Need acrylic help

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Mikey

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I was making a nice Jr Gent II pen today in the black and pearl acrylic from BH (don't know number) Anyway, with the white acrylic, there are a lot of transparent spots. I figured that blackening the tubes with marker would be no problem, so I marked and glued with CA. Now for the problem.

The first end I turned, the long end, looks fine except I get these spots that look like wet spots under the acrylic, where the tube is actually CA'd to the acrylic, and a lighter, whiter spot where it appears the tube is not touching. To me, it looks like total S#*$%. Now, the cap end turned OK, but as I was sanding, I not only noticed the same problem as with the lower cap, but also noticed that some of the marker came off, apparently as I slid the tube in. It is so bad that in some spots you can see right through the acrylic and see the brass and marker on the tubes.

Questions is: How do you guys make it so that the acrylics show correctly when thin? Should I have used white paint or something inside the acrylic before I slid the tube in? I ask because even if I made the tubes black, i would still get the wet spot look in several areas, which to me looks really, really bad.


Please help!!:(:(:(
 
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SC-Wayne

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Aug 17, 2005
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I paint the tubes with a good quality model car paint and allow it to dry for at least 24 hours (I don't usually paint the inside of the blank although I've read others have done that with good success). I then use thick CA and I put a LOT of CA on the tube and spread it out so that it completely covers the tube. I then rotate the tube ( a LOT ) as I insert it into the blank. With this procedure I've never had the paint come off and I don't see the wet spots that you allude to. YMMV. [:)]
 

ed4copies

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You have put your finger on the reason I started painting the inside of the holes-this will cover the CA (I agree it looks like what you said).
 

wayneis

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I paint the insides of the hole and the tubes with flat paint. I either wait until dry or I help it dry with a hair dryer. I then use epoxy glue, it is the only glue that I use any more, I learned the hard way.

Wayne
 

Mikey

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Thanks very much. Guess I pick up some cheapo black and white flat paint. I did the epoxy for a while, but it was so freaking messy for me, I just gave in and started using thick CA. (I have several 16oz bottles of epoxy here that I was trying to use up too)
 

TomServo

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Grand Forks, ND, USA.
wayne: have you tried coloring your epoxy? I've had great results doing that - I paid $7 to fill some little squeeze bottles with tint at the local Ace and put a small drop of black in the epoxy (or match the color) or even use white tint (if the resin's too dark or I want to add depth) YMMV

Also, when using epoxy - get some of BB's wax sheets. fantastic stuff. Coat the tube, coat the inside of the blank (I reuse the squeze out). popsicle sticks work great, cut em in half or down a bit to fit the inside of your blanks.
 
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