Sanding marks inside the blank question

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad

Haynie

Member
Joined
May 20, 2011
Messages
3,516
Location
Page Arizona
I tried to paint the inside of my blanks but the tubes would not fit. I sanded the paint out. Will the sanding marks be a serious eye sore in a very almost see through blank and the brass tubes painted.
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad

wiset1

Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2010
Messages
2,222
Location
Florida
Shouldn't be that big of an issue if you do a little more prep work. I've found that taking a steel rod and wrapping sandpaper around the length of it works great to sand the inside of a blank. I do this all the way up to my highest grit paper. I've also found that if you buy a GOOD brush for painting with fine hairs you can cut down on the thickness of the pain inside of the blank. I think I spent $12 on a professional grade brush and I no longer have issues with my brass tubes fitting inside after reverse painting. Hope that helps a little.
 

airborne_r6

Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2008
Messages
279
I use a gun cleaning brush mounted in my drill press to do the same job. I have no troubles on see-through blanks as long as the inside of the blank is painted.

Do you mean you use a brass bore brush mounted in your drill press to sand the inside of the blanks?
 

76winger

Member
Joined
Aug 30, 2009
Messages
2,784
Location
Lebanon Indiana
You can also us spray paint and spray it into the blank from both ends to get good coverage. The thickness of the sprayed in paint is usually a bit thinner than the brushed in stuff.
 

DurocShark

Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2008
Messages
3,622
Location
Anaheim, CA
You can also us spray paint and spray it into the blank from both ends to get good coverage. The thickness of the sprayed in paint is usually a bit thinner than the brushed in stuff.

THIS!

And, if you go with flat paint instead of glossy, it's even thinner still.
 

Haynie

Member
Joined
May 20, 2011
Messages
3,516
Location
Page Arizona
When I use spray paint it is a quick shot and there is not even coverage. When I shine a light in there are serious misses. I hold the tip right up to the hole. Are you folks just holding the tip up to the hole and shooting it in or are you holding it away and spraying? I seriously want to know.
 

Mapster

Member
Joined
May 21, 2010
Messages
505
Location
Orlando, Florida
Flat spray paint and preferably a plastic flat spray paint. When you spray it in there will not be even coverage, but you put the tip right up to the hole and spray it in. Let it dry slightly, usually about 30 seconds, and you can spray more to get the even coverage you want. Also it helps if you spin the blank in your fingers when you spray. It spreads the paint around the whole for better coverage
 
Joined
Sep 24, 2010
Messages
730
Location
Knoxville TN
I may be a newbe (1 year) at this, but have done about 50-70 acrylics now. When I paint the tube I just use a qtip. I have never had one where the brass would not go in and there are some "swirl" marks if you look really close at the paint but goodness gracious guys, it's the inside of a pen! It does not have to be perfect. Just my 2 cents worth. :rolleyes:
 
Last edited:

EarlD

Member
Joined
May 5, 2011
Messages
585
Location
Albany, GA
I hold the rattle can nozzle right up to the hole in the blank, both ends, then blow any runs out with an air hose (watch where you aim it!)

EarlD
 

Haynie

Member
Joined
May 20, 2011
Messages
3,516
Location
Page Arizona
You have no idea how anal I am about this sort of thing. Just the way I am.


I may be a newbe (1 year) at this, but have done about 50-70 acrylics now. When I paint the tube I just use a qtip. I have never had one where the brass would not go in and there are some "swirl" marks if you look really close at the paint but goodness gracious guys, it's the inside of a pen! It does not have to be perfect. Just my 2 cents worth. :rolleyes:
 

G1Pens

Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2010
Messages
1,859
Location
Atlanta, GA area (Dacula)
I may be a newbe (1 year) at this, but have done about 50-70 acrylics now. When I paint the tube I just use a qtip. I have never had one where the brass would not go in and there are some "swirl" marks if you look really close at the paint but goodness gracious guys, it's the inside of a pen! It does not have to be perfect. Just my 2 cents worth. :rolleyes:

+1 Same here.
 

Drstrangefart

Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2010
Messages
4,258
Location
Woodstock, Ga. U.S.A.
I use a gun cleaning brush mounted in my drill press to do the same job. I have no troubles on see-through blanks as long as the inside of the blank is painted.

Do you mean you use a brass bore brush mounted in your drill press to sand the inside of the blanks?

Yeah. It does great at cleaning up grooves, getting rid of wrong color paint, and making extra room for paint. Just takes stopping and checking it frequently. It leaves behind a kinda sand-blasted look. Much cleaner than drill grooves.
 
Top Bottom