 |
 |
|
|
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
| |
| |
TRADITIONAL
PAINT FORUM A.G.M.
Notice is hereby given that the A.G.M. of
the Traditional Paint Forum will take place on Friday 26th January
1996 at the Soane Museum, London from 6.00 pm onwards. If any
member would like to stand for election onto the committee he/she
should write to the Honorary Secretary, enclosing a proposer
and seconder, both of which must be members. Further details
will be issued in due course.
VIEWS
FROM 1893
I have heard many conversations in the nineteen
nineties about how there are no good tradesmen left, or that
they are all dead, etc, etc., but I differ from those opinions
and would guess that in one hundred years from now the exact
same remarks will be made just as they were over one hundred
years ago.
The following paragraph was written on 31 s
t December 1893 in
a trade magazine by the Association of Master Painters in Scotland.
"The competent men will come to the front. The laggards
will go to the wall. Such an exchange would put an end to shoddy
work and shoddy prices. Let a man have to undo his shoddy work
and make it right and he will no longer be willing to go on
making presents to those who have plenty already and don't require
more and the public will have more confidence in the tradesmen
they employ".
The same journal tells of corruption with contracts, architects,
etc. Good quality materials, poor quality materials, unscrupulous
employers, poor standards, basically all the flaws which we
encounter today.
Why, because basically we are dealing with human nature which
no matter how hard we try, there is always someone who wants
to make a quick killing.
I know of one painting firm where the proprietor is a convicted
thief. They advertise openly in yellow pages and are members
of a trade association. Why do we not adopt the German system,
that only painters can own firms. The trade today as with yester
year produce a rod to whip its own back. The trouble with being
good or bad, we all get tarnished.
SOME
USEFUL HINTS
When rubbing down lead paints, use a wet
method as this stops dust, otherwise known as airborne particles.
When applying lead paint to wood, try hair stippling to remove
brush marks.
If your paint has skin, grit, etc, pour through a pair of tights
which acts
as a strainer (but make Sure they don't have holes in them!).
When putting your paint away for a while, leave it to settle
and pour in a small amount of water to stop a skin appearing.
TRADITIONAL
PAINT BACK TO FUNDAMENTALS
As an end user of paints, I have long been
skeptical of the so called makers of Traditional Paints, both
in terms of price and quality. It would not be the first time
we have had to discard products purchased from nominated suppliers
by unknowing Architects, who have been wooed by the maker about
the advantages of their products. The distemper arrives on site
nicely packed with instructions. One hour later we have our
distemper which would be fine if it worked. Unfortunately 9
out of 10 times it does not. What usually happens is the size
does not gel the product. The produce is therefore useless,
and for this we are charged £28 -£38.00 for one
gallon of distemper. When we make our own the cost is usually
£4 - £5.00 per gallon with the packaging on top
of this the price could double to £10.00. Where does the
rest of the money go?
Some manufacturers lead paint is no better. Yes, it contains
lead, but what percentage? A company I know, sells lead paint
but with only 4% lead content. Another paint I have used, took
over 1 year to harden enough before it could be touched. When
the tin was opened you could look right through the solvent
to the ingredients some 5" below and when stirred, it only
had the consistency of a milk shake.
What experience do these people have! Most have academic knowledge
but no practical experience. I have met many so called experts
who can flannel Architects and the general public. In fact,
they can even flannel painters to such an extent that they themselves
feel they are at fault.
Are these consultants jumping on the bandwagon purely for financial
gain? I have yet to meet one who was a painter to trade.
Painting is a craft. Originally, painters made their own paints
and colours in their workshops. They understood the problems,
conditions and their clients needs. Using basically the same
ingredients, individual painters had their own particular techniques
which they passed down to generations of apprentices.
Specifiers of traditional coatings should be aware of the times
applicable to each individual drying
process. Lead paints require longer drying times between coats
and should not be applied on new lime plaster walls as fresh
lime plaster needs time to cure. In fact, one year is not uncommon.
I have read one instance of a lime plastered wall taking nine
years before being able to be decorated. Bear this in mind when
clients are pressing for the job to be finished yesterday.
-J. N.
THE
TRADITIONAL PAINT FORUM
Hon. Secretary: Una Richards, Simpson & Brown, 179 Canongate,
Edinburgh EH8 8BN
Journal Editor: Patrick Baty, Papers & Paints, 4 Park Walk,
Chelsea, London SW10 OAD
Chairman: Peter Hood, University of Edinburgh, 20 Chambers Street,
Edinburgh EHI1 IJZ
Please
Note: SMUDGE is a regular news and information supplement to
the annual journal TRADITIONAL PAINT NEWS. Each issue of SMUDGE
is written, in turn, by a member of The Traditional Paint Forum,
subject to the control of the Committee. The information is
provided in good faith. It is not necessarily the view of other
members of the Forum; it is offered only as a contribution to
the ongoing debate.
<previous
issue |
next issue>
|
|
| |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|