers available and you probably don't either, but you can see it in 3D without a viewer. Go to the page where they where publishe...
by BruceJackson
Thu Feb 17, 2011 7:27 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Oil for Gold
Replies: 2
Views: 1948

Re: Oil for Gold

With several thousand years of status tied to gold, I think the revolution to lower people's desire for it is going to be a very very slow one. Actually...gold may not be worth as much as it used to be... Cheer up Robare, I read somewhere, that if gold kept pace with inflation over the last 30 years...
by BruceJackson
Tue Feb 15, 2011 9:13 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Florence window gilding
Replies: 16
Views: 13052

Re: Florence window gilding

nice. I started using this design combination in the late 80's and ended up doing quite a few windows in the inner suburbs of Melbourne. Similar to your first photo, using a classic Roman pointy-serif style in a prismatic to emulate a stone-carved letter. It became a bit of a signature style. For th...