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what is the best way to seal exterior chalkboards
Hi folks, I’m looking for some help to find the best way to seal exterior chalkboards. I’ve been making vinyl signs for a few years now and had a break recently to bring up my little girl. I have gone back to work now but I’m concentrating on what makes me really happy (but not really rich – as yet anyway) and I’ve switched the vinyl cutter for paint and brushes and chalks. My problem is that I cannot find a sealant for chalkboards. Normal pastel fixitive could be used indoors but it’s very poor anyway and tends to dissolve a lot of the colours – but is better than nothing for high traffic areas. I would love to be able to use chalks on exterior signs but cannot find a way to seal the boards. I’ve searched through the web and contacted many artists to no avail There is a company based in Australia that offer a chalkboard course where they promise to tell you their secret formula but will absolutely not divulge it outside of the course so the plot thickens. If anyone has any ideas, I’d be very grateful. At the moment I’m having the use chalk pens paints for exterior boards. Thanks in advance for any tips… nelijane.
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23 Replies
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good to see you back on the boards nelijane…
do you mean to make the chalk designs permanent after you have made the sign in chalk? or just that it want wash off with the rain but still have the ability to easily change the sign periodically?
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Nelijane,
Have you thought about using Zig waterproof chalk pens from Kuretake ltd.
There’s a good range of colours in both waterproof, for outdoor use, and non waterproof for indoor use.
I’m sure Kuretake have a web site.Steve
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Hi, I currently use the posterman and the posca pens – are the zig ones similar? I will have a look on the website. What I really want is to be able to use the chalk and pastels that I use inside for outdoor signs and then to seal them permanently. I find that chalk pens are great but you just can’t get the same effects that you can with traditional dust. I know that it’s possible coz there are large companies doing it – http://www.chalkart.com.au – but they are very secretive about the sealant they use. Pastel and chalk are very sensitive and the sealer needs to be able to work well with the colours and definition but be tough enough to stand up to rain etc. thanks for your ideas!
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This might sound a little strange but have you tried ladies hair spray?
I used it many moons ago to set chalk on pub boards…then wash off with warm water when you want to do a new design (designs would last a while with this method…worth a punt I’d say)
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thanks for the tip. I will try hairspray and see if it is kinder to the chalk than the conventional fixitive that I use. I’m still stuck for something to use outdoors though. Maybe I could use hairspray or fixitive and then varnish over the top. It’s very frustrating coz I know there is a way to do it but simply cannot find it! There are several large companies doing it who will not divulge the secret!
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Not sure about this, but while at college I heard Shellac was a way of doing this…..whether it is sprayed on or not I’m not sure, but I would imagine that would be the only way to apply it. Will try and find out more about it.
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It is also mentioned here
http://ask.metafilter.com/46386/How-do- … ists-do-itClear shellac is available, if the brown version affects the colour too much, although thinned down it might be ok.
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Sorry, can’t seem to edit my posts here.
These people have UK distributors and do a sprayable clearish shellac
http://www.zinsser.com/wtb-BullsEyeAmbe … =34&WID=31 -
Thanks Harry!
I can’t wait to try shellac! Sounds like it could be the answer, I’ll get some pronto and give it a shot. Nelijane
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Hope it works now! 😮
I would be inclined to fix the board first before shellacking it. Also, most of the spray on ‘stain blocks’ you can get in B&Q and the like are shellac based…they might work too and be cheaper. Check the label for shellac. Let us know how you get on.
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I’m off to B&Q this afternoon to have a look. I’ll fix the pastel with conventional pastel fixitive before using the shellac and see what results I get. I’ll let you know what happens! thanks again
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Hi, the latest update is: I contacted the uk supplier of shellac polishes and they sent me an email saying that the polishes are not recommended for exterior use and have poor water durability! I have tried to speak to the team in B&Q but it seems that their product knowledge does not cover this issue. Help!
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Just a thought – what about ‘Frog Juice’. It’s a varnish in an aerosol can. I suppose it would give the whole board a sheen which would then make it difficult to re-use as a chalkboard, but it would at least be waterproof.
Steve
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Can I go to B&Q and ask for Frog Juice?! I like the sound of it, thanks Steve
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Have you tried a conventional matt acrylic sealer? These are usually supplied for sealing decorative wall effects (marbling, graining etc) are are available from decorators merchants and B&Q if its a decent one.
I have used these over emulsion paints to give a more durable surface in areas of high wear, but they maintain most of the matt finish unlike other emulsion based products.
Colin
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I’m glad to hear you’re following your heart – you’ll make a niche for yourself. I’ve done quite a bit of work with pastels and chalk, & I’m interested in pursuing the chalk menu boards myself. I have used workable matte fixatives, which you apply between layers very lightly. Golden makes a finishing varish called Golden Archival Spray Varnish as well. I would mask off everything except the chalk art before applying anything so it doesn’t affect the writing area. I think I’d run a bunch of tests on different fixatives and finishes, because they can muddy your colors, also to see which ones give the most protection. Stick it outside in the rain for a few days. Here are a couple of articles you might find interesting: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/visualart … art08.html
http://www.letterhead.com/steps/rob_clark/ -
i just spent the last week and a half doing a chalkboard and i´m not finished yet for a cafe bar that wants serve pasta. i took the real cheapskate way to do it and used white wall paint and acrylics mixed so the paints would not be see through on the blackboard. using a brush! dont look too much like chalk. but i had the same problem with the
takes so long.
your work looks nice and spontaneously alive.
nice to heare from you…
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wakey wakey…
i had the same problem with the use of chalks , chalkpens or wall paint. in the end i´m using brush for the pics and the lettering in chalkpen.
i´ll send in some pics when i´m done…
b
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Here’s a link with instructions for making your own chalkboard paint in custom colors. It’s a "craft" site, but I’ve seen the custom color backgrounds used to very nice effect on these menu boards.
http://www.geocities.com/kraftproject/I … paint.html
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Hi all, thanks for all the tips. It’s great to hear so many who are interested in chalkboards. I’m finding lots of work and they seem to be very popular around here. I’m still looking for the perfect sealant but have contacted some large companies and hope to hear something positive back soon, I’ll post with details as and when! It would be great to see some pictures of some work too. thanks to all, great links from kimberley.
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Wasn’t there a tennis player who used to rant and rave about chalk dust?
Don’t mind me – I’ll just get backinrowe
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thanks John, that was terrible!!!
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