Wednesday 17 April 2013

Can painting 1

Enough talking, time for action.  As yesterday afternoon was surprisingly sunny and pleasant, I decided it was time to start actually working on the water can.

I'd bought a can of U-Pol Etch Primer off the internet (needed because otherwise paint just falls off galvanised steel) but it had no instructions or advice, other than dire warnings about how dangerous it is, and how it should only be used by professionals.  An internet search turned up the company's instruction sheet, and it was good news:  two coats needed, just 5 minutes between coats, and ready for a top coat in 20 to 30 minutes.

I set to work in the garden, and before long the shiny galvanised can had completely changed complexion.



A second coat covered all the slightly thin areas of paint from the first go, and it really does dry exceptionally quickly.

After waiting half an hour or so, I decided to get the first bit of colour on.  I chose the dark green, Middle Coach Green, because Jon the painter had told me when I collected them, that this colour was already thinned.  I thought it would be good to get an idea of the right consistency, for when I do the other colours.

When I started, a few things quickly became apparent:

1.  It's lovely, lovely paint.  Beautifully glossy, and nice to work with.
2.  You don't need much of it.
3.  The plastic pot I'd poured the paint into to work from had a hole in it, because paint was dripping out the bottom.
4.  You have to work fast because it dries quite quickly, and you have to keep going back to stop it running.

Anyway, before long, the first coat of dark green was on.

 

Later, I added the band of Dovedale Green, and you can really start to see the effect.


It'll be a few days before I have time to do any more, when I'll start on the red.  Then all the colours will need at least one more coat.  It's going to take a while.

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