PenMan1
Member
I have a vinyl sign cutter and do a few small vinyl sign jobs.
A while back I was cleaning up around the sign machine and felt really badly about just throwing away all the small scraps of various colors of sign vinyl. For some reason, I just put all the scraps in a box and took the down to the pen shop.
I make pens mostly from PR, Alumalite and other "alternative materials". Almost all of these materials require "painting" pen tubes. As luck had it, I was making a pink and white swirl PR pen and had run out of pink paint!
Sitting there kinda miffed, I decided to have a beer. I walked over to the shop refrig and on top of the fridge was the box of vinyl with pink right on top! YOU KNOW WHERE THIS STORY IS GOING!
I decided, "what the heck" so I used the self adhesive vinyl to "paint" the pen tube. IT WORKED FLAWLESSLY. Actually, better than flawlessly.
Most kit manufactures seem to allow for "slop" in thier drill bit recomendations. So, I usually put a caliper on the tube and use that sized drill bit and then run a rat tail file inside the blank until I get the fit I want.
With the vinyl, the little bit of extra thickness allows me to use the kit mfg. recommended drill bit and the vinyl wrap makes a very tight fit. JUST BE SURE TO DRY FIT THE TUBE BEFORE GLUEING!
The vinyl has some sort of reaction with the CA used to glue in the tube (you chemists help me out here) and makes a super tight bond.
My "paint job" is now always even and flawless and there is no wait time for drying! And vinyl comess in every color and many even have designs that add interest to a "transparent" blank (use Sumo or other clear glue here).
I HAVE EVEN USED THE VINYL AS A TUBE COLORANT UNDERNEATH EMBEDDED ITEMS....SO FAR NO PROBLEMS. But, I want to send some vinyl to Don Ward, Curtis, JohnU and Bruce119 for independent confirmation or rejection of using it on embedded things. JUST THINK OF THE POSSIBILITES IF THIS WORKS UNDER SKINS AND FEATHERS!
Now for the best part! IT'S FREE. Almost every town in America has at least one vinyl sign shop (I live in a tiny town and we have 5 shops). THEY WILL LIKELY GIVE YOU ALL THEIR SCRAPS!
I'll try to post pictures next week.
A while back I was cleaning up around the sign machine and felt really badly about just throwing away all the small scraps of various colors of sign vinyl. For some reason, I just put all the scraps in a box and took the down to the pen shop.
I make pens mostly from PR, Alumalite and other "alternative materials". Almost all of these materials require "painting" pen tubes. As luck had it, I was making a pink and white swirl PR pen and had run out of pink paint!
Sitting there kinda miffed, I decided to have a beer. I walked over to the shop refrig and on top of the fridge was the box of vinyl with pink right on top! YOU KNOW WHERE THIS STORY IS GOING!
I decided, "what the heck" so I used the self adhesive vinyl to "paint" the pen tube. IT WORKED FLAWLESSLY. Actually, better than flawlessly.
Most kit manufactures seem to allow for "slop" in thier drill bit recomendations. So, I usually put a caliper on the tube and use that sized drill bit and then run a rat tail file inside the blank until I get the fit I want.
With the vinyl, the little bit of extra thickness allows me to use the kit mfg. recommended drill bit and the vinyl wrap makes a very tight fit. JUST BE SURE TO DRY FIT THE TUBE BEFORE GLUEING!
The vinyl has some sort of reaction with the CA used to glue in the tube (you chemists help me out here) and makes a super tight bond.
My "paint job" is now always even and flawless and there is no wait time for drying! And vinyl comess in every color and many even have designs that add interest to a "transparent" blank (use Sumo or other clear glue here).
I HAVE EVEN USED THE VINYL AS A TUBE COLORANT UNDERNEATH EMBEDDED ITEMS....SO FAR NO PROBLEMS. But, I want to send some vinyl to Don Ward, Curtis, JohnU and Bruce119 for independent confirmation or rejection of using it on embedded things. JUST THINK OF THE POSSIBILITES IF THIS WORKS UNDER SKINS AND FEATHERS!
Now for the best part! IT'S FREE. Almost every town in America has at least one vinyl sign shop (I live in a tiny town and we have 5 shops). THEY WILL LIKELY GIVE YOU ALL THEIR SCRAPS!
I'll try to post pictures next week.
Last edited: