First, do a search, if you haven't already, I know I and several others have posted at least a few times on this subject.
In a nutshell;
1: clean <sweep and mop> your paint
deck, removing any staples, nails, splinters, lumps of paint
etc.
2:
lay down a layer of
bogus paper or
Rosin paper. Make sure it is slightly larger in square footage than your new
drop, 2-4 feet on each side.
3: unfold /
roll out your new
drop. <Be sure to enjoy its pristine beauty>
4: THIS IS One OF THE Most Important Steps!!! Starting in the middle of the top and bottom < jute and
pipe pocket or bottom hem > staple the
drop to the
deck.
Do Not Pull The Muslin Tight!!! < it should be laid out with no wrinkles but do not pull it tight during the stapling process.> I recommend using 3/4" staples in a
manual staple gun.
Gaff a small piece of 1/4"
luan to the bottom of the stapler so that the head of the staples stay proud. Go to the middle of the sides of the
drop and tack them in place. Work your way around the
drop always stapling between the middle of the
drop and the corners. Basically you're continually dividing the sides into smaller and smaller fractions until you have the preimeter stapled at about every 6". Oh be sure to look in the
Wiki for
Drop Bridge.
build a couple of these items and staple them in place too.
5: Prep your Size. OK first step, choose your
size. Many people prefer many different Sizes some folks only use Cornstach Size. Some folks use
casein or
animal glue size. Me? I like my Size the New fangled way - thinned latex Paint. put 2.5 gallons of water in a 5 gallon bucket, pour in 1 to 2 quarts of
cold water.
<
Luke warm water mixes faster but the heat starts the curing process of the Latex. Always use cold water to clean painting supplies I don't care what the freaking directions in the can say! >
Mix the crap out of it! don't go hog wild and froth up the mix that's not good for the paint or the paint shop. just make sure your mixture is very well mixed.
6: Size the
drop. Some folks will tell you the only way to size a
drop is with a brush, I say They are gluttons for punishment or they are hourly. get a
roller a long paint pole and a
drop in
screen < the kind that goes in the bucket>.
Take off your shoes carry the bucket and
roller to the center of the
drop. Put on you
headphones,
plug in your Ipod and start rolling. Be sure the bottom of the bucket is clean and free of paint before you put it down. Really you can start anywhere but like any good project I prefer to start in the middle. You want to work a well loaded
roller something with a 3/8"
nap. You don't want to do all the rolling
in one direction. Use a good amount of force and try to work the paint into the fabric from every direction. You are trying to fill all the pores of the fabric with Latex paint < which is why you thinned it.> try to work in a spiral
pattern towards the edges and don't walk away from it. You can take a break but once you start you should really size the whole thing at once.
You will notice that the more you paint the tighter the
muslin will become.
7: Once you have sized the whole
drop place a fan or two at the
drop bridges < you did make them, right? > to force air under the
drop. This will keep the
drop from sticking to the
rosin paper and help the
drop dry evenly.
8: Once the size coat is dry
base the
drop with the called for color then it's happy painting time!
That's about it.
Oh one step I glossed over. Some folks like to screw down a perimeter of 1X4 then staple the edges of the
drop to that. When the
Drop tightens up from the
Sizing, it will automatically lift up off the floor.
Happy Painting.