Message-Id: <199606271742.NAA16362@bort.mv.net>
From: Wolfgang Brinck <hksystems.com!brinck@imagelan.com>
Subject: Re: Painting Skin
To: baidarka@imagelan.com
Date: Thu, 27 Jun 96 12:38:48 CDT
In-Reply-To: <960626235850_143870088@emout16.mail.aol.com>; from "Patfly@imagelan.com" at Jun 26, 96 11:58 pm
The photo on the cover of the Aleutian Kayak was supplied by my publisher
who got it from some photo service. Bob Boucher tells me that the boat was
made by someone on the West Coast or Alaska who runs paddling trips in
these boats. I believe it is the same outfit that supplies paddlers with
Aleut style paddling hats. The boat on the cover is covered with some
type of synthetic skin. I don't know what the sealant is.
I don't know what would work best for canvas. Several coats of
varnish might work. You can make skin transparent or
translucent if the fibers of the skin are themselves transparent. I don't
know if this is true of cotton. I haven't looked at it closely enough.
I do know plain unpigmented synthetic fibers can be made transparent.
Then if the index of refraction of the fibers closely matches the
index of refraction of the resin or varnish or whatever, the fibers
become invisible and the skin becomes transparent. Your best bet for
translucency is to try different treatments on swatches of canvas
and see how they work.
I mentioned the Thompson's waterseal in my book primarily as a mildew
retardant. No, it is not suitable as a final coat for the boat. Yes,
it does take a long time to dry. If your boat dries thoroughly between
uses, mildew retardant is less of an issue. However, a boat that stays
wet will have the skin rot sooner. Svend Ulstrup who teaches boat building
in Denmark claims that linseed oil cut with paint thinner so it can
penetrate the weave of the canvas retards rotting. However, it will
not retard darkening. So, plain linseed oil will probably work as
a sealer, but the canvas itself will darken in time and develop uneven
splotches and you will get interesting patterns resembling the markings
of a ring seal. I find these random patterns attractive, however, you
might not. That probably leaves synthetic treatments like clear varnish
or clear acrylic medium. I have never tried any of these so I don't know.
A final consideration with clear treatment is its ability to fill the
weave. A smooth boat paddles better than one with a rough finish. Fiber
glass people have fillers that they mix with their resins. You might
try some of them to give your clear finish some bulk so it can fill
the weave better than plain medium.
Sorry I can't give you anything more definitive than this, but I have
never done translucent skins myself.
Good luck, Wolfgang ----------------------- wolfgang.brinck@hksystems.com