In this blog post, we'll dive into the diverse applications of CrystaLac and explore why it's a must-have for artisans and hobbyists alike.
CrystaLac is a unique line of water-based finishing products that are celebrated for their ease of use, versatility, and beautiful results. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting on your creative journey, CrystaLac offers a range of solutions to help you achieve the finish you desire.
One of the primary uses of CrystaLac is in wood finishing. It's an excellent alternative to traditional oil-based finishes and offers a beautiful, protective coat on furniture, cabinetry, and decorative woodwork.
CrystaLac's non-toxic and low-odor properties make it a favorite among crafters and artists. It can be used to seal paintings, decoupage, or add a protective coating to a variety of art projects.
Some CrystaLac products are formulated to protect metal surfaces from rusting and corrosion. They can be applied to metal furniture, sculptures, and other decorative pieces for long-lasting protection.
CrystaLac's durability and resistance to weathering also make it suitable for automotive and marine use. Whether restoring an old car or preserving the finish of a boat, CrystaLac has a product to meet your needs.
From sealing concrete floors to refreshing kitchen cabinets, CrystaLac can be a valuable addition to your home improvement toolkit. Its water-based formulation allows for easy cleanup and minimal environmental impact.
CrystaLac's broad spectrum of applications makes it a versatile and valuable product for anyone engaged in woodworking, crafting, or home improvement projects. Its eco-friendly properties and durable finish have earned it a reputation as a go-to product for professionals and enthusiasts alike.
For those looking to explore the different CrystaLac products and find the perfect solution for their needs, our e-commerce store offers a wide selection to choose from. From wood finishing to metal protection, discover how CrystaLac can elevate your next project today.
Keywords:
CrystaLac, wood finishing, crafting, DIY, water-based finishes, home improvement, metal protection, automotive, marine applications, eco-friendly
When you are creating CrystaLac Tumblers - Use as many or as few of the products below as needed or go use them all with the CrystaLac Tumbler Kit (Epoxy Free).
Below we will describe CrystaLac for tumblers, the products and simple applications instructions.
Flip'N Awesome Paints can be used as a base coat on thoroughly sanded stainless steel. They may require more than one coat with dry time of 2-3 hour dry time between coats.
Extreme Protection Clear Gloss Top Coat that can be used directly over a dried base coat to adhere glitter. This product is used as a less costly way to build up layering when creating a glitter design It has many other uses as well, but is mainly used in that way. Also available in different sheens.
Very High Solids Top coat that is best used for layering a Super Clear, High Gloss, Durable Protective Finish to your project. This can also be used as a base coat realizing it is clear and the sanding marks will be showing through. Use an opaque next step if you want these covered.This is what is used over everything for the brilliant finish and shine or a CrystaLac Brite Tone tumbler.
It is available in gloss, satin or matte.
Clear Gel Stain is used to mix the pigments into to create great colors for a wood stain look, best used over the Universal White base-coat. Of course, the Universal White can be colored as well with the pigments then the Clear Gel Stain can too. In addition to this there are pre-mixed gel stains available.
Combining the shades you need can create a great wood-grain look.
This medium can also be used to more easily swirl colors, because it is thinner, by mixing with the pigments or acrylic paints then blowing with a straw or canned air or tipping the cup for movement. This is not used as a topcoat and will need to be covered with a topcoat for a final finish.
The metallics are highly concentrated mica pigments incorporated into a liquid solution making them easy to use without having to deal with airborne particles.
Five vibrant colors are available - (Silver, Gold, Copper, Champagne and Rose)
These can be directly added into the Extreme Protection or Brite Tone. They can also be used straight for intense color similar to gold leafing. The can also be added to the Black Gloss for an added shimmer if you desire.
Flip'N Awesome 3 in 1 pre-made paint colors have 12 amazing colors plus a few seasonal and limited edition colors at times. Use as is or mix together to make your own blend. CraftNique Color Boutique concentrated pigments can also be added to flip your shade into it's own unique color.
As with all CrystaLac products, you can mix these colors with the others as well as the top coats!
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A few things of note -
Provide a clean, ventilated, stable temperature environment in which to apply CrystaLac® finish coatings. CrystaLac® is self-leveling and dries rapidly. Hard cure and crystal clarity will occur best at an average temperature of 70° F with a gentle circulation of moving air. This will aid in rapid surface evaporation of water and minimize or eliminate grain rising. Using below 60° F or above 90°F can affect the performance of the finish coat.
After the coating is dry to touch, it will take airtime to cure and harden. The temperature should remain constant over this time period. DO NOT store CrystaLac® finishing products below 60ºF. Avoid freezing.
Careful sanding and preparation of your project will help ensure a good quality finish. We recommend you sand using 220 -600, moving through intermediate grits. The finer grades of sandpaper will help keep wood grain tight and minimize or eliminate grain rising. CAUTION: USE OF COATED OR STEARATED SANDPAPERS can leave residue on the surface causing the coating not to bond property to the surface. This would be evident if the coating suddenly separated into a series of small clear craters like circles (sometimes called fisheye). Lack of adhesion can also occur if any oils or silicones are left on the surface to be coated. Avoid using steel wool or tack rags as these sometimes contain lubricants and silicones. Avoid any material that might contaminate the surface. Applying CrystaLac® to cold wood may cause the coating to perform erratically. Be sure that the wood and the coating are applied are at normal room temperature.
Stir product thoroughly to ensure that any settled particles mix through the coating. DO NOT SHAKE. You may want to filter the coating before use. Use a paper cone filter or a nylon filter to strain. In most instances, CrystaLac® finishes can be sprayed straight from the can.
CrystaLac® Coatings can be successfully applied over oil-based stains, previously coated surfaces with lacquer, urethanes, shellacs, varnishes etc. It is critical that the surface to which CrystaLac® is applied be free of oil, wax, dust, and polish. Newly applied oil-based stains and solvent finishes must be thoroughly dry and solvents totally evaporated for proper bonding and adhesion to occur. A premature application will result in bubbling, foaming, and non-adhesion of CrystaLac® to the surface. When applying CrystaLac® Coatings over a surface that has had paint remover applied, be sure that the surface has been thoroughly cleaned, and no waxy residue remains on the surface or in the wood grain. It is advisable to test for proper adhesion over all oil-based stains, non-waterborne coatings or stripped surfaces before proceeding with the entire project.
When spraying we recommend an HVLP spray gun. Avoid the extreme of either too fine a mist or flooding of material. Apply a light wet film of approximately 2 mils. The most common error when spraying waterborne coatings is applying a thick wet coat. A little practice and experience will help you achieve the right technique and best results. Always spay horizontal surfaces holding your spray gun at a slight angle away from you. Begin close and work away from the target to avoid over-spraying the work you just finished. Remember this material bonds mechanically. It does not re-melt and burn-in to the previous coat. If necessary sand between coats with 320 grit or finer for sealer/topcoats. Clean sanded surfaces by blowing off any dust and using a damp cloth.
An HLVP system and a 1mm tip and needle (.039) will usually provide the best results. If using conventional compressed air systems, a fine lacquer tip is suggested at pressures of 40-45psi although with the gun we used we found that 25-30 psi worked well. Spray guns will usually atomize CrystaLac® with 4.5-5.0 psi air cap pressure. Adjust if necessary. Test spray samples before committing to the job.
CrystaLac products can react with ferrous metals, aluminum and certain alloys that can cause corrosion and contamination of spray gun parts. It is important that all spray gun parts coming in contact with any of these fluids be of a high-grade stainless steel or Teflon coated, to afford a measure of protection.
Possible reactions can be aluminum pitting, corrosion, rusting, discoloration, and contamination of the coating to be applied.
Cup type spray guns should not only have a stainless-steel tip, needle, and fluid passage, but also the cup assembly parts. Aluminum cups should be Teflon coated for optimum protection. Secondary parts (needle and housing springs, air distributor plates etc.) should also be stainless steel.
Recommended precautions for older pressure pots are using an appropriate pot liner, changing the fluid pickup tube to stainless steel or plastic, and coating the underside of the pressure pot lid with an epoxy paint or a suitable protective coating.
A new pressure pot designed for these modern coatings is advised.
Fluid hoses should be high quality and lined. Hose couplers should be of appropriate non-corrosive metals. Cup type spray guns be cleaned after completion of a project. The material should not be left in the spray gun overnight. The same is recommended for pressure pot use. Remove the material from the pot and flush fluid lines at the end of the workday.
Depending on what you are trying to achieve in the finished appearance, the number of coats will vary. Usually, 3 or 4 coats (sanding with 320 – 400) will provide excellent depth of finish. For a heavier appearing finish, (more than four coats), allow additional time between each application (at least a few hours or more). This will permit internal additives to evaporate and not become trapped by the multiple coats. This will ensure proper curing, hardening and print resistance.
Crystalac® will usually be dry to touch in 10 to 15 minutes if applied properly. Extremely wet applications will take slightly longer. Re-coating too soon can sometimes cause an orange peel effect and may extend the final cure time of the product.
BE PATIENT! Wait for it...it will be worth the wait.
Allow 2-3 hours wait time for recoating depending on conditions. Also be careful to apply thin, even coats. Cold or wet days may extend dry time.
The best and easiest part of using CrystaLac® is the clean up with warm water!
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We will start with the wood restoration products that are the flagship of Ramax, Inc.
Shake well. Apply to wood surface with a soft, lint free cloth. Wipe away old dirt and residue with a clean cotton cloth.
New Life Wood Conditioner leaves a beautiful satin luster. If wood is extremely dehydrated repeat the process as many times as needed until you get the desired results then apply monthly thereafter to maintain. May be used more often if wood or furniture is continuously exposed to dry heat.
Apply masque gently with fingertips and let sit for 5 minutes. Wipe off thoroughly and wipe dry. In the case of damaged finishes, stubborn dirt and wax buildup of 1/8 inch or more - rub with 4/0 steel wool VERY softly and gently so you do not harm the finish of the piece, then repeat as necessary to completely clean.
Be sure to remove all of the masque from surfaces and always only leave on long enough to get clean.
Follow up with New Life Wood Moisturizer or New Life Cream Polish to complete the clean up.
Shake well before using in all applications.
For Polishing:
Pour a small quantity of cream polish on a soft cotton cloth that has been slightly dampened in cold water. Clean one article at a time, rubbing until all dirt and stains have been removed. Allow to stand a few minutes then rub briskly with a dry cloth for a bright shine.
For Dusting:
Take a soft cotton cloth and pour a small quantity polish into the folds. Work the polish into the cloth well. Use this cloth for daily dusting, it will gather and hold the dust to keep surfaces clean.
Dip a small piece of terry cloth in brass and copper polish. Rub the surface until a good shine has been obtained. Use a larger piece of clean terry cloth to wipe off the excess polish and buff to a high shine.
If the item is heavily tarnished, coat the item and let it stand for 20 - 30 minutes. Dip a small polish cloth in polish then repeat instructions above. Once an item is thoroughly cleaned and polished us a soft brush to remove dried polish from crevices.
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