In this 3 Clear Sprays post I share how I use 99% Alcohol, Workable Fixitif, and WD-40 to help me keep my tools, supplies and surfaces clean and in working order.
It doesn’t take long to collect tools and products to help you make creating gourd art more efficient and manageable. The problem I have is keeping everything clean and ready to use. One of the first things I learned when I started to buy “good stuff” to work with is you have to take care of them if you want them to last. Here are three sprays I count on to help me do that. They refresh and clean embellishments and material I collect second-hand, lubricate my tools, and help me keep containers and tools clean. Get ready to learn some great tips.
3 Clear Sprays- WD-40
This choice surprises most of my gourd friends. Yet it is the answer to many of my problems. My studio is in Phoenix and heat is my enemy. This lubricant comes in handy.
WD-40 is an oil-based product that has many uses. The formula was actually developed over 60 years ago by the Rocket Chemical Company. They were trying to make a rust-prevention liquid for the space industry then.
So, how did it get its name?
Actually, the WD stands for water displacement. It won’t let moisture get to the surface to cause rust. And the 40? Funny enough, it was because it took the lab assistants 40 tries to get the formula right!
The formula is a secret that enhanced the speculation on the Internet that fish oil was its main ingredient. It is not.
I noticed this product when I read that WD-40 helps condition wood, enhancing its natural shine and color. I started using it as a gourd conditioner. Gourds sit in my Arizona studio all summer and get really dry. Therefore, they soak up more inks and dyes than they should. Before working on these gourds, I spray some WD-40 on a soft, clean rag and rub the oil into the gourd skin. I also find that it also hides the fine scratches caused by sandpaper. As I furthered my research, I found that it has more uses in my art studio.
Main Job in the Studio: Preventing rust and lubricating moving parts
Here is where I use it:
- Lubricates and protects power tools such as drills, carvers, and Dremel. I wipe them down after each use.
- Lubricate casters on my Rubbermaid utility carts.
- Use this oil on my electric pencil sharpeners and craft punchers.
- I spray my stored drill bits to prevent corrosion.
- It adds moisture to and preserves ivory and antler bone items.
- Also helps to untangle jewelry chains.
- It keeps paint from sticking to paintbrushes. Spray your paintbrush bristles to get them soft, supple, and ready for their subsequent use. Paint brushes will be easier to clean the next time you use them.
- Spray it on your workbench to keep glue from sticking there.
- Also spray old leather pieces to make them soft and pliable. It also will remove glue from leather.
- Keeps paint from sticking to glass.
- Use it to keeps clay from sticking to molds during crafting.
Uses for Cleaning Surfaces in the Studio
- Cleans paint from tile flooring (be sure to wipe the floor clean after using WD-40)
- Removes pencil and crayon markings from the gourd surface.
- Duct tape, sticker residue, labels, and stepped-on gum are no match for WD-40. Spritz on some to de-gun any sticky residues or make it easier to detach something stuck.
- It helps remove dirt, grime, and rust from tools, including hammers, saws, and pliers, sanders, and drills.
- Removes adhesive residue on gourds from sticky papers and stickers.
- You can use it to removes clogs from spray paint nozzles.
- Gets gourd glue and other glue stains out of jeans.
- Removes inks (permeate inks, gourd dyes, and alcohol ink) from hands.
- It also removes bee’s wax from your desk and gourds.
- Will also remove any wax coating on your gourd.
- Spray a little on the tips of “dead” ballpoint pens to rejuvenate them.
- Remove crayon and colored pencil marks on the gourd you want to erase. Let it sit for a few minutes, then wipe away.
- It will removes stains from coffee cups. I know you have one sitting on your desk
Use it Shine Dull Surfaces You Use
I spray it on a cloth and shine many of my embellishments.
- Shines steel
- Polishes and shines seashells
- Polishes silver jewelry
- Shines bronze embellishments
- Gives virtual rocks a nice shine
- Shines mother-of-pearl accessories
- You can also purchase this product in a spray bottle version.
- Create interesting artwork.
- Mixing a few drops of it with acrylic paint and pouring it onto your gourd creates a unique liquid cell shape
3 Clear Sprays for the Gourd Studio
Isopropyl Alcohol
Rubbing alcohol, also known as isopropyl alcohol, is another clear solvent I have to have on my work table.
If you work with ink and gourd dyes, then you know this is a “must have”. But I have found you really need two strengths to get the best results.
Isopropyl alcohol is pure alcohol and is a colorless liquid with a musty, sharp odor. There are no other ingredients in a bottle of isopropyl alcohol. By contrast, rubbing alcohol contains isopropyl alcohol, among other ingredients, such as water. Most rubbing alcohol brands contain 70% isopropyl alcohol. I prefer the 99% version because it evaporates faster than lower concentrations. I use the weaker strength for cleaning tools and surfaces.
The Walgreens version comes in this excellent spray bottle that throws a fine mist. It is perfect when I spray over damp gourd dye on a shard. It quickly creates dots through the dye. Buy the alcohol from the cheapest source and keep refilling the spray bottle.
I use this spray liquid whenever I use alcohol markers or alcohol dye. I drop or drip the ink on a gourd and then spray it to make the colors run into each other over areas where I want two colors to blend or bleed. I use the same process when I use alcohol markers on my gourd. It all dries in seconds. You can buy a blending solution, but I find this cheaper to use.
You can also use alcohol to refresh the marker ink and keep the plastic barrel clean. Let the pen tip soak in a small container of alcohol for a few moments.
. Other Uses for your Alcohol
Rubbing alcohol can remove ink stains from clothes, permanent marker stains from whiteboards and blinds, and sticker residue. You can also use it to remove nail polish.
Pour some rubbing alcohol into a small cup and dip your makeup brush into it, swirling it around for a few seconds. Rinse the brush with lukewarm water and lay flat on a towel to dry.
The “Don’ts of Alcohol!’
There are materials you will need to avoid
- Never mix rubbing alcohol with bleach. It can produce toxic fumes that can be deadly.
- Rubbing alcohol is flammable, so don’t use it near open flames.
- Beware of wet alcohol inks sitting on your gourds before you air dry it. It will dry out the gourd and can cause it to split,
- Don’t use it to clean leather. It dries it out and degrades the material
- Never go over a gourd that is sprayed with lacquer, shellac, or varnish: Alcohol strips the finish
- Items with paint: Strips the color or paint
- We won’t clean plastic or acrylic containers. Makes the material cloudy
- Granite and marble: Can discolor or etch the stone; will remove protective sealants
Extra Tip:
Use rubbing alcohol mixed with orange-scented essential oil to remove store tags, sticker residue, Band-Aids, or other sticky things around the house.
3 Clear Sprays for the Gourd Studio-Workable Fixitif
This One Helps you Avoid Disasters at the End!
A Workable fixative is used by artists when they need to seal one layer of pencil, charcoal or pastel to prevent smudging, but still want to keep adding to the drawing. There are two kinds of fixative: there is workable fixative which allows you to go back in and work on the drawing even after spraying it. There is permanent fixative, which you cannot work back into.
KRYLON-Workable Fixatif Spray
This protect is my favorite because it is often on sale on Amazon. Best of all it dries in seconds to a clear finish. Protects colored pencil, tempera colors, India ink, alcohol inks embossing powders and pastels. No smudge, no wrinkle, no gloss
How it works
When applied, the fixative is absorbed into the media and substrate, providing a hidden barrier that helps secure the medium and prevent accidental damage.
I always use it when my media is colored pencil or colored marker. In most situations, it helps to keep your black Sharpie markers from bleeding under your final spray. At the end of each work session, I spray a very light layer of fixative on my work. The marker surface is well protected when it is ready for the final varnish,
I caution you to stand back from your gourd and spray your work evenly and crosswise from about 20 to 30 cm in one or more light layers. Also, you might not like the smell and need to spray outside. That is why I do this just before leaving my studio.
I recommend the two strengths alcohol and the two different applicators of WD-40 and the Spray KRYLON-Workable Fixatif for your work table. Keep some clean rags near by. You will be amazed how often you grab one of these bottles.
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