Russ Hewitt
Member
I want to start painting my tubes or the inside of my blanks for acrylics. Do you always use white or do you match the primary color of the blank? Thanks all
Tube Painting ???
- Thread starter Russ Hewitt
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I often match the blank color if I have it, but other colors can give interesting effects. I find white and black the most useful, with white giving a brighter look overall. I often use nail polish for black and white .... dollar store acrylic for color. I apply with a Q-tip.
longbeard
Member
I use Krylon spray enamel. I also have the advantage of having 2 lathes. I use my old lathe for painting the tubes, just put them between the centers and spin them on slow while giving them a few shots of paint.
With that said, i also put them in my toaster oven on 150 degrees for 30 mins or longer to bake the paint on. No trouble with the paint coming off while inserting them into the blank. I use Gorilla glue 5 min epoxy.
I also at times paint the hole of the blank depending on how translucent the blank is along with painting the tube, if not you will take a chance on seeing the glue between the tube and blank (i paint the tube just in case a spot of paint comes off inside the hole while inserting the tube) I also use a q-tip for the hole.
And the way i see it, if your going to paint the hole in the blank, it needs to dry so why not go ahead and paint the tube also. One is not going to dry faster than the other.
With the darker colors, purple and black for example, i use white
For the lighter colors, whites, pinks, blues and so on, i try to match the color with the blank.
This works for me cause i'm no rush to make a pen from start to finish in 15 minutes...
Harry
With that said, i also put them in my toaster oven on 150 degrees for 30 mins or longer to bake the paint on. No trouble with the paint coming off while inserting them into the blank. I use Gorilla glue 5 min epoxy.
I also at times paint the hole of the blank depending on how translucent the blank is along with painting the tube, if not you will take a chance on seeing the glue between the tube and blank (i paint the tube just in case a spot of paint comes off inside the hole while inserting the tube) I also use a q-tip for the hole.
And the way i see it, if your going to paint the hole in the blank, it needs to dry so why not go ahead and paint the tube also. One is not going to dry faster than the other.
With the darker colors, purple and black for example, i use white
For the lighter colors, whites, pinks, blues and so on, i try to match the color with the blank.
This works for me cause i'm no rush to make a pen from start to finish in 15 minutes...
Harry
Last edited:
ed4copies
Local Chapter Manager
White, black, match color of blank, chrome (painted or purchased)---lots of possibilities and each produces it's own interesting result!!
Have fun and make notes!!
Have fun and make notes!!
Shock me
Member
Ed has (or at least used to have) an interesting video in which he made thin slices, roughly the thickness of the turned blank-about .3 mm for a Sierra style, and held it against a color chip for an approximate idea of how it will look with the blank painted that color. I found that I did it a few times, got an idea of what I liked and then just went with that
There's threads here showing what a dramatic difference your paint color choice can have on some blanks. I don't have the search skills to link them...
My best advice is to experiment but keep track of what you use, especially the paint and the glue. I have a bad habit of prepping a blank through painting and tube gluing then leaving it sit around for a few months (or longer) before turning it. A while back, after a series of glue failures. I started marking the prepped blanks with date, glue and paint used. I found that it was happening almost exclusively with epoxied blanks painted with acrylic. I wouldn't go so far as to say acrylic and epoxy aren't compatible, there are other variables that might be peculiar to me and my workshop. For example, if I thought the tube fit a little loosely in the hole, I often applied the paint a bit thickly and tended to use epoxy-no surprise if those are the failures then.
As to why my drilled holes don't always come out the same, that's a topic for a whole 'nother thread...
There's threads here showing what a dramatic difference your paint color choice can have on some blanks. I don't have the search skills to link them...
My best advice is to experiment but keep track of what you use, especially the paint and the glue. I have a bad habit of prepping a blank through painting and tube gluing then leaving it sit around for a few months (or longer) before turning it. A while back, after a series of glue failures. I started marking the prepped blanks with date, glue and paint used. I found that it was happening almost exclusively with epoxied blanks painted with acrylic. I wouldn't go so far as to say acrylic and epoxy aren't compatible, there are other variables that might be peculiar to me and my workshop. For example, if I thought the tube fit a little loosely in the hole, I often applied the paint a bit thickly and tended to use epoxy-no surprise if those are the failures then.
As to why my drilled holes don't always come out the same, that's a topic for a whole 'nother thread...
Russ Hewitt
Member
beck3906
Member
Lots of folks use this type of acrylic paint. I don't have a problem with it setting up using epoxy. Lots of colors and cheap to buy.
Basic Paint
Basic Paint
79spitfire
Member
I've tried that, it's ok, I like it better for painting the inside of the blank. I like Krylon's high heat flat paint for the tubes. Sprays on nice and thin, opaque, and dries quickly.
steve worcester
Member
gbpens
Member
Painting the inside of the material is preferred over painting the tube. If the tube is painted you may get glue show through which is almost as bad as tube show through.
PAbernathy
Member
For me it depends on the pen kit and the size of the tubes. On the larger kits I always paint the tube because it gets mighty thin at the ends of the tube and the last thing I want is to spend a good amount of time on a pen and see the brass shining through. I got a set of paints ( a flip top set of paints...with out a dozen colors) and I use that to paint the tubes and I also paint the inside of the blank sometimes.
Just better off safe than sorry in my view for a little extra time spent.
Just better off safe than sorry in my view for a little extra time spent.
Here's a recent thread that John shows the effects of different colors used to paint the inside of blanks.....worth a look.
http://www.penturners.org/forum/f13/reverse-painting-different-effects-132612/
http://www.penturners.org/forum/f13/reverse-painting-different-effects-132612/