granite and white

[Marc Myer]

This has been discussed several ways before, but I'm still a bit unclear about doing color enhancement on granite. I'm using black granite tile from a BORG, and rastering fairly fine lines on it.

I want to fill with white--as bright as possible for good contrast. I've read about using oil paint, and wonder if it's best vice acrylic.
Will color bleed be an issue with these fine lines? How would you handle this? It may turn into a regular project, so I'd like to figure out the pitfalls...

[Darren Null]

Drill it hard to give the (titanium white) paint somewhere to seep into. Job done.

[Bill Cunningham]

If your using a 35 watt mini you will probably do ok with the rec. settings in the manual.. Spread the titanium white oil paint (the stuff that artists use) over the etched areas using a squeegee, a little bit goes a long way. force it in good, the oil paint will soak into the etched areas , but not stick to the polished stone.. Let it sit over night, then take a rag and buff it off.. If you want it whiter, do it again, and let it sit for a few hours before you buff it with the rag.. Once it has dried, (several days at least) you can put a normal polymer stone sealer on it (from H.D.).. Don't use the wd40 trick on granite, if it finds a normally invisible crack, it won't ever be invisible again..

[Abdul Baseer Hai]

Bill

Excellent advice. I have been using Titanium white for a while and it works fine.
What is this polymer sealer you mention? Can you be more specific.
Thanks
abdul

[Bill Cunningham]

Hi Abdul; The polymer sealer is just the standard stone sealer sold by Home Depot.. It's sold primarily for sealing tile grout and patio stones.. I buy it in a gallon jug (yellow jug) but they have it in quarts as well.. A quart would do the average engraver a year or more.. It looks like water when you brush it on.. You let it sit for a bit, then wipe off everything that did not soak in, and let it dry.. I do not only the etched face, but the unpolished back of the granite as well, particularly if the customer is going to place it outside on the ground, as in tree dedications, and memorials for pets and people..