Color for painting a tube

[dthayer]

I'm going to be making a Shock Absorber pen for my son's birthday with a checkered flag black and white blank. I suspect I'll have to paint the tube but, having never done that before, am not sure if I should paint it white or black.

It seems that if I go with black, it might darken or muddy the white and I'm not sure what might happen to the black if I go with white paint.

Any help will be much appreciated!

 

[jsolie]

If you hold the blank up to a fairly strong light source, does much light come through the blank? If not, you'll probably be okay with white. Or if the pen hardware is chrome, maybe try a silver colored paint.

 

[magpens]

Just for reference ....
At the small end of the turned blank, the blank material thickness is about 0.050 inch.
At the large end of the turned blank, the blank material thicknes is about 0.068 inch.
The blank is about 1.46 inch long. The turned blank tapers by 1.25 degrees along its length.

I think you should use white paint. I am quite sure it will not show through the black. Silver is a good universal color to use, as suggested above.

But, rather than painting the tube, it is more effective to paint the inside surface of the hole. And, actually, it is *most* effective to paint both.

I honestly do not think you will have any trouble. I believe the white of the blank you propose using is really quite opaque even where 0.050 thick.

 

[WriteON]

The Shocks are a cool pen. I made several in checkered without painting ....they came out fine. You might be wasting time and material if you paint.

 

[BSea]

I will sometimes use black, but hardly ever white. White will many times turn red to pink. And can turn other colors to a pastel shade. When I'm in doubt, I use a medium silver or gray. Think car primer gray.

Also, I don't paint the tubes. I paint the inside of the blank.

EDIT: I know you don't have any colors other than black & white, but I was giving you reasons why I don't use white for back painting.

 

[TonyL]

I like Mal's advice or maybe gray primer. I also agree with inside barrel paint so you to see the glue lines.

 

[CREID]

If you're feeling really froggy, you could paint the checker pattern on the tube. :tongue:

Curt

 

[stonepecker]

Silver would get my vote. It wouldn't be fighting with the main coloring and still would 'brighten' the pen blank overall.

 

[alphageek]

I would go white. Its much easier to darken the light than to lighten the black.

You'd be surprised how much difference it can make in a pen when you paint different. Here is an OLD post I did to show what can be done:
http://www.penturners.org/forum/f13/opal-twins-78815/

 

[Sabaharr]

Another vote for painting inside the barrel or both, not just the tube. Reason being (probably doesn't apply to this blank) that if you can see through the barrel to the tube and there are any minor glue voids on the tube they will show through. If the inside of the barrel is painted you will eliminate this possibility. Also it is a good idea as you mentioned to use the lighter color. The darker color may show through in the lighter sections of the barrel.

 

[dthayer]

Thanks to all! I finally got a chance to finish this -- I painted it white and it turned out great.

 

[Lee58]

I have a little tool I made that helps me to decide what color paint to use for the inside of the blank. My wife does a lot of craft type painting and she uses acrylic paints. I took a 1/4 inch wood dowel and painted 1/2 inch stripes of the basic colors red, blue, white, silver, to name a few then when I get a blank I think needs painting I put a light behind the blank letting the light shine through then put the wood dowel in the hole that I have already drilled for the brass tubes and that shows me what color I need to paint the inside with plus gives me some ideas if I want to have some contrast in the blank. Can paint as many colors on the dowel as you want it works for me any way.

 

[JohnU]

I paint both. Better safe than sorry. I use an old piece of wire hanging from a nail overhead and slip a dowel rod up the tubes after they are on the wire to help hold them from touching each other. I use spray paint on the tubes and then down each side of the blanks drilled hole. Works every time.

 

[dthayer]

I have a little tool I made that helps me to decide what color paint to use for the inside of the blank. My wife does a lot of craft type painting and she uses acrylic paints. I took a 1/4 inch wood dowel and painted 1/2 inch stripes of the basic colors red, blue, white, silver, to name a few then when I get a blank I think needs painting I put a light behind the blank letting the light shine through then put the wood dowel in the hole that I have already drilled for the brass tubes and that shows me what color I need to paint the inside with plus gives me some ideas if I want to have some contrast in the blank. Can paint as many colors on the dowel as you want it works for me any way.

@Lee58, that's a great idea, thanks!

 

[dthayer]

I paint both. Better safe than sorry. I use an old piece of wire hanging from a nail overhead and slip a dowel rod up the tubes after they are on the wire to help hold them from touching each other. I use spray paint on the tubes and then down each side of the blanks drilled hole. Works every time.

Thanks much John, another good idea!

 

[Ric]

In my limited experience My first inclination from what you have said, is to paint the tube white because, solid black is such a strong pigment that it commonly overpowers any of the most vibrant of colours in the spectrum If you are worried about the brass showing through, you may want to paint the inside of the blank as well. Don't worry though I'm sure that the predominate colour will be the black...so paint away....
IF LIFE HANDS YOU LEMONS MAKE MOJITOS

 

[Ric]

Hey guys, I just thought of a question to ask concerning painting of tubes.
Lee58, you mention that you use acrylic paint to paint your tubes,
dthayer uses spray paint
I have found that acrylic paint does not adhere enough to the surface of the brass & is easily scraped off, especially when sliding in your tube when you are glueing it.
My solution..I spray my tubes with a primer..light coloured tubes get white, darker ones get grey, or red primer. Let them dry for a few minutes,then a quick misting of spray paint & that stuff ain't never coming off unless you sand it.
There is a problem with this process though, you must be very careful of the amounts of paint you are applying, or you are going to disc over a major problem when you go to glue your tubes in.
After all of that, my question is,What do the rest of you think about what I have just suggested?

 

[JohnU]

in short.. that works., In Long...I think you answered your own question.... just make sure you keep light coats so it doesn't get too thick. My opinion, most of the time color isn't a huge issue. Making sure the tubes don't glow through the blank is the objective. Color just helps keep the blank colors true and gives depth. Black will over power and dull some colors down and white will over power and lighten blanks, and all of this depends on what pen your making and how much meat is left on the bone when done. In the end, it all comes down to personal opinion.