Finally getting the flag section going!
- Mark Petrilla
- Jun 29
- 2 min read
It's a challenge to work this project on to my plate but it will be worth it!
The process is simple
Use a high quality piece of plywood and paint it white.
I use baltic birch 1/2 inch and spray a white P2K finish so the American Flag will pop!
Use a quality clear epoxy.
I use a very slow cure epoxy to ensure a strong set that is blemish free.
Roll it on to ensure an even solid coat.
Foam brush does the trick!
Now it's ready to go into the vacuum.
Place the flag in a vacuum bag and let the suction do it's job.
My vacuum table is 5X4 foot in size
I keep it under vacuum for 72 hours because I want to ensure that it reaches maximum strength; as well as, eliminate the risk of it coming out tacky. A tacky flag will quickly attract contaminants.
What did this cost?
$35 for the plywood and $200 for the epoxy but you use only about 10 ounces so the actual cost is around $20. The flag is $26.78. The P2K white finish spray is expensive and so is the system to deliver it. I won't go into pricing for that. You could use a lower end white base paint though but you may run into adhesion challenges. Vacuuming is expensive for the setup so I won't go into that here. It is possible to pull this off without one but you may run into quality issues.
What is the next stage?
Once this is complete, the spray and dimensionalizing begins!
Have any questions? Ask away!
Mark Petrilla, Gorilla Bark Studio's
Paying tribute to those who keep us safe.
The vacuum part totally blew my mind! I’ve never seen that done before! Super cool. Thanks for walking through all the steps, especially with the materials. Can’t wait to see the next steps!!