harleyrandy
Member
What methods do you use to paint your tubes for use in translucent acrylic pen blanks? What Glue is best if they when they are painted?
Painting tubes for translucent acrylics
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Penultimate
Member
I always paint the inside of the blank aka reverse painting with Testors and a cotton swab. Then I use epoxy glue with a drop or two in the paint. I don't want any glue inconsistencies to show thru the blank.
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TattooedTurner
Member
I use Tamiya acrylic model spray paint on the inside of the blank. I don't paint the tubes since I've never had trouble with the paint peeling when gluing in the tube. Yet...
gtriever
Member
I also reverse paint the blank. I've also found that cure time is very important before gluing. 24 hours is good, 48 is even better.
Jim Smith
Member
I paint both the inside of the blank and the tube. I let the paint dry for 24 hours and use epoxy to glue the tubes into the blanks. On some very translucent blanks there have been occasions where I can see glue lines, but only on a few blanks. That said, I watched the video posted by Creid the other day and think that I will try the gluing method shown in the video. It will take a bit more work, but preventing glue lines and blowouts is well worth the extra effort.
Jim Smith
Jim Smith
tomtedesco
Member
Ditto
Kenny Durrant
Member
I use a water based acrylic paint to paint the tube and the inside of the blank. I then use Gorilla Glue to glue in the tube. I coat the tube and the blank with the glue and when I dip then in water to activate the glue the paint will fade into the glue. I'll then tape up the holes so the glue won't push out the tube when expanding. I've never had any issues with streaks. I know this is time consuming but I'm in no hurry anyway.
moke
Member
+1 on the tubes, the blanks and the epoxy....and I do it to every acrylic blank....in the past I was surprised at some blanks that ended up being somewhat translucent.....so I just started making it a standard practice
If you are the type of person who wears a belt to keep your pants up, paint the inside of the hole.
If you wear a belt and suspenders, just in case, paint the tube and the inside of the hole.
If you wear two belts and suspenders, paint the hole, the tube and use epoxy.
If you wear two belts and two pairs of suspenders, mix some paint with the epoxy.
I just wear a belt and just paint the hole.
If you wear a belt and suspenders, just in case, paint the tube and the inside of the hole.
If you wear two belts and suspenders, paint the hole, the tube and use epoxy.
If you wear two belts and two pairs of suspenders, mix some paint with the epoxy.
I just wear a belt and just paint the hole.
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I paint the inside of the blank with spray paint. Spray from both ends. I then chuck it in my lathe and spin at max rpm to get a smooth even coat on the ID. MUST let dry overnight.
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I spray paint all - no matter what, and use epoxy which serves as a lubricant. I can't get anything else to work consistently for me.
My challenge with the translucent blanks is the appearance of the drilled/rifling marks on the inside of the barrel. I have sanded them off, but then I changed the ID of the barrel. This may be fine for kitless, but not for kitted.
My challenge with the translucent blanks is the appearance of the drilled/rifling marks on the inside of the barrel. I have sanded them off, but then I changed the ID of the barrel. This may be fine for kitless, but not for kitted.
Painting Pen Blank Holes using RUSTOLEUM "Paint" from Glass Marker Pens
OK, I have decided to share my secret "paint" ....
I stumbled across some Rustoleum brand glass marker pens at a disposals store.
Each marker was "disposal priced" at $2.99, which eventually dropped to $1.20.
The colors are limited to black, white, red, blue, yellow and green .... but you can mix colors to get anything you want.
These marker pens are an inch in diameter and 6.25 inches long. . They contain only 20 mL (2/3 ounce) of paint plus a shaking ball to mix.
The pens have a colored cap, matching the paint color. . When you remove the colored cap you encounter a piece of foam sitting in a cavity on top of another, white, cap.
I throw away the foam (it's useless for my purposes) and I remove the white cap very carefully by gripping it with pliers. Later the white cap is refitted using the pressure of a large bar clamp or a Bessey clamp. . Very large C clamp would work if it spans the length.
Oh, before removing the two caps, I shake the "pen" as per instructions to mix the paint.
Now with the two caps removed, I dip a Cue-Tip shallowly into the paint. . This is a bit tricky because you can't really see into the "pen" to determine the level of the paint. . But after a few attempts you learn how to tip the pen to get some paint without spilling paint on the front of your blouse/shirt/pants/skirt.
The paint on the Cue-Tip goes inside the hole in your pen blank, of course. . You quickly learn how much to use and you can hold the pen blank up to the ceiling light to determine the coverage of the paint.
The nice thing about this paint is that it dries very quickly .... like about 30 minutes sitting on the kitchen floor register spewing hot air from the furnace.
And then you can apply a second coat.
Caution: the paint is not terribly robust but it is OK, and with epoxy glue applied to the brass tube it slips into the blank hole fairly readily.
The reason I like this method is that I don't have to wait 24-48 hours for paint to dry.
Have you ever had fun watching paint dry ????
Another caution: if the drill size is such that the brass tube slides into the blank hole with difficulty (even a little), then you should enlarge the hole before painting. . You can enlarge the hole to the next drill size, or enlarge it with sandpaper wrapped on a wooden pencil or small dowel or anything suitable.
Here is a drill size chart that I find very useful when I am drilling/enlarging holes:
Drill Size Conversion Table
I have looked on the internet for pricing of Rustoleum Glass Marker pens and they seem to sell in the $5 - $7 range .... which is a bit expensive unless you can get them at a disposal store like I did .... I bought a whole lot of them after I had proven that they work to my satisfaction.
But you can also use these marker pens for decorating your windows at Christmas, Easter, and Hallowe'en !!! . Pity no orange.
I am totally satisfied with the results I get using this paint from the Rustoleum Glass Marker pens and I happily paint ALL acrylic holes.
OK, I have decided to share my secret "paint" ....
I stumbled across some Rustoleum brand glass marker pens at a disposals store.
Each marker was "disposal priced" at $2.99, which eventually dropped to $1.20.
The colors are limited to black, white, red, blue, yellow and green .... but you can mix colors to get anything you want.
These marker pens are an inch in diameter and 6.25 inches long. . They contain only 20 mL (2/3 ounce) of paint plus a shaking ball to mix.
The pens have a colored cap, matching the paint color. . When you remove the colored cap you encounter a piece of foam sitting in a cavity on top of another, white, cap.
I throw away the foam (it's useless for my purposes) and I remove the white cap very carefully by gripping it with pliers. Later the white cap is refitted using the pressure of a large bar clamp or a Bessey clamp. . Very large C clamp would work if it spans the length.
Oh, before removing the two caps, I shake the "pen" as per instructions to mix the paint.
Now with the two caps removed, I dip a Cue-Tip shallowly into the paint. . This is a bit tricky because you can't really see into the "pen" to determine the level of the paint. . But after a few attempts you learn how to tip the pen to get some paint without spilling paint on the front of your blouse/shirt/pants/skirt.
The paint on the Cue-Tip goes inside the hole in your pen blank, of course. . You quickly learn how much to use and you can hold the pen blank up to the ceiling light to determine the coverage of the paint.
The nice thing about this paint is that it dries very quickly .... like about 30 minutes sitting on the kitchen floor register spewing hot air from the furnace.
And then you can apply a second coat.
Caution: the paint is not terribly robust but it is OK, and with epoxy glue applied to the brass tube it slips into the blank hole fairly readily.
The reason I like this method is that I don't have to wait 24-48 hours for paint to dry.
Have you ever had fun watching paint dry ????
Another caution: if the drill size is such that the brass tube slides into the blank hole with difficulty (even a little), then you should enlarge the hole before painting. . You can enlarge the hole to the next drill size, or enlarge it with sandpaper wrapped on a wooden pencil or small dowel or anything suitable.
Here is a drill size chart that I find very useful when I am drilling/enlarging holes:
Drill Size Conversion Table
I have looked on the internet for pricing of Rustoleum Glass Marker pens and they seem to sell in the $5 - $7 range .... which is a bit expensive unless you can get them at a disposal store like I did .... I bought a whole lot of them after I had proven that they work to my satisfaction.
But you can also use these marker pens for decorating your windows at Christmas, Easter, and Hallowe'en !!! . Pity no orange.
I am totally satisfied with the results I get using this paint from the Rustoleum Glass Marker pens and I happily paint ALL acrylic holes.
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