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paint stripping & water pressure

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Dilbert Firestorm

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Apr 9, 2006, 8:58:32 PM4/9/06
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hey all..

my parents have a terracotta statue that was originally painted dark
green shade to make it look weathered and old. I believe that how it was
when they bought it. they decided 2 years ago to touch it up with a
different green color and hired a guy to paint it. however, he used a
wrong type of green (bright loud green) (I think he didn't do it right)
and my mom didn't like it.

I was told that a paint stripper would do the job of removing the old
paint to terracotta. spray the stripper at the statue, let it set and
use jet spray to remove it completely.

when using jet spray, is using a garden hose spray gun approriate for
this task? does it have enough water pressure to remove & break up the
paint?

would a high pressure water machine be need for this job? if so, how
much pressure is needed?

Tim Wright

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Apr 9, 2006, 9:51:48 PM4/9/06
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Try the garden hose. If that doesn't work, take it to a car wash. Just
make sure it's secure so the pressure doesn't cause it to get broken.

--

Tim W

"Money frees you from doing things you dislike. Since I dislike doing
nearly everything, money is handy."

Groucho Marx

Charles Bishop

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Apr 9, 2006, 10:23:34 PM4/9/06
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In article <e1cajj$dmv$1...@news.datasync.com>, Dilbert Firestorm
<sca...@byteme.com> wrote:

I'd go the other way I think. Use a small amount of paint stripper and a
Q-tip in an not noticible spot on the statue first to see how much effort
it takes. Then if it works, I'd brush on the remover, wait the required
amount of time and gently brush it, and the paint, off. Repeat as
necessary.

Do they just want to take off spots of the green paint where the touch up
was done, or was the entire statue painted with the icky-green? If it's
the latter, than proceed as above. If it's the former, I'd go with Q-tips
or a small brush for the touch up areas, and blot most of the stripper
off, then wash. Again, repeat as necessary.

If the paint(s) are water based, so much the better. If one or both are
oil based, choose the appropriate stripper and clean with thinner, then
alcohol, then water.

--
charles

Dilbert Firestorm

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Apr 9, 2006, 10:26:27 PM4/9/06
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Tim Wright wrote:

> Dilbert Firestorm wrote:
>
>> hey all..
>>
>> my parents have a terracotta statue that was originally painted dark
>> green shade to make it look weathered and old. I believe that how it
>> was when they bought it. they decided 2 years ago to touch it up
>> with a different green color and hired a guy to paint it. however,
>> he used a wrong type of green (bright loud green) (I think he didn't
>> do it right) and my mom didn't like it.
>>
>> I was told that a paint stripper would do the job of removing the old
>> paint to terracotta. spray the stripper at the statue, let it set
>> and use jet spray to remove it completely.
>>
>> when using jet spray, is using a garden hose spray gun approriate for
>> this task? does it have enough water pressure to remove & break up
>> the paint?
>>
>> would a high pressure water machine be need for this job? if so, how
>> much pressure is needed?
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
> Try the garden hose. If that doesn't work, take it to a car wash.
> Just make sure it's secure so the pressure doesn't cause it to get
> broken.
>

I neglected to mention a certain fact about the statue. it is a
terracotta water fountain statue of an 18thC young boy & girl. it s
about 4 feet high and about 3 feet in diameter.

I'm not taking it to the car wash!!!! do you realize how heavy that is????

I don't have a problem using a pressure hose, if the garden spray gun
doesn't do the trick. I did get some of it off with the garden spray
hose.

is it possible that the wrong type of paint stripper was used? I didn't
get tho. and I find out later that it was terracotta.

Dilbert Firestorm

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Apr 9, 2006, 10:33:22 PM4/9/06
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Charles Bishop wrote:

they want the whole icky green paint removed completely. isn't
brushing the paint off a lot of work?

I don't know what kind of paint was used on the statue as there are 2 or
3 coats of a different color green. the original dark green color, I
was told that it took 2 coats to get an ancient weathered look. the
icky green color I assume took up 1 coat.

I already started work on it, see message to tim wright for details. i
did get some of it off.


bill van

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Apr 9, 2006, 11:14:16 PM4/9/06
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In article <e1cg5d$fuu$1...@news.datasync.com>,
Dilbert Firestorm <sca...@byteme.com> wrote:

> I already started work on it, see message to tim wright for details. i
> did get some of it off.

What was underneath?

Was the statue originally painted a terra cotta color, or did you mean
it is made of unglazed clay? If the latter, it will be fairly porous and
absorbent, and I doubt you'd be able to get the paint off without
seriously damaging the clay.

bill

Dilbert Firestorm

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Apr 9, 2006, 11:28:39 PM4/9/06
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bill van wrote:

terracotta is pink colored right? How do I tell it is unglazed clay?

the bowl part of the fountain, it most of it was stripped of the paint
as stripper was mixed with the water as it was being washed off. it
revealed the terracotta's pink color.

I suppose it was glazed or stained transparently before painting.

bill van

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Apr 9, 2006, 11:47:43 PM4/9/06
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In article <e1cjd2$h3n$1...@news.datasync.com>,
Dilbert Firestorm <sca...@byteme.com> wrote:

> bill van wrote:
>
> >In article <e1cg5d$fuu$1...@news.datasync.com>,
> > Dilbert Firestorm <sca...@byteme.com> wrote:
> >
> >
> >>I already started work on it, see message to tim wright for details. i
> >>did get some of it off.
> >>
> >
> >What was underneath?
> >
> >Was the statue originally painted a terra cotta color, or did you mean
> >it is made of unglazed clay? If the latter, it will be fairly porous and
> >absorbent, and I doubt you'd be able to get the paint off without
> >seriously damaging the clay.
> >
> >bill
> >
> terracotta is pink colored right? How do I tell it is unglazed clay?

The color terra cotta is something like this:

http://www.buygifttissue.com/images/Terra_Cotta.gif

which doesn't look at all pink to me. There are variations depending on
the clay used, but I've not seen any that run to pink.

When I search google images for "pink terra cotta," I get only a couple
of dozen hits with no consistent color.

The quintessential terra cotta is used to make flower pots, like this:

http://www.westvanflorist.com/image.php?productid=19397

If you've ever touched one of those, you know they're not glazed, not
very dense, a little bit porous. They can be painted or glazed, which
would of course change the color. Glazing would make them harder and
smoother, assuming the usual meaning of glazing, which involves
kiln-baking. Paint would absorb into the clay.


>
> the bowl part of the fountain, it most of it was stripped of the paint
> as stripper was mixed with the water as it was being washed off. it
> revealed the terracotta's pink color.
>
> I suppose it was glazed or stained transparently before painting.

I think I'm not going to be able to tell from here what your statue is
made of. But if paint stripper is doing the job without damage, then
strip away.

bill

Greg Goss

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Apr 10, 2006, 5:22:15 PM4/10/06
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bill van <bil...@separatethis.canada.com> wrote:

>In article <e1cjd2$h3n$1...@news.datasync.com>,
> Dilbert Firestorm <sca...@byteme.com> wrote:
>
>> bill van wrote:
>>
>> >In article <e1cg5d$fuu$1...@news.datasync.com>,
>> > Dilbert Firestorm <sca...@byteme.com> wrote:
>> >
>> >
>> >>I already started work on it, see message to tim wright for details. i
>> >>did get some of it off.
>> >>
>> >
>> >What was underneath?
>> >
>> >Was the statue originally painted a terra cotta color, or did you mean
>> >it is made of unglazed clay? If the latter, it will be fairly porous and
>> >absorbent, and I doubt you'd be able to get the paint off without
>> >seriously damaging the clay.
>> >
>> >bill
>> >
>> terracotta is pink colored right? How do I tell it is unglazed clay?
>
>The color terra cotta is something like this:
>
>http://www.buygifttissue.com/images/Terra_Cotta.gif
>
>which doesn't look at all pink to me. There are variations depending on
>the clay used, but I've not seen any that run to pink.

That's pink. Are you sure you're a male?

("There are only sixteen colours. Kind of like the video in Windows
three. Live with it." from a radio ad for TVs locally)

--
Tomorrow is today already.
Greg Goss, 1989-01-27

bill van

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Apr 10, 2006, 8:59:32 PM4/10/06
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In article <4a00ktF...@individual.net>, Greg Goss <go...@gossg.org>
wrote:

> bill van <bil...@separatethis.canada.com> wrote:
>
> >The color terra cotta is something like this:
> >
> > http://www.buygifttissue.com/images/Terra_Cotta.gif
> >
> >which doesn't look at all pink to me. There are variations depending on
> >the clay used, but I've not seen any that run to pink.
>
> That's pink. Are you sure you're a male?
>

Try living with an artist/photographer for 30-odd years. You learn
colors, if you're not color-blind.

Now *this* is pink:

http://www.kevinandcarla.com/photos/kevin_bio3.jpg

(Technically work-safe, but ...)

bill

Dilbert Firestorm

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Apr 10, 2006, 8:57:43 PM4/10/06
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bill van wrote:

I took a look at it. it doesn't look like there is any damage to it. I
think my parents brought the wrong kind of stripper. unfornately, I
don't remember what brand or kind of stripper it was. garbage man
already picked it the stuff up. :(

I do note that the stripping apparently revealed the original old paint
(dark green). there a number of places on the statue where both the new
& old paint has been stripped to reveal a gray stone. I assume this is
the original terracotta.

bottom bowl of the fountain does have a pinkish color after stripping.
it does look like 2 type of terracotta may have been used.

John Hatpin

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Apr 11, 2006, 8:27:27 AM4/11/06
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Dilbert Firestorm wrote:

>my parents have a terracotta statue that was originally painted dark
>green shade to make it look weathered and old.

Not that it's any help in this context, but I've heard that the best
way to make an outdoor feature look weathered and old is to paint it
with yoghurt and wait.

Has anyone ever tried this?
--
John Hatpin

Dilbert Firestorm

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Apr 15, 2006, 11:18:05 PM4/15/06
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John Hatpin wrote:

you mean yogurt as in the stuff you eat????

Jason Quick

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Apr 16, 2006, 12:28:09 AM4/16/06
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"Dilbert Firestorm" <sca...@byteme.com> wrote

Are you familiar with another sort? Is there some trick yogurt that's
good for, say, lubricating wheel bearings?

To respond to Hatpin: yeah. Place 2 cups (er, 240ml) plain yog(h)urt or
buttermilk in blender along with a couple spoonfuls moss. Pulse till
smooth-ish. Paint onto surface where moss is desired.

Place coated object in a shady spot, covered loosely with visqueen. Mist
frequently. Hope like hell it works. Might wanna experiment on a terra
cotta pot or something first.

Jason


Mary

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Apr 16, 2006, 11:21:34 AM4/16/06
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I saw a show on cable once where they did the same thing with beer.

Though depending on your tastes you might prefer to put the yogurt in
the garden and drink the beer.

Mary

Bill Kinkaid

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Apr 19, 2006, 12:28:47 AM4/19/06
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Any beer I'd want to drink is too good to put in a garden.
As for CoorMillweiser, maybe it might work as a territorial marker to
keep cats from whizzing on your petunias.
--
Bill in Vancouver
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