LiquaMask from Laserbits

[Zsolt Paul]

I just watched the LiquaMask video from Laserbits website. (BTW, if anyone from Laserbits is reading this, scrub the audio. File is too large and streams very choppy as a result. Audio is a non essential part here anyway, not to mention we can all use less elevator music in our lives :) Otherwise great video!)

questions #1:
Has anyone used this product masking unsealed wood? Video shows it being used on sealed wood, which frankly is totally unnecessary. The finish does that anyway....

question #2:
Can this be used to mask already etched areas (on stone, acrylic, glass, wood etc) in MULTI COLOR applications, to protect certain areas from receiving certain colors. For example, would it be possible to etch the entire design onto a substrate, then carefully brush on LiquaMask to cover portions where I do NOT want color1 to go. Apply color1. Then peel off Liquamask, and apply over already color filled color1 and apply color2 where AquaMask has been peeled from. Can this be done?

Thanks!

[Dan Hintz]

(BTW, if anyone from Laserbits is reading this, scrub the audio. File is too large and streams very choppy as a result. Audio is a non essential part here anyway, not to mention we can all use less elevator music in our lives :)

Audio (5-10kb/s, give or take) is a mere fraction of the bitrate compared to the video (several hundred kb/s, depending upon quality)... if it was choppy, it wasn't due to the audio.

[Zsolt Paul]

Yeah, I hear you...the audio is indeed a much smaller portion of the overall file. It was just the most obvious part that you could do to reduce it somewhat. Although for me, (music being 1st art-love of my life) simply not hearing elevator music is a bonus alone! :)

[Dee Gallo]

I just watched the LiquaMask video from Laserbits website. (BTW, if anyone from Laserbits is reading this, scrub the audio. File is too large and streams very choppy as a result. Audio is a non essential part here anyway, not to mention we can all use less elevator music in our lives :) Otherwise great video!)

questions #1:
Has anyone used this product masking unsealed wood? Video shows it being used on sealed wood, which frankly is totally unnecessary. The finish does that anyway....

question #2:
Can this be used to mask already etched areas (on stone, acrylic, glass, wood etc) in MULTI COLOR applications, to protect certain areas from receiving certain colors. For example, would it be possible to etch the entire design onto a substrate, then carefully brush on LiquaMask to cover portions where I do NOT want color1 to go. Apply color1. Then peel off Liquamask, and apply over already color filled color1 and apply color2 where AquaMask has been peeled from. Can this be done?

Thanks!

Paul,

To answer question #1, I would say that the liquid in the masking fluid will go into unsealed wood and be impossible to get out. you will be left with ugly white dots after removing the mask. So sealing the wood first is the only way to go. Unsealed wood will also allow the paint to bleed into the pores and spread. I know this is true from working with porous materials like bone and ivory as well as wood, they have to be sealed AFTER the engraving is done.

To answer #2, I have to wonder why you would want to go to so much trouble? I work with very small items (3/4 to 1 inch wide) and color fill them every day. Some of these are complex designs, some are simple. Some need the colors to be separated even though the carving might not be, and some have blending. It's a matter of painting technique and masking would only add an extra problem because masking fluid is rubbery (I've used it for airbrush painting) and is not as easy to control in small areas as you might hope. Plus, if you use a solvent based paint, the masking fluid could become soft.

I'm attaching a photo to show what I mean - these tiles are 1" x 1 1/4". Sorry it's not as crisp as it should be... that's why I hire a pro to take my "real" pix!

That's just my opinion, dee

edit: BTW it takes only about 5-20 seconds to paint each of these, depending on the design, plus 2 seconds to clean.

[Zsolt Paul]

Paul,

To answer question #1, I would say that the liquid in the masking fluid will go into unsealed wood and be impossible to get out. you will be left with ugly white dots after removing the mask. So sealing the wood first is the only way to go. Unsealed wood will also allow the paint to bleed into the pores and spread. I know this is true from working with porous materials like bone and ivory as well as wood, they have to be sealed AFTER the engraving is done.

To answer #2, I have to wonder why you would want to go to so much trouble? I work with very small items (3/4 to 1 inch wide) and color fill them every day. Some of these are complex designs, some are simple. Some need the colors to be separated even though the carving might not be, and some have blending. It's a matter of painting technique and masking would only add an extra problem because masking fluid is rubbery (I've used it for airbrush painting) and is not as easy to control in small areas as you might hope. Plus, if you use a solvent based paint, the masking fluid could become soft.

I'm attaching a photo to show what I mean - these tiles are 1" x 1 1/4". Sorry it's not as crisp as it should be... that's why I hire a pro to take my "real" pix!

That's just my opinion, dee

edit: BTW it takes only about 5-20 seconds to paint each of these, depending on the design, plus 2 seconds to clean.

So then the question begs to be asked is "what is it for then"? If the wood is already well sealed/finished, one doesn't need to mask it in my opinion. I do this all the time. And if its useless for #2 as well, then when would you use this? Possibly for spray painting glass/acrylic?

[Dan Hintz]

So then the question begs to be asked is "what is it for then"? If the wood is already well sealed/finished, one doesn't need to mask it in my opinion. I do this all the time. And if its useless for #2 as well, then when would you use this? Possibly for spray painting glass/acrylic?
Sealed and masked are for two different operations. Sealed wood will prevent paint fill from wicking into the grain sideways. Masked wood will prevent the paint fill from covering the entire face of the item after brushing/spraying it on. They're both needed.

[Zsolt Paul]

I just nevet had the need to mask finished wood. Letting paint cover the face of the item is generally not a problem IMHO. Lasing into wood produces a deep enough "cavity", that one can succesfully wipe off access paint etc, with a cloth tightly wrapped around a tight, flat piece of backer. At least for me this has never been an issue, whether brushed or sprayed. Unless I suppose one wants to use a quick dry spray can. That might setup too quickly for the wipe off process.

If the mask is cheap enough to make it worthwhile to bypass the wipe-off process, AND applying and pulling off the mask itself is a quicker process.....then maybe. I just don't see it personally, but am always eager to learn and happy to be wrong if the outcome is superior in some way.

[Michael J Smith]

I need some help painting this logo. It's about 11 inches wide and 7 inches tall. I had my engraver cut out templates for the red and black colors, then I used spray paint to color them. If you look close, you can see some over spray between the red and black. Actually, the paint went under the template. I was wondering if I could roll on liquimask to the surface only, or will it drop down into the cut-out areas??

[Dan Hintz]

Zsolt,

Also keep in mind, not all substrates are a (relatively) even surface such as wood... having a peelable mask can be very advantageous.