Back painting blanks

[qquake2k]

I'm curious as to how everyone "back" paints tanslucent acrylic blanks. Do you use spray paint, or do you use bottle paint with a brush or cotton swab? Or perhaps some other method? I use spray paint, but have trouble covering the entire inside of the hole, especially with smaller diameters.

 

[silver]

Spray paint is too messy and smelly for me in the workshop.

I use cotton wool buds or paint brushes.

But I don't always back paint, I mix a drop of paint in to the epoxy mix, that does work but has to be well covered and tubes rotated many times to help get the air out. I have been know to have failures with it, just like painting as well..

Find the best way and stick to it. Init..

 

[Bigblackdog]

i have only done a few. I used a cotton bud, and it worked ok. I think that the non polished surface of the drilled hole didnt help get a uniform covering, and I had to give it a couple of coats. I prefer to do this rather than to pain the tubes, because it saves having to balance tubes on end. Also, i perceived it to be less messy.

I knew that the paint colour would have an effect, but I had 2 of the same blanks. One I used white paint and the other black- I wouldn't have believed that they were the same blank if somebody had told me.

 

[qquake2k]

i have only done a few. I used a cotton bud, and it worked ok. I think that the non polished surface of the drilled hole didnt help get a uniform covering, and I had to give it a couple of coats. I prefer to do this rather than to pain the tubes, because it saves having to balance tubes on end. Also, i perceived it to be less messy.

I knew that the paint colour would have an effect, but I had 2 of the same blanks. One I used white paint and the other black- I wouldn't have believed that they were the same blank if somebody had told me.

I have found that back painting and/or painting the tubes can have an effect on the look of the finished body. I colored the epoxy black on this one, and it seriously darkened the blank. I should have colored the epoxy with a lighter blue color. As for painting the tubes, I don't stand them on end. I put them on a piece of threaded rod to spray paint them.

 

[Bigblackdog]

i hadnt thought of that, but think that i will still backpaint the blank.

Like finishing, there are many ways of doing it, but i am sticking with what has worked for me so far!

i would be interested to see the effect of blue paint on that blank. The black certainly darkened my red blank- and made it a blood red. the white paint made it almost a coral red.

 

[rayf6604]

I used to paint inside tubes with a brush and I tried cotton buds but I couldn't get an even coating. I tried spraying and that was a lot better. Just use acrylic car primer in white but I think I'll use black on some blanks.

 

[Bob Ellis]

I've tried various methods and this is what works best for me. I use nail varnish, when I can get an appropriate shade (which is most of the time), because it covers more effectively than some paints and is more hard-wearing. I coat the inside of the tube using little sponge-tipped make-up brushes. Buying the nail varnish and make-up brushes has raised a few eyebrows among the staff at my local pharmacy!

The make-up brushes are also an effective way of coating the tubes. Nail varnish applies a thicker coating than paint, so I ream out the hole a bit before applying it if the fit between the tube and the hole isn't loose enough.

 

[Penpal]

I have a question paint the brass all you like when you glue that changes the equation I favour painting the inside of the blank.

Peter.

 

[Bammer]

Couldn't you just dip the blanks and hang them out to dry ?

 

[silver]

Couldn't you just dip the blanks and hang them out to dry ?

to be honest I don't see why not. :

Not sure about hanging them out to dry in this part of the world tho..

But know where you are coming from, I think the paint I use would not be thin enough.

 

[Lons]

Buying the nail varnish and make-up brushes has raised a few eyebrows among the staff at my local pharmacy! .

They would if you went in dressed like your avatar Bob. I've got loads of nail varnish, just nick it off my daughter (the pound shop is a good place to buy btw). Used to buy it for the heads of fishing flies and have tried it to fill holes in pen blanks but it chips out.

A question for Jim (qquake2k), is it ok to mix acrylic paint with epoxy? seems a bit iffy to me.

 

[wm460]

A question for Jim (qquake2k), is it ok to mix acrylic paint with epoxy? seems a bit iffy to me.

I do works for me.

 

[qquake2k]

They would if you went in dressed like your avatar Bob. I've got loads of nail varnish, just nick it off my daughter (the pound shop is a good place to buy btw). Used to buy it for the heads of fishing flies and have tried it to fill holes in pen blanks but it chips out.

A question for Jim (qquake2k), is it ok to mix acrylic paint with epoxy? seems a bit iffy to me.

Why does it sound iffy? Epoxy is a type of plastic just like acrylic. I haven't had any problems, it seems to harden like normal when I add acrylic paint to it.