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Adaneth wrote:dragonessjade wrote:
Is this the spotted chick? So glad that he didn’t swim and drown in that box.
I don’t think there are any spotted chicks out yet. ❓ He’s a Labradorite chick, so basically irreplacable if the little guy had ‘drowned.’ 😯
Windstone griffins should never go swimming. They wouldn’t look so sleek and majestic with sodden feathers sticking out every which way! 😉
Aw ok. I am getting mixed up with all of the chicks. 😆So Windstones aren’t waterproof? Not that I will be taking a shower with mine but I’ve cleaned some with water before, and nothing happened to the paint job. Dont they put some kind of “sealent” to the paint job so it won’t get messed up by water? I live in Houston, and sometimes I do hot power yoga in the same room I store Windstones. Will the humidity damage them? Im cringing now… 😕
DROGO wrote:So Windstones aren’t waterproof? Not that I will be taking a shower with mine but I’ve cleaned some with water before, and nothing happened to the paint job. Dont they put some kind of “sealent” to the paint job so it won’t get messed up by water? I live in Houston, and sometimes I do hot power yoga in the same room I store Windstones. Will the humidity damage them? Im cringing now… 😕
Be very carefull especially if you have ruby. I’ve had tiny bit of paint come off my BG OW and my rubies. I’ve never used water since (to clean, some people give theirs a bath though.)
DROGO wrote:So Windstones aren’t waterproof? Not that I will be taking a shower with mine but I’ve cleaned some with water before, and nothing happened to the paint job. Dont they put some kind of “sealent” to the paint job so it won’t get messed up by water? I live in Houston, and sometimes I do hot power yoga in the same room I store Windstones. Will the humidity damage them? Im cringing now… 😕
Nam can answer this better than I can…cleaning with water is just fine, but I understand that the gypsum they use is water-permeable, so prolonged exposure to high humidity or wetness is damaging.
Okay, I found a quote by Melody:
Quote:It is best to not get them wet. Canned air and a soft brush is what we recommend. Don’t wash them, like I do.
Those rubies… argh..
We had some trouble with the older ruby paint bleeding, it isn’t supposed to do that anymmore! It is an auto paint, and is supposed to be able to take any amount of water and sun. We didn’t find it to be as bomb proof as the company claimed it to be! The pieces are well coated with a clear acrylic finish.Indeed, it’s best not to get them wet if you can avoid it, and store them in low humidity areas. Now, some of us more daring folk have used a slightly damp cloth for very persistent dust, but if possible it’s best to just dry dust/clean them. 🙂
The first generations of rubies are more prone to these problems it seems. The problem is that there is no way to tell them apart, so it’s best to be careful with all ruby dragons. 🙂
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My art: featherdust.comNambroth wrote:Indeed, it’s best not to get them wet if you can avoid it, and store them in low humidity areas. Now, some of us more daring folk have used a slightly damp cloth for very persistent dust, but if possible it’s best to just dry dust/clean them. 🙂
The first generations of rubies are more prone to these problems it seems. The problem is that there is no way to tell them apart, so it’s best to be careful with all ruby dragons. 🙂
So is it just first generation rubies or all Windstone that has problems with water? Also on the subject of damage control, does being in direct sunlight effect them?
DROGO wrote:Nambroth wrote:Indeed, it’s best not to get them wet if you can avoid it, and store them in low humidity areas. Now, some of us more daring folk have used a slightly damp cloth for very persistent dust, but if possible it’s best to just dry dust/clean them. 🙂
The first generations of rubies are more prone to these problems it seems. The problem is that there is no way to tell them apart, so it’s best to be careful with all ruby dragons. 🙂
So is it just first generation rubies or all Windstone that has problems with water? Also on the subject of damage control, does being in direct sunlight effect them?
You should keep all Windstones away from water if you can. 🙂 Some of the Rubies in particular have a much higher intolerance to getting wet, but to be safe it’s best not to get any of your Windstones wet.
Oh boy, here I go. I hope this isn’t too geeky for anyone. I think this is a fascinating subject (light spectrums) so I tend to ramble.
Here’s the thing with sunlight… sunlight, especially the UV end of the spectrum, can damage anything given enough exposure and time. It may take a year, it may take 3,000 years, but UV eventually breaks things down. That said, the garden sculptures (rock dragons) are made to go outside and sit, even in the sun, and in your lifetime they should be fine. Windstone’s done elaborate tests on them to make sure they won’t break down quickly in the elements.
Valuables, collectibles, art, and important documents should not be exposed to direct sunlight if at all possible. The reason is that UV radiation in sunlight can break down polymers and be absorbed into dyes, pigments, and paints and change their color…
Taken from Wikipedia, this explains it better than I can:
Quote:Effects of UV Radiation
Many polymers used in consumer products are degraded by UV light, and need addition of UV stabilizers to inhibit attack. Products include thermoplastics, such as polypropylene and polyethylene as well as speciality fibres like aramids. UV absorption leads to chain degradation and loss of strength. In addition, many pigments and dyes absorb UV and change colour, so paintings and textiles may need extra protection both from sunlight and fluorescent lamps.
Okay, so getting back to the point… what does this mean for Windstones? Well, Windstones are painted with very high quality, archival paints and then sealed with a sealer that helps to protect them. Most- not all, but most- Windstones are painted with acrylic based paints over the majority of the sculpture. These paints again are indeed of the highest quality and are stable. However, acrylic paint, at it’s most basic, is pigmentation suspended in a polymer binder. The two magic words there are polymer and pigments… both of which, if exposed to it over time, can in theory be broken down by UV radiation (direct sunlight).
Whew. Sorry, I know I’m getting more technical than I need to!
That said, because of the quality of the paints, Windstones should not fade if properly cared for- and indeed, as far as I know, there have been no cases of Windstones fading in color, even when placed in Store-Front windows.
With one exception- some of the Rubies. See… Windstone had a heck of a time trying to get a good red color. The turned to a high end automotive paint combo and the way I understand it, it was supposed to be archival, but there have been a few cases of ruby dragons fading when places in high light situations (such as near or in a window).
So, what I’m blathering on and on about, and the moral of the story is: keep your ruby dragons high, dry, and away from the sun. And, even though you should not have a problem with it, it’s always best if you keep your other Windstones away from direct sunlight if possible- to make sure that they stay beautiful and mint! 🙂Volunteer mod- I'm here to help! Email me for the best response: nambroth at gmail.com
My art: featherdust.comHey Nam this is something that has been brought up several times before. I know there is a FAQ on how to use the forum, but what about a General Windstone FAQ? It seems to me that it would be very helpful and may help reduce repeated questions.
pegasi1978 wrote:Hey Nam this is something that has been brought up several times before. I know there is a FAQ on how to use the forum, but what about a General Windstone FAQ? It seems to me that it would be very helpful and may help reduce repeated questions.
I’ll bring the idea up with Melody and John again- the only problem is that if we did something like that, we could probably really only include official stuff written by John or Melody that they know for fact or it could come back to bite us later on. Melody and John are so busy… let me see what I can find out. 🙂
Volunteer mod- I'm here to help! Email me for the best response: nambroth at gmail.com
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