Hairspray as a Sandcarving Tool?

Did you know that hairspray can be a really great tool for sandcarving? Hairspray — who knew!

You can apply the hairspray to the surface of whatever type of substrate you intend to sandcarve, also known as pretreating. In terms of pretreating stone, the purpose of the hairspray is to act as a barrier so that when you apply glue or blastable adhesive, the glue won’t absorb into the porous medium.

Another great reason for adding hairspray as an accessory to your sandcarving workshop is mask application. A quick spray of unscented hairspray to your substrate will help adhere photoresist masks because it has a slight glue tack to it. The key is to let the hairspray dry before applying the mask, but the drying process is very quick, about 1-2 minutes, depending on the substrate material.

If you’re performing a color-filling technique post-sandcarve, hairspray can also be used as a barrier to prevent paint bleeding before you remove the mask. However, a matte clear coat can work better for the application. I suggest a clear coat vs. hairspray for this method because you don’t want an extra tack after color filling that could result in your paint sticking to the mask and the walls of the carved areas. This could potentially lead to paint peeling out of carved areas.

I suggest using unscented hairspray, preferably AquaNet. Plus, you’ll have the spray on hand if you’re feeling 80s nostalgia or need a quick hair fix.