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The test results are in and I'm happy to say the
addition of the finish sealer (water base only) does
indeed help to make joint compound less porous and
easier to finish with paint. I used dry powder joint
compound, but you can use the pre-mixed which I will
explain later in this letter. My mixture for a very
small stencil (which was way to much) was 3tablespoons
of sealer, 3 tablespoons water and 4 1/2 tablespoons
of dry joint compound. When using the powdered joint
compound always add the powder to the water mixing
thoroughly as you add. If you are using the pre-mixed
I would use at least 7 tablespoons per cup of joint
compound. There are lots of tablespoons in a bottle.
It probably will thin it down some, but if you let it
set exposed to air for a bit it will start to thicken
again. Just make sure it is thoroughly mixed. My
mixture was like a thinner toothpaste, but going up on
a wall you will probably want it to be quite a bit
thicker than that. Just be sure to hold the plaster
side of your stencil down tight to keep the plaster
from "bleeding" under the edges as you spread it. If
it does bleed just take a damp, not wet, Qtip and wipe
it away as quickly as possible once you remove the
stencil. When you clean your plaster stencils DO NOT
do so in a sink. Plaster, even under water will settle
and harden in drains and can cause a plug. Use a kitty
litter box or something like that outside.
Now.....finishing with the paint test. I divided
the plaster stencil into 3 sections. I sanded the
first very lightly with a very fine sandpaper in small
diamond shapes and I let just the weight of the paper
do the sanding. If you are doing a large area cut
larger diamonds and hold the far corner of the paper
to sand lightly using just the weight of the paper for
pressure again. When finished with sanding use a very
soft, fluffy artists blending brush to remove the
sanding dust. use an old terry towel to remove the
dust from the brush periodically to prevent build up
of dust in the bristles. An alternative, if you have
an old, fluffy, soft make up brush you don't need
anymore you can use that. Wash it thoroughly with
SOAPY water to remove any trace of oily product, rinse
and dry completely before using. When I painted this
section of the plaster the paint went on like
spreading soft butter. The plaster was silky and
smooth and no real absorbency.
#2. On this rougher section of the plaster the
paint went on without being absorbed, but was more
time consuming, only because of the rougher texture
and certainly not the pleasant experience of painting
the sanded section.
#3. On this section I added a very small amount
of faux glaze to the paint which, indeed, made the
paint go on much easier, but the glaze also makes the
paint more transparent and I really don't think this
is what you are looking for. Right?
For a truly professional, beautiful FINISHED look
I really think the sanded version will please both you
and your client the most. I also suggest you do your
own test at home so you get a "feel" for the product
before you start your project. That way you also know
how long you will need to let the joint compound sit
to thicken before you use it on the wall. I let mine
cure for 24 hours and it was ready to sand and paint.
On larger sections of plaster it will take longer.
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