I need to paint on glass

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Emibub

Emibub

PFG, Picture Framing God
Joined
Nov 2, 2001
Posts
9,246
Loc
Centennial, CO, USA
A customer brought me an old frame thatis rectangular but there is a metal arch shape on top. The areas of the glass not in the arch are painted a beige color. She is trying to restore it to it's most authentic condition considering it is a family frame. I told her I would fill the area with beige colored mat or paper whcih she will accept if need be. But, if I should try painting. Any ideas I have would show brush strokes. Would I have to spray it? I'm not planning on toomuch trouble because it is a small area to cover. Any one out there painted on glass before?
 
we do this with airbrush, nice and smooth and no brush marks because no brush used. If you are not good with airbrush you should be able to locate someone who is easily.
use 1-shot sign enamel and clean glass with auto prep wax and grease remover 1st. mask off the area around the painted surface and apply several thin coats.. kind of like painting a car only in miniature.
 
If it is float glass, you may have to paint on the "air" side. I don't know if this is true for all paints, but glazes, mirror coatings and some printers like to use the air side as opposed to the tin side. Perhaps someone knows (Realhotglass?)
 
Not sure John, we paint our convex glass, with never a problem with what would be either side of float to inner convex side.

Could be either way, after cleaning, cutting, setting up in the kiln etc, then spraying the inner surface.
At the moment, we spray with 2k auto clear (with additives to block UV, and also glass adhesion promoter).
This is made from float, and tin side may even help with adhesion. (something to 'key' to ?)

There were 2 recent threads about painting cc on coated side, maybe there are some tips in one of these ?
http://www.thegrumble.com/showthread.php?t=28295
http://www.thegrumble.com/showthread.php?t=29061

For a fairly easy way to do this, I would :
Use small touch up spray packs (acrylic lacquer) available from auto parts shops.
Remember float will make the colour quite a bit greener so get something lighter and redder looking on the cap. A perfect colour match will be difficult, unless trialled.
Clean glass normally.
Mask up as needed, quality masking tape and double newspaper to stop bleed, you can get 'fine line' tape from auto parts / paint supplier that leaves a finer edge if you like, but should be ok as long as you don't apply 1/16" of paint !
Use a wax & grease remover from auto shop too (usually avail in 1lt here, but you may have qrt). Don't need much.
(Wipe on, wipe off)
After this evaps a bit, final wipe with clean dry cloth.
Then, with tack off time between . . .
Very light first coat.
Another light coat.
Maybe a medium coat.

Spray in flat format, much larger brown paper etc on bench, glass flat on this so no overspray on other side, good ventilation, and it may look wishy washy in cover when finished and held up to light, but will look more opaque and be ok in the frame with something behind it.
Don't go too thick on the paint, you don't want a big paint edge on the masking tape.

Remove the tape while still slightly tacky, but tacked off a bit, pul off at 45o angle away from the paint edge.

Still, this is no quick and easy job, you have to go to the auto store, and something like this may take a couple of hours total.
 
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Kathy,

In the days before vinyl, signwriters would paint their lettering on glass with a french quill - and then when the paint was tacky, pounce the letters with a soft cloth bag filled with cotton and sometimes talc to remove the brush marks.

Mitch
 
Kathy,

I have done reverse painting on glass, both with a brush and spray paint. If it is truly a small area, try to mix the color in acrylic paint. using a soft brush, strokes may not be visible with a couple of coats.
Test it out first on scrap.
 
Umm, I was thinking coating is on inside of glass, which is best for protection of the painted surface.
Reading post again the original might not be ?
Colour change wouldn't be an issue on outer surface, but it might get affected more from years of cleaning (wiping, chemicals, etc).
If on the outer surface, maybe signwriters vinyl (if a good colour can be found) is a better option.
 
Wow, lots of ideas. I guess I will attempt to paint it since it is such a small area, just to say I did. The paint was on the inside of the glass in the original. But, if I understand correctly the photo is rectangular and the painted area would come in contact with the paint if I did that. I haven't seen the photo yet. It is an antique so I will have to put something between the paint and the photo. This thing is not in the best of shape but the customer is trying to bring it back to original condition because it means so much to her mother.

Thanks for all the ideas guys! I'll report back on how it goes.
 
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