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Windstone editions sculpture CARE and FAQs:
~ Store your Windstone sculptures in low humidity areas and away from UV rays (the sun).
~ You should never use any chemicals to clean Windstone pieces. It will damage the finish.
~ Do not wet them…keep them dry.
~ The best way to clean your Windstone is to dust them on a regular basis and the recommended method is to use a can of compressed air (sold for dusting electronics found at office supply stores) finishing off with a very dry soft paintbrush.
PS: The Rubies can be tricky to clean since the paint can rub off when using a damp cloth or Q-tips. It is best to ‘dry’ clean/dust them.
Melody wrote:The official Windstone recommendation is “don’t get them wet”, but I rinse mine in water all the time and it doesn’t hurt them.The biggest danger is that you could chip them on the sink edge, or get the pad wet. We recommend using that canned air that is sold for dusting electronic things, a dry paintbrush and a soft rag.
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.Jennifer wrote:The recommended way to keep your Windstones clean is to dust them with a can of compressed air (available at your local office supply store) to blow the dust off of them. For stubborn areas, a combination of using the canned air and a clean dry paintbrush to work the dust free works well.
If your Windstone has centuries of dust built up and needs more than a normal dusting, a microfiber cloth may help you. Remove any loose dust with your canned air and paintbrush, then gently wipe the problem areas with a clean microfiber cloth (if you do not have one, try a very soft clean rag). Dampen the cloth slightly only as a last resort, as it is not recommended to get your Windstone wet if it can be avoided.
It is recommended that you do not try to use any household or chemical cleaners on your Windstone. Chemical cleaners may cause unknown reactions with the finish and paint on your Windstone and may cause damage or discoloration.
I’d recommend against using anything damp or wet on the Ruby dragons in particular, if you have them! These poor guys were painted with special automotive paints, and some of the early ones have problems with paint lifting off onto damp surfaces.
Jennifer wrote:I 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.
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. 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!Some of you have used the following (but please keep in mind the Windstone recommendations of ‘dry’ cleaning/dusting):
~ can of air
~ microfiber cloth…used for drying
~ plain water and Q-tips
~ very soft rounded paintbrush
~ swiffers
~ Ostrich feather dusterHope this will help. 😉
PS: it would be great to make this into a sticky…HINT, HINT. 😆 😆 😆
We are trying to work on an official FAQ.
Volunteer mod- I'm here to help! Email me for the best response: nambroth at gmail.com
My art: featherdust.comNambroth wrote:We are trying to work on an official FAQ.
OK, let me know I’ll put a link in the ‘Important links for all new members’ 😉
For the record, when I get dusty pieces from ebay (and I’ve gotten quite a few) I clean them with water and a very soft toothbrush (to get in the many tiny crevices) and then wipe them down with a soft paper towel – I’ve never hurt a piece this way and it gets them very clean. 😉
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom."
-J R R TolkienI’ve always used a good quality paint brush and water to clean mine and dried them with paper towel. I’ve had some of mine since 1988 and they are fine.
lamortefille wrote:I’ve always used a good quality paint brush and water to clean mine and dried them with paper towel. I’ve had some of mine since 1988 and they are fine.
Wow! Thats old. O.o Neat though. 🙂
Author of “Moonlight Walkers” book and artist for the Trail of Painted Ponies Co.
Follow for updates: twitter.com/cmooreauthor
Website: courtneymooreauthor.comI just had a FILTHY Jade Oriental arrive, with years of dust accumulated in his scales and crevices. I usually just use a bone-dry sable paintbrush to dust them, it removes just about everything, but this crud wasn’t budging! Finally I broke down and got out a small soft acrylic brush, dipped it in water, brushed it across a paper towel so it wasn’t dripping, and went to work. The old dust came out like magic, and some of his factory glossiness returned when I buff-dried him with a microfiber cloth. Some crevices were so dirty I had to go over them twice!
I’d still be nervous to do this unless I needed to, but he’s certainly no worse for the wear. Just the opposite in fact 😀
chrisherself wrote:I just had a FILTHY Jade Oriental arrive, with years of dust accumulated in his scales and crevices. I usually just use a bone-dry sable paintbrush to dust them, it removes just about everything, but this crud wasn’t budging! Finally I broke down and got out a small soft acrylic brush, dipped it in water, brushed it across a paper towel so it wasn’t dripping, and went to work. The old dust came out like magic, and some of his factory glossiness returned when I buff-dried him with a microfiber cloth. Some crevices were so dirty I had to go over them twice!
I’d still be nervous to do this unless I needed to, but he’s certainly no worse for the wear. Just the opposite in fact 😀
I got a very dusty Peacock Lap dragon from ebay, and did exactly the same thing. Actually, the brush may have had stiffer bristles. Anyways, it worked like a charm 😉 .I`m scared like hell about cleaning my Windstones. Luckily I haven`t received any really dusty ones yet… I`ve bought a glass cabinet for them. I`m planning on putting it up when I get myself a new apartment (pretty soon I hope) Then I won`t have to clean em just as often… 😉
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