Extremely specific question about sealers and kraft materials :-)

[MiliZee]

Okay, this is gonna be one specific question lol. Which is why the post is gonna be rather long - I need to bring you guys up to date on what I've already tried so that I'm not always rejecting any kindly offered suggestions by saying 'I tried that, but...'. I know that can get old fast! So I hope you'll bear with me :-)

I have this awesomely minimalist scrapbook from Paperchase: http://tiny.cc/xi3sv . I have held onto it though several years and three moves (one international) but could never come up with something to fill it with that was worthy of its simple, unadorned beauty :-) Eventually, following a MASSIVE decluttering, I realized it would be the perfect place to showcase paper souvenirs from trips - I mainly keep stuff like tickets, flyers, and other flat, paper products, rather than 3D objects, so sticking them in a book would be a much better way to enjoy and share them than the shoe box where I'm currently stuffing everything *eyeroll*

However, this means the book will get several years' active use, handled frequently and shown to friends, and even carted along on longer trips. That means I will need to do *something* to protect that lovely pure kraft cover from the vagaries of such an existence, particularly all kinds of stains (I don't mind nicks and scratches; that's just patina. But grease stains from putting it down on a cafe table? yuck, no way).

So far, I've kept it pristine by storing it in a box salvaged from a much larger book. But that isn't going to work anymore if it starts being used - the box is a good deal too big, rather rickety, and generally unwieldy. So I was thinking the ideal would be some kind of treatment applied directly to the covers, to protect them but without ruining the look (ie, no adhesive book covering plastic sheet or anything that would just cover it up permanently).

I've already done a fair amount of research online and tried several products recommended, but I didn't get the results I was hoping for, so I thought I might need some more specific guidance on this :P I mainly researched sealants and decoupage sealers etc. I do not intend to do any actual decoupage immediately; maybe that will come up in time, but for now I just want to preserve the cover as it is. Although even if I do something it would be a fairly basic form of just pasting a few images on the covers like pictures of vintage suitcases or travel ads and the like, not the complex multi-layered mixed media things I've seen around the web, so the original cover would still peek through all over the place and therefore need protecting.

So here's what I tried:
- mod podge, which seemed to be in the lead for recommendations (got this multipack: http://tiny.cc/tt0ov - tried all except the sparkly)
- matte glue 'n' seal by Inkssentials (http://tiny.cc/ptk4x)
- some winsor & newton water colour fixative.

I tried to find something as close as possible to the scrapbook's cover to test these on, and settled on the covers of some Moleskine Cahier craft notebooks (http://tiny.cc/oph8f)

Results?

The mod podge were not great; most left a nastily shiny, tacky feel, and were rather streaky whether applied with a paint brush or a sponge. The matte and paper one were not as shiny, but still felt tacky to the touch. Additionally, I have read reports where people are saying that this offers no protection against humidity since these are water-based; IOW, if water gets on the covers, the mod podge could 'reactivate' and turn milky white again. So it might protect against grease stains (maybe) but not against a damp, just-wiped tabletop etc. They also warped the material, although that could be just that the Moleskine cahier covers are fairly thin - the scrapbook's cover is much thicker, but I am still reluctant to try this without consulting with anyone here who might have more experience.

The glue 'n' seal was nicer in terms of finish - completely matte and hardly any tackiness - and is advertised as turning the surface waterproof. But it still warped, maybe even worse than the MP. The watercolour varnish was an unmitigated disaster - it left these awful streaks that never went away.

So here's where I'm at :-) I'm hoping you might have some suggestions; I've never done anything like that so I'm flying blind here on the whole. I just really want to protect that journal so I can start enjoying it without stressing out about every little thing lol, or ruining the simple frippery-free look I love so much :-)

thanks in advance!

[halfmoonroad]

I've used Krylon Matte Finish spray with very good results.
I'm a fan of frippery-free too :)

[MiliZee]

oooh, that looks promising halfmoonroad! one thing, how do you get it to target specific areas (in my case I'll need that for the bits in between the spiral rings - would rather not have to remove the covers from those, too much of a pain to put back on)

and yes, no-frills rules! (try saying that four times fast lol)

[halfmoonroad]

If it were me, I wouldn't worry about the spiral rings and the bits in between. I'd run a piece of painters tape over the spirals and spray the rest.

Of course I'd practice on scrap first.

[Former_Member]

I vote for Krylon Matte Finish, too. But make sure you put it on in very light coats...you can spray more than one layer, but you don't want to do heavy layers.

[MiliZee]

halfmoonroad, yeah, I guess the masking tape would be enough *d'oh!*seeing as it's a spray and all lol.

KindredspiritHome - how do you make the coats thing, like how do you work the spray to do that, in terms of handling the can etc? I'm sorry if thhis is a really stupid question, it's just that I am totally inexperienced about using this type of pressurized container - I mean I don't even use hairspray or deodorant in a can!! so I'm quite clueless :-)

[PapergirlStudios]

Just jumping in here...
Spray outside. Lay down some newspaper. Place your book on something like a cup maybe. Tape up the spirals as suggested. Place a large sheet of something inside the book behind the cover. This way you are only spraying the cover. As for the thin coats, don't hold the can to close to the book. Lightly spray it, let it dry. Do it again until you have a nice even coverage. Wow. Hope that made sense :0)

[MiliZee]

papergirlstudios -
yes, it did make sense, And it still managed to be concise - always admire that, as you can see that's a quality that doesn't come naturally for me *wry g*

one question: what's the role of the cup if I have newspaper underneath (to protect the floor) and a sheet to protect the pages so they don't get sprayed? I'm asking because if it offers nothing in particular then I won't use it because straight on the level surface will make this more stable, so there's no risk of it toppling over :-)

also: how will I know the coverage is even (since it's clear, presumably I won't be able to _see_ it go on so I just need to be systematic about how I spray, eg left-right, up-down in evenly timed movements & distance - is that the spirit?)

eh, one last question *embarrassed g*: you said let it dry between layers - how long does that take? I'm guessing (hoping?) it'll say on the can, but just in case it doesn't I thought I'd better ask now that I got you all here, plus with these things the experience of using it in real situations is usually even better than on-product instructions :-)

Again, I get the feeling these are all totally idiotic questions lol. But I hope you'll forgive my cluelessness, it comes honestly from not ever having done something like that and having to do it straight onto something I value a fair bit :-) I mean, sure I'll practice on the moleskines, but they're not as close as I'd like and I tried but can't find anything closer (too bad paperchase don't deliver to where I am! I'd just buy a little one to practice on as I'd be bound to find _some_ use for it!)

[PapergirlStudios]

Well, I'm glad it made some sense :0)
and your questions are idiotic at all.
I like to raise my objects on something just in case of over spray or a drip so they don't stick to whatever they are on. Just me.

My best suggestion to you is this..."practice" if you are so unsure. Practice spraying on something other than your book at first. Don't go crazy and waste all of your product. This way you can see how close or far you need to be when spraying the real thing. Drying time will depend on your product, temperature and probably your item.

Trial and error is your best teacher :0)

[Former_Member]

Why not make an oilcloth cover for it for now? You could just take oilcloth, cut a rectangle and hem the edges and make a "pocket" for each cover to slip into.

[MiliZee]

Hey there everyone! I know it's been aaaaaages since this thread, but I still wanted to post an update on how everything went just for records (in the somewhat unlikely event someone else finds this thread through a search for the same kinds of things) and most of all, to let you guys know how you helped :-)

The answer is, LOADS! It took me quite a while to get around to it, between ordering the spray, which got here the day before I left on holiday (ain't that the way lol), then once I was back trying to find a day with low humidity as per instructions on the can (not that easy in the fall, heh) and a good helping of always having something more urgent to attend to.

Eventually a few days ago I said, stuff it, I want to do this and I'll just take my chances with the weather (it wasn't super-dry, but it wasn't raining either) Well, it turned out great anyway, so I'm guessing unless it's really wringing wet, you're fine :-)

I tried a few different application techniques like keeping the can closer/farther or covering the area slower/faster, and the best way seemed to be making several quick passes from relatively far away, so as not to get too much of it in one spot - that turns the material darker in spots, makes for patchy coverage.

It dries quickly - I did just about 10 minutes in between coats, and about half an hour at the end, after which you can just sprinkle water on the things and wipe off with no marks left behind! Pretty neat :-) But the best part is that I tried sprinkling it with actual oil and all it took to take it off was a more insistent wipe down with a wet cloth! completely awesome :-) to be fair I didn't try letting the stuff linger for longer, like it might do if you put it down on a dirty table, but it's still promising results!

Once the finish was all good and set I also tested to make sure I can use stuff like stamps (pigment - didn't have dye inks to try), paint markers, acrylic paint, and rub-on transfers over the finish. That was important because I wanted the option of decorating it later if I felt like it :-). It seems to work perfectly - no appreciable difference in how all these perform on the same surface treated vs untreated (except I think the paint markers were actually BETTER on the treated surface).

one good thing about stalling to get it done is that I came across a couple of other notebooks with kraft covers that I liked for other reasons too, so I picked those up to use for testing as they were closer to the big journal than the covers of the moleskine cahiers. In the test I used a Cahier and one of those notebooks, which led to the interesting observation that the cheaper surface - the moleskines - turned out noticeable worse than the better quality covers. I guess the cheaper stuff cannot sustain treatment and alteration the way the better stuff does :-)

One important thing to note: this stuff STINKS. to high heaven. Seriously - I have been tear-gassed, and this was uncomfortably close to that :P When they say 'ventilated area' on the can, they are NOT kidding around, and in fact, they would do better to make like papergirlstudios and advise people to spray outside. I started inside but in a cross-breeze between two open windows, and quickly figured out it was a bad idea. Even outside, I put a scarf over my nose and mouth and sort of didn't breathe too deeply while spraying - I went back inside while it was drying between coats. It is really stinky stuff, so I wouldn't recommend making a habit of using it without proper protection. But for occasional use, you should be fine with what I used (unless you have respiratory issues - DO use good judgement!)

so anyway, that's it! thanks for the manny helpful comments and ideas, and the patience with my noob-ness :P

[halfmoonroad]

Glad to hear it worked out :)