Gilding PVC molding

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Posted by Marco on August 05, 2003

I actually have two questions. I have landed a nice black smalts job that I would like to use PVC molding on the perimeter. I did a sample piece where I abraded the molding with a Scotchbright, wiped with alcohol, sprayed yellow with Krylon's new Fusion product, sized and gilded. It looks great, but do you think it will last? Has anyone gilded PVC? How SHOULD I prep it?

I used the 50/50 lettering enamel and Smith's Cream formula for my smalts adhesive, but it was a very thin coating. I tried to stipple it a little to get more thickness, but I'm dissatisfied with the results. West Systems epoxy would be ideal except that it has UV issues I understand. So wouldn't SignFoam's PB Resin product with UV inhibitors work well and last forever?

I have the down payment check for these signs and I need to make some decisions. I'd greatly appreciate any help I can get.

Marco

Ron Percell

I've been spray preping with frog juice, then sizing or coating with oneshot for mainly interior projects. I would tink that a good oil size would hold up, and hang on well.

Does anyone else believe that the pvc will sweat enough oils to repale the size? it should hol on as well as vinyl does without out any preping. Time to time you might get a little fisheye, then frog juice makes a good barrier.

As far as the pb resin, well it might hold on but without a tint mixed in, combined with expanding nature of the resin, it might make it difficult if it were to foam up through the smalt, so dont use it too thick. The pvc would also have to be thick enough as to not bend, or else the resin might crack and separate, a back plate or bracing would help, and make sure to really screen/scuff the pvc well to give the resin some tooth to grab in the smalted areas.

Mike Jackson

Marco,
We did a set of PVC letters 15 years ago and they are still up and going strong. We primed the PVC with XIM Clear, then with block out and finally enamel. The cove edges of the letters were gilded as normal.

Hope this helps,
Mike Jackson

Mike Jackson

Just to clarify my earlier post, we were painting over 3/4" Sintra or Komacel sheet PVC. The surface of that stuff is really slick and smooth. The routed coves had a bit more texture. The XIM gripped it well and we have seen no deteriation. At 3/4" thickness, there has never been any bending or warping of the 8"-10" tall letters. I can see where thin materials might be prone to cracking if the material was allowed to bend or twist.

Mike Jackson

Kent Smith

I have had excellent results priming any PVC including pipe with Ti-Cote. It acts as a good barrier, adheres well to the PVC and size adheres well to it.