finish for paper

[skeetstar]

A friend of my dear lady wife has asked me to do some work on an old tea tray. She has lined the tray with some very attractive flowery wallpaper and she wants me to 'waterproof' the paper. Its isn't worth getting polycarbonate or glass cut, as it is not a valuable piece.

I assume that any kind of varnish will make the paper go brown, and maybe wrinkle up.

Someone suggested diluted PVA, anyone got any ideas? Maybe a big ask, but is there any kind of finish that would add a little water resistance, and still maintain the colours on the paper?

 

[Cabinetman]

Undiluted PVA for me, I think if you dilute it there will be too much water and it would wrinkle up, not an expert but I have seen it done, of course it won’t be water-proof but it will certainly be water resistant. Ian
Suggest you try it on something else and ask the good lady.

 

[Droogs]

can of spray matt laquer from lidl for around a fiver

 

[Inspector]

You could use some of the bar top resins. Test it on a bit of scrap wallpaper to make sure the inks don't run or lift with the resin. It is the same as decoupage with resin. It would be difficult to remove in the future if you ever wanted to revert back to the original tray only. Being on one side might open the possibility of warpage from differential moisture. The resin not letting any pass but the back could.

Pete

 

[skeetstar]

Thanks Fellas, I think I'll try the neat PVA,
all teh best.

 

[HappyHacker]

PVA is not waterproof. I would try the spray can of lacquer. There was a program on about two guys who were building a boat from cardboard. They used PVA to waterproof it. I said to my wife that won't work it's not waterproof. She replied "what do you know, they know what they are doing!"

The boat sank when all the cardboard got waterlogged and the guys said we should not have used PVA we have learnt it's not waterproof! My wife said nothing.

Try what ever you do on a sample first to make sure there is no damage.

 

[Limey Lurker]

Clear sticky-back plastic.

 

[Dee J]

Really test samples before committing to a particular choice. I've found pva OK on papier mâche decorative items, but doesn't seem to like handling and certainly isn't very water resistant. I've used interioior acrylic varnish over newspaper pasted to a wall, and so far it's standing up well to a kitchen atmosphere, and after a year doesn't look yellowed.

 

[Droogs]

Also forgot to mention that as it is a tea tray and will probably be used as such then PVA should not be used as along with being hygroscopic it is also thermoplastic as well and will not like a hot teapot at all, spray laquer is totally inert once cured

 

[Stevekane]

Friend of mine was making trinket boxes which he glued a nice period style picture to the lid, useually pictures of old paintings and the like cut from magazines, not sure what glue he used but the top finish was polyurethane varnish, it gave the picture a very slightly yellowed tone and made it look old. I immagine it was quite a tough finish. Didn't the victorians do this sort of thing to fire screens and the like,,,is it called Tromp d’oil or something like that?

 

[Exluthier]

Friend of mine was making trinket boxes which he glued a nice period style picture to the lid,,,is it called Tromp d’oil or something like that?

Trompe l'oiel (French, meaning in essence 'to deceive the eye') is the technique of realistic painting, designed to look as if something is present in the field of view, but isn't, if you see what I mean. Driving in Huntingdon today, I saw a building belonging to funeral directors which had three main windows, one of which was not real, but was simply painted on to the external wall in order to (I assume) balance the view. That's trompe l'oiel for you.

 

[Richard_C]

You can, or could, get a spray can for waterproofing paper maps. I used it for my most regular 1" series of the lakes, peaks etc., all places you expect rain.

(wholly off topic, as I was writing this in my conservatory a Catalina rumbled overhead at a few hundred feet. Magnificent. Not an everyday sight)

 

[Alpha-Dave]

I would go with a resin; polyester, acrylic or epoxy. Certainly something that polymerises and cross-links rather than just drying. Ideally something that is optically clear like a ‘casting resin’. A ‘gel coat’ might also work.

Kits are available from many places, I use easycomposites Materials, equipment and training for advanced composites with next-day shipping and expert technical advice. - Easy Composites and eastcoastfibreglass East Coast Fibreglass Supplies

For belt and braces, you can add a glass or polymer ‘veil’ on top of the paper, this both gives reinforcement and controls the thickness of the coating. 30g Glass Surface Tissue 1m - Easy Composites This should disappear when soaked in resin.

As always try on an off cut and follow the instructions.

 

[Droogs]

You can, or could, get a spray can for waterproofing paper maps. I used it for my most regular 1" series of the lakes, peaks etc., all places you expect rain.

(wholly off topic, as I was writing this in my conservatory a Catalina rumbled overhead at a few hundred feet. Magnificent. Not an everyday sight)

Not often you get to see a ~PBY in the air.

 

[Stevekane]

Trompe l'oiel (French, meaning in essence 'to deceive the eye') is the technique of realistic painting, designed to look as if something is present in the field of view, but isn't, if you see what I mean. Driving in Huntingdon today, I saw a building belonging to funeral directors which had three main windows, one of which was not real, but was simply painted on to the external wall in order to (I assume) balance the view. That's trompe l'oiel for you.

Ah, we learn something everyday, Decoupage is the teqnique for tarting up things by glueing paper onto them,,I wonder why the french seem to have the monopoly on these terms,,,I suppose it just sounds better than “stick paper on it”

 

[Droogs]

The British term is "Jotter Cover" still not as fancy as decoupage

 

[Torx]

Laminate then resin (or not). If you have a local print shop they may have a big industrial laminator for the signage you walk all over when you visit the supermarket.