# Looking for crackle effect based on clear coats



## rickwtexas (Oct 18, 2016)

I posted this question in general, then realized this was a better area. Looking for tips on creating the same crackled effect you would see in a 400 year painting, but based on a clear/tinted clear coats so you can see the wood grain and stained finish below. All the crackle examples I can find are based on painted wood with opaque paints. 

I'm currently (after a month of trials) semi-close using the following method/order:
1. seal the wood
2: stain the wood with water based stains
3: light coat of spray lacquer
4: coat of acrylic based crackle medium
5: coat of acrylic gel gloss clear
6: finish of poly matte

The crackle effect takes place in the interaction of steps 4 and 5. Problem is, there is no contrast between two clears. I tried powered Transfast wood dye mixed with step 5, but it effected the interaction and no cracking occured. Keep in mind I'm also spending 5-20 hours per piece handdrawing vintage type illustrations onto the surface, so paint is not an option.

ideas?


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## Rick Mosher (Feb 26, 2009)

There is an excellent clear crackle recipe in Pierre Finkelstein's "The Art of Faux" book. He uses a 3 hour gold size varnish and when it is tacked and ready for gold leaf you apply either a clear shellac coat or a coat of gum arabic mixed 1:1 with water. What you have is a slow drying finish with a faster drying finish on top. The top finish dries and then cracks as the slower finish dries overnight. This will give you an authentic looking china type fine crackle finish. Just rub a dark glaze into the cracks and then top coat. 

Also for authentic crackle when faking antique guitars finishers would use cold spray on the lacquer finish to make it crack.


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## rickwtexas (Oct 18, 2016)

From one Rick to another... I THANK YOU!! I finished 7 more test pieces last night with no real success. Even the 30% watery glue didn't crack enough. Book is ordered from Amazon. I have a 1901-05 Seidelhuber Steamer trunk just waiting on the finish coats


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## rickwtexas (Oct 18, 2016)

Looks like 3 hour gold size varnish is not that easy to come by. Nothing at my local Rockler, HomeDepot and Lowes. Bought some standard varnish (Spar Marine Varnish) and I'll give that a shot. Guessing it gets tacky in hour. Fingers crossed X


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## Rick Mosher (Feb 26, 2009)

Dux 1-3 hour gold leaf size. Let dry until your knuckle squeaks when you rub it across it. Here is where you can order it if the varnish doesn't work. (you may get an even cooler effect with the varnish, who knows. Let us know how it works out.)


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## rickwtexas (Oct 18, 2016)

Dux slow dry is ordered, but in the meantime I tried a few other varnishes (Spar, Boat), and the gold leaf (mona lisa) adhesive sold at the local craftstore, no luck. Just going to have to be patient and do it right. My nieces Bday is in 14 days so I should make it... except I'm still removing the 100 year old lacquers and stains from the hand carved trunk I prepping. This stuff is like a rock hard wax.


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## ColorStylist (Jul 19, 2014)

Sherwin Williams offers a clear coating that once sprayed it will crack. The heavier you spray it, the more it will crack. The number for this clear crackle lacquer is T75TH4.

https://my.sherwin.com/docs/,DanaInfo=hearsweb.sherwin.com+viewDocuments

Here is an example of a cracked finish. I applied the crackle over the yellow basecoat (only in certain areas) which exposed the green basecoat underneath. If I would have applied it over the green, it would have exposed the brown stain underneath. You can also apply a glaze over the crackle and it will hang up in all the cracks. There are many ways to use this clear crackle coating.


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## allpurpose (Mar 24, 2016)

It looks like the same thing that happens when you try to paint cc over lightly sanded laquer based paints in autobody work .. it cracks and wrinkles..not very desirable in autobody work..


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## ColorStylist (Jul 19, 2014)

allpurpose said:


> It looks like the same thing that happens when you try to paint cc over lightly sanded laquer based paints in autobody work .. it cracks and wrinkles..not very desirable in autobody work..


Believe it not, there are still people out there that like the crackle effect in auto paint jobs, especially on custom painted mototrcycles. 

The only finish I havent seen in awhile is the "veiling" or "veining" lacquer effect on autos as you seen in the 60's. Its also kinda went away in wood finishing as well.


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## Rick Mosher (Feb 26, 2009)

Having been around the block a few times things that are out of fashion today come back again later with a new name and a MUCH higher price. :wink2:


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## ColorStylist (Jul 19, 2014)

Rick Mosher said:


> Having been around the block a few times things that are out of fashion today come back again later with a new name and a MUCH higher price. :wink2:


True! I've learned that furniture colors that go out of style come back around every 8 to 10 years.

Nothing is getting cheaper.


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## rickwtexas (Oct 18, 2016)

....nice, but I'm trying to crackle and keep the viewability of the woodgrain - so the crack-effect has to take place within a clear coat(s). I received my Finkelstein Faux book and my DUX slow set gilding size - tried three test pieces last night... darn it!... still no go. two had no crack effect (clear shellac, tinted shellac), one had some dimpling (spray shellac). Thats with 90 minutes of drying, trying 30 and 60 today. Its still pretty soft at 30 minutes so I doubt it will work. Also going to try the heat gun after application. 

This has become my white whale. Will probably pack it in after today and try a tinted, antique white milk paint over the gilding size next. A cracked porcelain look was my second choice for this carved trunk.


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## ColorStylist (Jul 19, 2014)

rickwtexas said:


> ....nice, but I'm trying to crackle and keep the viewability of the woodgrain - so the crack-effect has to take place within a clear coat


That's what this crackle will do......

For example, you can spray a pigmented vinyl basecoat over a stained finish....let's say you spray a white basecoat. Then apply the clear crackle over the white basecoat. The clear crackle attacks the vinyl basecoat causing it to Crack and reveal the stained finish underneath.

Its that easy!
The hardest thing is dialing in how you want it to Crack. The heavier you spray it, the more it will Crack.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Try applying the crackle medium thicker. Maybe you aren't getting enough on to crack.


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## Rick Mosher (Feb 26, 2009)

It's 1-3 hour size so that's how long it will take to dry enough to put your crackle over. Gilders know it's dry enough when you can rub the knuckle of your finger over the size and it makes a squeeeking sound. Dry time will depend on room temperature, the warmer it is the sooner it will be ready. Try 2- 3 hours on a test and see how it works. Maybe make 3 or 4 test samples and allow each a longer time to dry before applying the crackle. That way you should get it quicker.


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## rickwtexas (Oct 18, 2016)

*frustrating*

I've tried close to 45 combinations and still no success. Closest I have gotten has been with a combination of Slow drying gold size varnish - followed by shellac and then quick dabbing of water based wood stain. Even then it looks more molted than cracked. One effort did actually crack, but its the one time I tried something random and didn't write down the process. I've tried letting the varnish dry for 30, 60, 90, 120 minutes and 3 hours, combinations of water and oil based over stains, 3 different crackle mediums (craft, valspar and watered down wood glue), multiple applications in varying thickness, spray and brush applied shellac, throwing japan drier in... this is more challenging than I would have ever guessed.

I absolutely want the original woodgrain and stain to show thru - PAINTING OVER WITH OPAQUE PAINT IS NOT AN OPTION. I have tried that (milk white paint dilluted a bit), and wiping a lot of way as soon as I apply it, but if the varnish has any tack left it just clogs and smears in clumps. 

Going to try one last time time with tinted spray shellac from a HPLV. All I really need is for the crackle effect to show around the edges like a old porcelain plate or a painting. Darn it. )


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## Rick Mosher (Feb 26, 2009)

I don't know what isn't working but I have done the process myself and it worked well both with the shellac and with Gum Arabic. If it isn't working for you maybe you could try a commercial product like Polyvine Craquelure. I haven't used that particular product but it sounds like it will do what you're looking for.


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## ColorStylist (Jul 19, 2014)

rickwtexas said:


> I've tried close to 45 combinations and still no success. Closest I have gotten has been with a combination of Slow drying gold size varnish - followed by shellac and then quick dabbing of water based wood stain. Even then it looks more molted than cracked. One effort did actually crack, but its the one time I tried something random and didn't write down the process. I've tried letting the varnish dry for 30, 60, 90, 120 minutes and 3 hours, combinations of water and oil based over stains, 3 different crackle mediums (craft, valspar and watered down wood glue), multiple applications in varying thickness, spray and brush applied shellac, throwing japan drier in... this is more challenging than I would have ever guessed.
> 
> I absolutely want the original woodgrain and stain to show thru - PAINTING OVER WITH OPAQUE PAINT IS NOT AN OPTION. I have tried that (milk white paint dilluted a bit), and wiping a lot of way as soon as I apply it, but if the varnish has any tack left it just clogs and smears in clumps.
> 
> Going to try one last time time with tinted spray shellac from a HPLV. All I really need is for the crackle effect to show around the edges like a old porcelain plate or a painting. Darn it. )


Do you have a pic of the look you are going for????

The pic you posted in post #1 is simple. 
1. Dye stain of your choice
2. High solids sealer
3. Crackle lacquer
4. Van **** glaze to hang up in cracks
4. Use scotch bright or steel wool to hilite glaze and leave in cracks (If necessary)
5. High solids sealer
6. Lacquer


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## Rick Mosher (Feb 26, 2009)

ColorStylist said:


> Do you have a pic of the look you are going for????
> 
> The pic you posted in post #1 is simple.
> 1. Dye stain of your choice
> ...



I don't think that is what he is looking for. From the first post "Keep in mind I'm also spending 5-20 hours per piece handdrawing vintage type illustrations onto the surface" So he isn't just staining a board and doing a crackle finish he wants an aged patina over his illustrations. I think a clear crackle lacquer would work I just don't care for most of the ones I have tried.


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## ColorStylist (Jul 19, 2014)

Rick Mosher said:


> I don't think that is what he is looking for. From the first post "Keep in mind I'm also spending 5-20 hours per piece handdrawing vintage type illustrations onto the surface" So he isn't just staining a board and doing a crackle finish he wants an aged patina over his illustrations. I think a clear crackle lacquer would work I just don't care for most of the ones I have tried.


He can still do the illustrations, I would apply a dye stain, high build sealer, illustrations, high build sealer, then apply the sherwin williams T75TH5 (new one) clear crackle lacquer. He might need to apply a "mist coat" of sealer over the illustrations, then a full coat of sealer over the mist coat and then the crackle lacquer depending on what/how the illustrations are applied. It will crack just like in the pic I posted above except it will crack the sealer. It will not appear flaky looking as in that pic because that was a crackle lacquer I applied over the yellow basecoat that I cracked. The crackle will migrate down through the sealer and the dye stain along with the illustrations will still be visible. This crackle will crack what ever its applied too. 

Like I said, he will have to play with the application. Spray heavy and it will have huge cracks. Spray a small amount and it will not crack as much. 

You also dont have to wait hours to do it. Once the sealer is tack dry, you can apply the crackle and it will start to crackle in less than 1 minute. This crackle was developed to run on finishing lines. 

Valspar has a crackle lacquer that works well too, but I dont know the product number.

Below is a video demo showing specialty coatings by Sayerlack which was filmed in our lab. It shows crackle lacquer over a basecoat, but you can apply it over a sealer to get the effect the OP is looking for. The Sayerlack crackle lacquer number is SZ11000NN.





If I have time tomorrow, I will mock up a panel which will reveal the stain as the OP is looking for with a glaze applied in the clear crackle effect and post a pic in this post to demonstrate.


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## rickwtexas (Oct 18, 2016)

Thanks Colorstylist. I went to Sherwin Williams this morning, the lacquer crackle has been discontinued... so, I stopped by a different paint store - they don't carry a product like that either - but, the manager said that when they moved into their location the previous paint chain left some inventory behind - A ONE GALLON OF GEMINI CLEAR LACQUER CRACKLE! So I now have a gallon to try out. Trying it out right now, with tack times varying to see how it goes.


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## ColorStylist (Jul 19, 2014)

rickwtexas said:


> Thanks Colorstylist. I went to Sherwin Williams this morning, the lacquer crackle has been discontinued... so, I stopped by a different paint store - they don't carry a product like that either - but, the manager said that when they moved into their location the previous paint chain left some inventory behind - A ONE GALLON OF GEMINI CLEAR LACQUER CRACKLE! So I now have a gallon to try out. Trying it out right now, with tack times varying to see how it goes.


That Gemini product "should" allow you to achieve the same effect. They are all about the same, just need to dial your application in to get your desired effect.

*Application:*
Crackle lacquer must be applied over a clear or tinted basecoat. It works best over semi-gloss and gloss lacquer
finishes. Crackle Lacquer can be brushed, sprayed or padded on to create varied effects. After spraying crackle
you must apply a clear coat for adhesion.
For lacquer and pre-catalyzed lacquer systems:
*Spraying‐* Apply base coat (desired color), then clear coat. Do not sand the clear coat. Apply crackle
lacquer (clear, or desired color) by spray application. Cracking occurs as it dries, showing the base coat. The
crackle should be applied within 30-60 minutes for best results. If the base coat is allowed to cure too long,
cracking may not occur. Thin coats will show thin crackle patterns. Thick coats will show thick crackle patterns.
Topcoat with a clear coating (Water White Lacquer or Precatalyzed Lacquer is recommended for best results) for
durability and protection.
*Brushing‐* Follow normal instructions, but instead of spraying the crackle apply with a good quality paint
brush. You must apply with long even strokes. Do not brush back and forth. Brush in one direction and
brush quickly. Topcoat with lacquer or pre-catalyzed lacquer.
*Padding‐* Follow normal instructions, but instead of spraying your crackle lacquer apply it with a paper
towel. Wad the towel into a ball and dab the crackle onto your piece.
*Conversion Varnish:* When utilizing a conversion varnish system the crackle must be applied “wet on wet”.
Spraying only‐ Apply conversion varnish base coat (desired color), then clear coat. While the clear conversion
varnish is still wet, apply crackle to desired areas. Cracking occurs as it dries, showing the base coat. If the
conversion varnish coat is allowed to dry too long, the material will not crack. Topcoat with a clear conversion
varnish.


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## rickwtexas (Oct 18, 2016)

On a funny side note, my fiance has a knack for looking for the most obvious solutions - she bought some One-Step crackle from a local crafts store - which worked first try. Its very fragile though and the cracks are tiny. Might work with careful tinting and lots of glaze.


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## ColorStylist (Jul 19, 2014)

rickwtexas said:


> On a funny side note, my fiance has a knack for looking for the most obvious solutions - she bought some One-Step crackle from a local crafts store - which worked first try. Its very fragile though and the cracks are tiny. Might work with careful tinting and lots of glaze.


Hey, whatever works! I would imagine that the craft store crackle will hold up just fine once your project is done as the finish will protect it.......*as long as there are no adhesion problems*! Most of those "one step crackles" you buy in hobby stores are basically elmers glue type products.

Like I said, with the crackle lacquer you have to dial in your technique. Its easy to do spraying as you can simply adjust air pressure and the amount you put on.

That gallon you bought will last you a long time, LOL.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

ColorStylist said:


> Hey, whatever works! I would imagine that the craft store crackle will hold up just fine once your project is done as the finish will protect it.......*as long as there are no adhesion problems*! Most of those "one step crackles" you buy in hobby stores are basically elmers glue type products.
> 
> Like I said, with the crackle lacquer you have to dial in your technique. Its easy to do spraying as you can simply adjust air pressure and the amount you put on.
> 
> That gallon you bought will last you a long time, LOL.


The only thing that concerns me is the base. If the crackle medium isn't compatible it might peal off. Then since he will be using a glaze he will need to topcoat it with something compatible and non-yellowing as well.


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## ColorStylist (Jul 19, 2014)

Steve Neul said:


> The only thing that concerns me is the base. If the crackle medium isn't compatible it might peal off. Then since he will be using a glaze he will need to topcoat it with something compatible and non-yellowing as well.


Yep, as long as he applies the crackle over a sealer/lacquer he will be ok. 

Ive used elmers glue for a crackle effect before and sandwiched it between 2 lacquers and the adhesion was great. As long as he does a system similar to this, I think he will be ok. The crackle must go between a sealer/lacquer, then topcoated with a lacquer or a CAB Acrylic to be at its best. I wouldnt really worry about the "non-yellowing" in this case since he will not be using a colored basecoat, but only a glaze to bring out the crackle.....unless he uses a white glaze. I take it as being a stain, sealer, illustration drawing, lacquer, crackle, tinted glaze, then topcoat.


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## rickwtexas (Oct 18, 2016)

success.. a combination of water based dyes and copper metalic acrylic (umber, cardinal red), sealer, one-step crackle, Kona dye (wiped on quickly and faded in center), then finally sealed with clear matte lacquer. It looks like an exotic painted metal that has aged 300 years. 

The gallon of lacquer crackle worked ok on a test run, but showed brush strokes more. Going to have to switch to HPLV on next run. 

Thanks for all the help. After this trunk (due in 6 days) I'm going to take a deep breath and go back and try each method again.


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## ColorStylist (Jul 19, 2014)

rickwtexas said:


> The gallon of lacquer crackle worked ok on a test run, but showed brush strokes more. Going to have to switch to HPLV on next run.


That piece looks good! Spraying will eliminate that for sure. You could also sponge it on for a different effect, but its hard to control the crackle.

I just did this metallic crackle finish on oak for a customer with just a hint of a weak glaze high lighted and a tinted veiling lacquer that will go on some accent pieces. i thought it was funny because this topic came up on this forum and then I got a request for a similar finish. The veiling lacquer subdues the crackle to where you almost cant see it, but thats what the customer wanted.


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