Crakle Glaze

[sidecar_jon]

Im making a shelf/box thing for my six year old to place things he's found in, pine cones etc. I want to give it an "oldie Worlde" finish I can knock it about a bit (in fact ive already taken an angle grinder to it!) but i think it would be nice if i gave it a cracked paint finish too. No i know you can buy Crackle Glazes etc but they seem a bit expensive (in a cheep skate) And i have ashed full of the usual PVA, varnish etc..anyone have a recipe?

The only one i can recollect is eggs white under a varnish and then heated over a candle, but that more for forging paintings!

 

[danennis60]

Hi, there are ways to do this with more standard paints but the results tend to be pretty varied. It's a matter of getting the topcoat to dry faster than the basecoat so it needs to be just right. You can buy small bottles of the base and top coat (Polyvines a good one) for under £20 for both. other than that it's experimenting really. A bit of linseed oil added to an oil base coat left to go tacky then a top coat with a small amount of driers can work but it needs some heat. Also water based topcoat over oil could work.

 

[sidecar_jon]

maybe i should bite the bullet and buy some real crackle glaze.... even cheep skates have to buy things sometimes!

 

[Zampa]

You can make up your own formulation using gum arabic or acacia gum..I cant remember im affraid but its a bit hit and miss and by the time you have ponced about trying to find some you may as well have got a pot of Polyvine.

 

[sidecar_jon]

yep..i gave up and went to B&Q and bought some. cheers.