Damar Varnish transfer attempt

[Mack]

Well I went to Michaels today and got some damar varnish. Mixed it with lighter fluid in an 80 - 20 mix and put it on a metal plate. Printed my image on a piece of transparency and put it on the metal when the varnish was pretty much dry and lightly burnished it. I got an image but it was blury and smeary. Maybe I let it move a little or something. I will try tomorrow.
By the way, I looked for the 9H pencils but all they had were 6H.
Anyway I am having fun. Mack

 

[airamp]

Mack,

Print it on a laser printer on some baking parchment then transfer it when it is a little tacky. It works great.

Airamp

 

[Mack]

I have an inkjet printer.

 

[KCSteve]

Mack

Try a couple of things:

Use a little less of the damar mix - all you need is just a drop or two spread really thin, and let it dry just a bit more.

You also might need to burnish a little less - can't say for sure since I use a laser, but I'll tell you that with a laser print on baking parchment I don't really burnish, I just rub with my finger.

Oh - you might also need to let your printout dry more - if the ink is still wet then it'll blur from touching the metal.

So, did you get something you could cut with?

 

[Mack]

Steve, I tried it again and this time i used a piece of metal with no coating on it. I have been using white shoe polish for a background. I think that was the problem. On bare metal it was much better. I am using ronson lighter fluid. Is that as good as the zippo?
By the way, Thanks for all the input and help you have been giving me. Mack

 

[airamp]

Mack,


If you go to the local goodwill you might find a laser printer very cheap. Much better for transfers with parchment and a laser. 100% clean transfer. It is worth trying to find a laser printer for transfers.

Delmar and alcohol works also.

airamp

 

[Mike C]

Mack

Try using a piece of scotch tape along one edge to form a hinge. You can burnish and lift it to check the transfer then put it back down to burnish further and still have the image in register.

I also have found that trying to use transparency material that wasn't made for an Ink Jet to be futile. The ink never sets. Try using your breath to dry the transfer fluid prior to starting the transfer. My experience has shown that the fluid needs to be applied thin and dried to the touch.

I use a fluid called Transfer Magic but I strongly suspect that it is has the same components as the solution you are using. Here is a link to a short tutorial I put together to introduce my friends on a jewelry forum to the method.

http://www.pbase.com/mjcall/tmtut

Mike

 

[Mack]

Thanks very much guys for the help. Mike that is a good tutorial I like it.
Steve, I think you hit the nail on the head. The ink from the printer wasn't dry yet. I did another before I read your post and then I got it right. Thanks.

 

[KCSteve]

My current batch is with the Ronson lighter fluid and it works fine. Someone else said they used alchohol as the thinner. I think the key is just something to thin the very thick Damar that will dry fast. Acetone would probably work if someone wants to try.

Tom White's Transfer magic is not just thinned Damar - this came up at least once before and he chimed in.

Mack

Never occurred to me you were putting the transfer down over something else - the various 'base coat' things like China White are more for drawing on the metal than transfers.

I'm just passing along what little I can retain of all of the great stuff I've picked up here. Seems only fair.

 

[DKanger]

I think the key is just something to thin the very thick Damar that will dry fast.

Steve,
Perhaps we've uncovered another unmentioned problem. You say "very thick Damar" but that is a relative term. Several have mentioned getting theirs from Michael's, as did I. It's viscosity is akin to alcohol straight from the container, so it is not very thick. Thinning it 80% further dilutes the varnish content. These little details are the difference between success and failure of these processes, which could explain the difficulty many are having.

Dave

 

[KCSteve]

That's true!

The bottle I got from Hobby Lobby is more like honey. I've seen it available (on the web) as the raw chunks of gum that you have to dissolve in the solvent of your choice.

I think another thing is that we seldom mention getting a very thin layer and letting it dry to the very tacky state - all the other transfer methods you want a liquid so it makes sense to think you would here.